08.01.13 Plant City Times & Observer by Plant City Observer

Plant City Times &

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

A PARTNERSHIP WITH

IN FOCUS SPORTS

FAITH

FBC Midway goes back to basics at VBS.

MLK avenges 2012 California-based kickball loss in second company dreams Plant City challenge. big in Plant City. PAGE 7 PAGE 11

PAGE 10

OUR TOWN + My, my! Look how we’ve grown! Welcome to the first edition of the Plant City Times & Observer, a joint venture of the Observer Media Group and the Tampa Bay Times. You’ll notice some key differences from the Plant City Observer you have enjoyed since we launched in July 2012. Now printed on broadsheet paper, each page is larger, giving us the space to run larger photos, longer stories and additional content. The size also allows us to give our advertising partners more dynamic marketing solutions. As you flip through this edition, you’ll notice several new features. We’ve added pages specifically devoted to Faith and Real Estate content. Furthermore, we’ve added a weekly Critter Corner, Community Calendar and Club Hubbub, a new feature in which we will feature Plant City’s civic clubs. We hope you enjoy this first edition, and as always, we invite you to let us know about anything you’d like to see in your community newspaper. Thank you for your continued support!

LOW 73 75 75 73 75 75 75

OON

ASES

g. 14

g. 21

g. 28

ug. 6

+ Chamber to host teacher coffee The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce will host its 2013 New Teacher Coffee from 7 to 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Hall, 303 Lemon St., Plant City. The purpose of the breakfast is to warmly welcome all new Area Six teachers, from 25 local schools, to the Plant City community. The chamber is seeking event sponsors for this year’s event. Businesses can donate a goodie bag item as promotion and to show appreciation for the new teachers. For more, call the chamber, (813) 754-3707.

I PC

This week’s winner is

Barbara Markland See her photo on PAGE 14.

FREE • THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2013

truck stop

HOMETOWN HERO by Michael Eng | Editor

A WORLD AWAY

by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Land’s rolls into Plant City Land’s Used Trucks and Equipment has served customers from as far away as South America, Africa and Russia.

Courtesy of Stephanie Humphrey Photography

U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Adair, with his wife, Lauren, and daughter, Autumn. The Adairs had this portrait taken in February, right before Thomas left for his deployment in Southeast Asia.

Plant City native U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Adair is five months into a 12-month deployment to an undisclosed location in Southeast Asia. His wife, Lauren, and daughter, Autumn, are patiently awaiting his return home. She’s not even 2 years old yet, but already, Autumn Adair knows the distinct sound of an incoming call on Skype. When she hears the ring, she toddles excitedly over to the computer. For Autumn, Skype only means one thing: Daddy is calling. Plant City native U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Adair, Autumn’s father, is five months into a yearlong deployment to an undisclosed location in Southeast Asia. There, he serves as an early-warning system team leader and works with the Patriot Missile System to provide air and missile defense for a critical asset in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility. It is his and his team’s mission to defend against any type of missile attacks and allow U.S. Air Force and Coalition forces freedom to maneuver. Courtesy photo

SEE ADAIR / PAGE 4

U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Adair met U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.

HOMETOWN HEROES EDITOR’S NOTE: Hometown Heroes is a recurring feature in the Plant City Times & Observer in which we profile veterans from Plant City. If you have a loved one currently serving or who has served in the past, please contact Editor Michael Eng by email at meng@plantcityobserver.com or by phone at (813) 704-6850.

After more than two decades at its current location off State Road 60, Land’s Used Trucks and Equipment is moving to a new home. Later this month, the business will pull into a new driveway, moving their operations to the old Lott-Mather dealership site, 2900 James L. Redman Parkway, Plant City. “It’s time for a different thing,” owner Richard Land said. “It’s time for a move.” Land said he has had been eyeing the property for years. So, when the opportunity to lease the property came up, he took it. The new location will allow the business to be closer to the heart of Plant City and give the business more room to display the inventory. The location also will give the business space to house a new shop, where Land’s son, also named Richard, builds the trucks. “We could probably stay (at the current location) forever, but we don’t want to stay in the dark,” Land said. Land’s Used Trucks and Equipment has traveled a long, successful road in its 22-year history. Land started the business in the back yard of his Valrico home. Land’s grandfather had worked harvesting oranges. Land then learned the trucking business from him. “He just bought one and sold it, then bought two and sold it and it just grew from there,” Richard said. The business moved in 1995, to its current location. Land’s Used Trucks and Equipment can build any type of truck including flatbeds, box trucks, dump trucks and utility trucks. There are about 100 trucks in inventory on the property at a given time. Land’s brother, David, works at the business as a salesman. In its history, the

SEE LAND’S / PAGE 4

adopted cause by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Mission group travels to Guatemala

Barbara Markland shared this breathtaking photo of the sun rising over a about 250 orphans and 40 senior citPlant City strawberry field. Markland calls it “Strawberry Sunrise.” The missionaries left Plant City July 22, to help izens. The 120-acre site also will be The Plant City Times & Observer, State Farm Insurance agent Tony Lee build an orphanage in the Central American country. home to a school, church, clinic and and The Corner Store have partnered to host the I Love Plant City Photo mission house. In the rolling hills of Guatemala, man said of the hard labor. This year, Bateman along with his Contest. Winners will have their photo featured and receive a $10 gift cerPlant City resident Rick Bateman Bateman and members of the wife, Lesley, have spearheaded a sectificate to The Corner Store! To enter, email your photo, with a caption, to and a group of missionaries chipped First Baptist of Lake Placid were part ond trip to Guatemala. They teamed Managing Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver.com; subject line: I their way through hard, packed clay. of a Little Lambs International trip up with First Baptist of Lake Placid Love Plant City. They meticulously poured about 30 to Jalapa last year. again. But the Batemans have manyards of concrete and lugged more than 40 trips of dirt to the site of a future orphanage. “This is not a cush mission,” Bate-

Paul Somero founded Little Lambs specifically to build an orphanage for some of Guatemala’s 370,000 orphans. The orphanage will house

aged to recruit 11 Plant City residents, as well.

SEE GUATEMALA / PAGE 4

INDEX Calendar........................2

Courtesy photo

Volunteers from Evangelical Presbyterian Church made more than 100 dresses for the orphans.

Vol. 1, No. 1 | One section Crossword....................14

Obituaries......................9

Opinion.........................6

Sports..........................11

PlantCityObserver.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

4(523$!9 !5'534

COMMUNITYCALENDAR FRIDAY, AUG. 2

AARP Driver Safety Class — takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday Aug. 2, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. 757-9215. Casey Stidham — performance will be from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road. 752-9100. Ribbon Cutting: O’Reilly Auto Parts — takes place at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at 1704 James L. Redman Parkway. For more, visit plantcity.org.

SATURDAY, AUG. 3 Cory Walker — performance will be from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. 752-9100.

Plant City Kiwanis Club Business Spelling Bee — takes place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, at the 1914 High School Community Center, 121 N. Collins St., Plant City.

THURSDAY, AUG. 8 Walden Lake Community Association Back-to-School Bash — takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, at the Walden Lake Golf and Country Club pool, 2001 Clubhouse Drive, Plant City. This free event for Walden Lake families will include food, a deejay, gifts, contests, games and vendors.

Diabetes Management Series: The Journey for Control — takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 5, 12, 19 and 16, in the Community Conference Room at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. The Journey for Control is a diabetes class that uses Conversation Maps, a series of images and metaphors, to engage groups of patients in conversations about a health topic, such as diabetes. Registration and pre-payment required; $10 for series. To register, call 644-6720.

Flute Circle — takes place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday Aug. 6, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. 757-9215.

SATURDAY, AUG. 10 Movie Screening — takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. (813) 757-9215.

Weight Loss Surgery Information Sessions —takes place from 5:30 to 6:30 Monday, Aug. 12, at the Ed and Myrtle Lou Swindle Medical Arts Center, 1601 W. Timberlane Drive, Plant City; or from 530 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, at Stephen Butler’s office, 4120 U.S. 98, Lakeland. 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. Registration required. (813) 644-6720.

MONDAY AUG. 5

TUESDAY, AUG. 6

PCHS Class of 1978 Reunion — takes place from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. The 35-year reunion fun continues from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at Embassy Suites, 10220 Palm River Road, Tampa. Reservations recommended. For more information, email PlantCity1978@aol.com or search for “Plant City Class of 1978” on Facebook.

MONDAY, AUG. 12

Bike Fest — takes place at 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at 102 N. Palmer St., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org.

Evangelical Presbyterian Church VBS: ‘Paul’s Dangerous Journey’ — takes place from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 5 to 9, at the church, 1107 Charlie Griffin Road. Open to students from pre-K to fifth grade. 759-9383.

FRIDAY, AUG. 9

TUESDAY, AUG. 13 Morning Book Discussion — takes place from 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Aug. 13, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. The book will be “Clara and Mr. Tiffany” by Susan Vreeland. (813) 757-9215.

BEST BET Bike Fest — takes place at 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at 102 N. Palmer St., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org.

GED Information Session — takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Hillsborough County School District’s Valarie Henry will talk about the GED test and upcoming changes to the test. (813) 7579215.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14 Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Ag Breakfast — takes place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug.

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.

14, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Ag Center, 303 Lemon St., Plant City. Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida, ACA. For more, visit plantcity. org.

THURSDAY, AUG. 15 Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce New Teacher Coffee — takes place from 7 to 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, at Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Hall, 303 Lemon St., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org.

FRIDAY, AUG. 16 Résumé Writing Seminar — takes place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Participants are encouraged to bring a flash drive with them to save their work. (813) 757-9215. Strawberry Classic Car Show — takes place from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at 102 North Palmer Street, Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org.

MONDAY, AUG. 19 Extreme Couponing Seminar — takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Patrons are invited to bring unused, unexpired coupons with them to swap after the program is over. (813) 757-9215.

ONGOING Babytime — takes place at 10 a.m. Thursdays, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. 7579215. Bereaved Parents Group — meets at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month, the fourth Tuesday of each month, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. Janice Falcon, (813) 997-1709. Cholesterol Screenings — available from 2 to 3 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. Cost is $30. No appointments necessary. Colon Cancer Support Group — meets at 6 p.m. the third Thursday of each month, at Cancer Resource Center, 1708 W. Palmetto St., Plant City. (813) 6446720.

Duplicate Bridge — meets at 1 p.m. Fridays, at St. Peters Episcopal Church, 302 Carey Street, Plant City. Players must have partners. 752-1602. Family Motion Commotion — takes place from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Thursdays, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. 757-9215. Heart Health Screenings — available from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. High blood pressure increases the heart’s workload, causing the heart to enlarge and weaken over time, and the risk of coronary heart disease rises as blood cholesterol levels increase. Free. Hope Al-Anon Group — meets at 7:30 p.m. Mondays, at Hull House at First Presbyterian Church, 203 Thomas St. 763-3698. Ladies Bible Study — meets at 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays, at Planteen Recreation Center, 401 Dort St., Plant City. Martha Sue Skinner, (813) 752-7630. Plant City Lions Club — meets at 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, at Buddy Freddy’s, 1101 Goldfinch Drive. For more, visit plantcitylions.org. Plant City Daybreak Rotary Club — meets at 7 a.m. Mondays, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Community Conference Center. For more, visit plantcitydaybreakrotary.com. Plant City Noon Rotary Club — meets at 12:15 p.m. Mondays, at HCC Plant City’s John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 North Park Road, Plant City. Plant City Civitan Club — meets at 7 a.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month, at Buddy Freddy’s Restaurant. 1101 Goldfinch Drive, Plant City. For more, call the club at 754-4680. Republican Club of Plant City — meets at 7:15 a.m. the fourth Tuesday of the month, at Buddy Freddy’s Restaurant, 1101 Goldfinch Drive, Plant City. Somebody Who Cares Cancer Support Group — meets at 6 p.m. the second Thursday of each month, at Cancer Resource Center, 1708 W. Palmetto St., Plant City. (813) 644-6720. Weight Watchers — meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays, at Plant City’s First Baptist Church, 503 N. Palmer St. (813) 7524104.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

4(523$!9 !5'534

education by Michael Eng | Editor

State releases 2013 FCAT grades

State education leaders say the overall drop in grades is because of tougher tests and increased expectations.

Of the 24 Plant City public and charter schools that took the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, only one showed year-to-year gains amid tougher tests, stricter grading standards and transition to Common Core State Standards. Knights Elementary earned Plant City’s only A grade this year, up from a B in 2012. Letter grades for Plant City’s three high schools — Durant, Plant City and Strawberry Crest — were not released as of press time. Aside from Knights, most area schools showed declines in test scores. Because of the changes in grading standards, the Florida Department of Education built a “safety net” that prevented any school from dropping into one letter grade. Of Plant City schools, seven — Burney, Cork, Dover, Lincoln and Springhead elementary schools and Advantage Academy (elementary and middle) — benefited from this “safety net.” Statewide, the number of A schools dropped from 48% to 29%, while the number of F schools increased from 2% to 4%. “These results reflect Florida’s commitment to higher standards and the hard work our great educators have put in to become the nation’s best,” Florida Commissioner of Education Tony Bennett said in a press release. “We still have a long way to go, but I am confident our schools and districts will rise to the challenge.”

PLANT CITY 2013 FCAT ANALYSIS SCALE

BENEFIT FROM ONE LETTER GRADE DROP PROTECTION

PRELIMINARY GRADE 2013

GRADE 2012

GRADE 2011

GRADE 2010

FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH

MINORITY RATE

TITLE 1

395 395 431 435 495 395 457 550 495 482 464 463 495 453 519 511

800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800 800

YES N/A N/A YES YES YES N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A YES N/A N/A N/A

D D D C B D C A B C C C B C B B

C C D B A C B B A B C B A C A A

D B C A B C C A B A B C B C A A

C B A B A B A B A A B A B C A A

51% 69% 93% 94% 71% 97% 91% 82% 64% 54% 87% 29% 85% 92% 48% 87%

55% 48% 90% 84% 43% 91% 80% 54% 82% 56% 67% 19% 61% 80% 41% 65%

NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES NO YES YES NO YES

560 499 543 581 548

900 900 900 900 900

YES N/A N/A N/A N/A

B C C B C

A C B B C

A C A A B

D A A A B

56% 81% 37% 66% 76%

54% 59% 17% 56% 56%

NO YES NO YES YES

Pending Pending Pending

A A A

B A B

B B C

44% 58% 45%

40% 52% 46%

NO NO NO

TOTAL PTS. 2013

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Advantage Academy of Hillsborough Bailey Elementary Bryan Elementary School Burney Elementary School Cork Elementary School Dover Elementary School Jackson Elementary School Knights Elementary School Lincoln Elementary Magnet School Nelson Elementary School Robinson Elementary School Shiloh Elementary Charter School Springhead Elementary School Trapnell Elementary School Walden Lake Elementary School Wilson Elementary School MIDDLE SCHOOLS Advantage Academy Middle School Marshall Middle School Shiloh Middle Charter School Tomlin Middle School Turkey Creek Middle School

SCHOOL NAME

HIGH SCHOOLS Durant High School Plant City High School Strawberry Crest High School

“I applaud the commitment of our school and district leaders to the implementation of Common Core State Standards in 2014-15, which will free teachers to prioritize critical thinking and creativity in our students,” Bennett said. “The department will focus its atten-

tion on the schools most in need of assistance and work with educators to prepare them for the implementation of Common Core State Standards.” In addition to the letter grades, the FLDOE also released a list of state’s 100 lowest-per-

forming elementary schools, based on reading. Only one Plant City-area school — Dover Elementary — was on that list. Those lowestperforming schools will receive ﬁnancial assistance. For more, visit schoolgrades.ﬂdoe.org.

buzz word

by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Mallory Quinn and Sharyn Beach

Jason Mann and Brian Beach

Rachel Rodriguez and Mikaela DuPriest

PLAYTIME by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Jenise Freeland, Paula Spanglerklein, Melody Brown, Nicole DuPriest and Sharyn Beach

BEHIND THE CURTAIN Ashley Allen

Plant City Entertainment has been enjoying packed houses and sold-out performances during its production of “Les Miserables.” “The audience has gotten better and better as time has gone on,” Jason Mann, who plays Inspector Jalvert, said backstage. There still are three more chances to see “Les Miserables.” Performances will be at 8 p.m. Aug. 1 to 3, at the theater, 101 N. Thomas St., in Plant City. Doors open at 7 p.m. “The shows (have been) sold out, which is a testament to how excited the audience is for the show,” Brian Beach, one of two actors who plays Jean Valjean, said. The audience certainly showed their enthusiasm by clapping and even cheering during the production, which has gained popularity in thanks to the recent Hollywood movie. But the production doesn’t

Who will ‘bee’ the best speller in Plant City? The Plant City Kiwanis Club’s ﬁrst Business Spelling Bee will take place Aug. 6.

Although the new school year is still several weeks away, some Plant City residents already have been hitting the books. More than 30 business leaders will test their mental mettle at the Plant City Kiwanis Club’s Business Spelling Bee at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, at 1914 PCHS Community Building, 605 N. Collins St., Plant City. “We’re very excited IF YOU GO about it,” organizer David Wolf said. PLANT CITY KIWANIS Thirty-six busiBUSINESS nesses have signed SPELLING BEE employees up for the competition, includWHEN: 7 p.m. ing three floral shops, Tuesday, Aug. 6 Family Care Center, WHERE: 1914 American AmbuPCHS Community lance Service, HillsBuilding, 605 N. boro Bank and In the Collins St., Plant Field magazine. City “I’m not going to COST: $10; $5 with say people are excitschool supplies ed,” Wolf said. “Many CONTACT: David are petrified. I’ve Wolf, (813) 717had to talk them off 9300 or david@ a ledge, but it’s all in haughtfuneralhome. good fun.” com Plant City Times & Observer Editor Michael Eng also will be competing. “Pressure-wise, there’s a lot on Michael Eng’s shoulders,” Wolf said. “As the editor of a newspaper, many people think he has the advantage.” The competition will help raise money for Kiwanis’ Read Around the World campaigns. The club helps mentor students in reading, as well as gives books to students. The club’s Stuff the Bus charity also will benefit. This year, the club is hopes to pack 710 backpacks with school supplies. They will then give the backpacks out to students in need at all Plant City-area elementary schools. “We want to help them out with school supplies and things they need,” Wolf said. “Here in Plant City, we’re really focused on helping children, because they are the future.” Tickets will be sold at the door for $10. If you bring one school supply item, the ticket price will be reduced to $5. Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@ plantcityobserver.com.

HISTORY LESSON Alex Dyles, Ethan Richardson and Todd DuPriest come without a set of roadblocks. “It’s been very challenging,” said actress Sharyn Beach. “It’s a very complex show.” With a 52-member cast, “Les Miserables” is one of the largest shows in Plant City Entertainment history. In the ﬁnale, more than two-thirds of

the case are on-stage. “It’s great,” Mallory Quinn, who plays Eponine, said. “We have an awesome cast and awesome orchestra.” Advanced tickets and group rates available at Hardee’s Fashions 1501 N. Wheeler St., Plant City. For more, call (813) 6778045.

A spelling bee may be about English, but it doesn’t come without a little history. Spelling bees are thought to have originated in the United States. The first known evidence of the phrase “spelling bee” in print appeared in 1850. “Bee” has been used to describe a gathering where a specific action is taking place, such as a competition or hobby. The United States Spelling Bee was started in 1925, in Washington, D.C. At just 11 years old, Frank Neuhauser won the first competition.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

GUATEMALA / 1 As new members of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Batemans didn’t know how much support they would receive when they proposed the mission earlier this year. But, the congregation was eager to help the cause. “I had just hoped one or two people would be interested,” Rick said. “It was neat to see individuals come up to us in the church,” Lesley said. “From the moment we announced it, people were coming up to us, saying they wanted to go or that they couldn’t go but they still wanted to help.” Without ever stepping foot on a plane, women at the church contributed to the mission in a big way by sewing dresses for the children. The Batemans loved the idea but thought they would only receive about 20 dresses. Instead, they received 104. “It’s neat to see all the people come together,” Lesley said. In addition, congregation members and others have donated clothing, sports equipment and other items for the missionaries to hand out. Comedy troupe Humor 2 Outreach helped the group raise about $1,700. The cost

LAND’S / 1 company has shipped trucks as far away as South America, Africa and even Russia. “We’ve sold them all over,” David Land said. “Ain’t too many countries we haven’t sold a truck to.” Land’s also sells many trucks locally to strawberry farmers. Richard Land said he is excited about more room for the shop. Working in the business since he was young, his main responsibility is building the trucks. “Nothing leaves here without me working on it,” Richard said. “You get to work on something new every day.” Land has been wanting to move the business for a while. He originally looked at a

LITTLE LAMBS INTERNATIONAL

For more information on Little Lambs International, visit littlelambsintl.org. for each member was $1,250. There are about 30 members on the trip, ranging in age from their teens to their 70s. They left July 22 and returned July 31. One of Rick’s favorite parts about mission work is meeting and working with the team members. “Some of the greatest things are personal,” Rick said. “What you get out of the team working together. When you sweat together, it helps you to get to know people.” In addition to construction work, the team also was able to interact with the locals. Every day, they taught women from the nearby village how to knit. They also visited children in the village to do crafts. “You smile at one of them, and then, all of a sudden, you have a new buddy,” Rick said. “At the end of the day, you just want to pack them up and take them with you.” Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com. space by Interstate 4 and McIntosh Road. He also looked closer to Tampa near U.S. 301. But, ultimately, he decided to stay local. The Lott-Mather Buick Pontiac GMC car dealership, owned by Rick Lott and Bill Mather, closed in 2009, along with Lott-Mather Chevrolet, in Haines City, and a third dealership in Fitzgerald, Ga. According to public records, Lott Mather Partners, Inc. bought the property in 2000, for $1.55 million, from Conley Buick and Pontiac dealership. A private investor purchased the 9.9-acre property in May. Plant City-based City Properties will be handling the leasing. Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.

4(523$!9 !5'534

ADAIR / 1 It’s a huge responsibility, for sure. But on Skype, he leaves that all behind for an equally important task. Sometimes, he’ll sing the ABCs. Other times, he’ll sit and watch “Barney & Friends.” Most of all, he reminds Autumn and his wife, Lauren, just how much he loves and misses his girls. “There isn’t a day that goes by without her talking about her Daddy,” Lauren says. The Adairs are counting down the days until Sept. 14, whenThomas will return home for two weeks of R&R. After celebrating Autumn’s second birthday, the family will enjoy a four-day Caribbean cruise. “I will be catching up on some one-on-one time with my daughter, because at the young age of 2, I have missed a lot of time with her,” Thomas says.

HOME-GROWN

Born and raised in Plant City, Thomas attended Springhead Elementary and Marshall Middle schools, before graduating in 2006, from Plant City High. He spent his childhood years playing baseball at Mike E. Sansone Community Park. Later, as a Raider, Thomas played on the offensive line for the football team and ﬁrst- and third-base positions for the baseball team. After high school, Thomas began taking classes at Hillsborough Community College. Two years out of high school, on June 25, 2008, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. “I have always felt a calling to serve my country in one way or another,” he says. “After much debate from my mother and encouragement from my father, I decided to join. I was extremely nervous when I left, but I adapted quickly.” Although he’ll forever be a Raider, a Durant Cougar ultimately stole his heart. Lauren, also a Plant City native, met Thomas through mutual friends. Then, ﬁnally, while on leave from an assignment in Japan, Thomas asked Lauren out to dinner. After only two weeks of dating, they

were engaged Sept. 9, 2009 — 9/9/9. The engagement broke one of Lauren’s longstanding rules — that she’d never marry a military man. “He was the ﬁrst guy to open the door for me,” she says. “He’s just a really, really good guy. He’s driven, he has goals. He just — swept me off my feet.” The Adairs only had about two weeks to celebrate their engagement together, before Thomas had to return to Japan. They had a proxy marriage — a ceremony that doesn’t require the bride or groom to be present — while Thomas was gone. They celebrated with a true ceremony in March 2010.

LITTLE PUNKY

The Adairs’ nickname for their daughter is Punky. Punky has her father’s ears and toes, and she also shares Thomas’ dark complexion. Even before her second birthday, she’s nearly potty-trained. And when she misses her Daddy between Skype calls, she climbs up on the couch and talks to a wedding photo hanging on the wall. She doesn’t yet know the importance of her father’s service. Or the sacriﬁce her mother is making by essentially acting as a single parent while her father is away. Two weeks after the Adairs decided to start trying for a child, Lauren was pregnant. They welcomed Punky into the world Sept. 21, 2011, in a military hospital in Okinawa, Japan. Thomas was the ﬁrst to hold her, and, during the entire stay in the hospital, he changed every diaper. Through it all, Thomas continued pursuing his associate’s degree in general education in Okinawa, through the University of Maryland’s University College. “My wife and I have a lot of great memories (of Okinawa) that we will carry with us forever,” Thomas says. “Okinawa is a beautiful place, the locals there are very friendly, and the food is amazing. ... I know my wife and I both hope to visit there, at some point in time, to show our daughter

Stephanie Humphrey Photography

where she was born.” The Adairs returned to the United States — Fort Hood, Texas — a few months later. There, Thomas kept working toward his degree and also ran a lawn-care service on the side. He completed recently his associate’s degree — an accomplishment that will help set up his life once he returns home. “Completing my degree was a big milestone for me, because most people choose one of two routes — either college or military,” he says. “I sacriﬁced a lot of time with my wife and daughter to do this, and I couldn’t have done it without their support.”

DEPLOYMENT

Lauren remembers the exact moment when she finally agreed that Thomas should take the deployment opportunity. Thomas’ colleagues had been encouraging him to go, but, with a new baby, Lauren naturally was apprehensive about giving up her husband. Then, one day, while sitting in the car waiting for Thomas to finish the grocery shopping, Lauren saw a Facebook message from one of Thomas’ military colleagues. When Thomas left the grocery store, he was carrying a bouquet of flowers for Lauren. Just because. “I told him right there that he could go on the deployment,” Lauren says. “It was so important to him, and long-term, the extra pay was good for the family.” Lauren and Autumn moved in December 2012, back to

Plant City. Thomas returned Jan. 1, to Texas, for training. He saw his family for one week in February, before leaving in March to begin his 12-month deployment. “We maintain a pretty busy schedule and work countless hours ensuring that our equipment is ready at a moment’s notice,” Thomas says of his work overseas. As a leader, Thomas also has acted as somewhat of a father ﬁgure to his soldiers. “For a lot of young soldiers, this is their ﬁrst deployment, and they have a tough time dealing with time away from family,” he says. “We try to stay engaged with one another to keep everyone’s mind off the fact that will be away for such a long time.” After his September R&R, Thomas will return to Asia through March 2014. Upon his return, he’ll have to work in Texas through August. The Adairs already are planning visits during those months. Lauren and Autumn won’t have him back, for good, until September 2014.

THE FUTURE

Five years after Thomas popped the question, the Adairs ﬁnally will be able to resume their lives as a family in Florida. Thomas likely will pursue either a career in criminal justice or education. They plan to plant roots in their hometown, if possible. Lauren says she hopes to one day see her husband coach her daughter in softball. After ﬁve years traveling the world, Thomas says there is no place like Plant City. “Two things I miss most (about Plant City) are the people and the food,” Thomas says. “I can honestly say Plant City has some of the nicest, friendliest and down-to-earth people you will ever meet. “The second reason I miss Plant City is the food,” he says. “I have been able to experience many different cuisines from all over the world, but there will never be anything as good as some good ol’ home cookin.’” Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

4(523$!9 !5'534

COPS

PLANT CITY

The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Plant City Police Department.

JULY 15

CORNER .MD GTMCQDC @MC MN

CAUGHT RED-HANDED

2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Retail Theft. OfďŹ cers responded to the store in reference to a suspect being detained by Walmart loss prevention for leaving the store without paying for merchandise. After an investigation, the suspect was arrested and released with a court date.

POWER PROBLEM

1200 block of South Alexander Street. Burglary/Felony Criminal Mischief. Unknown person(s) cut the fence to the storage yard and attempted to steal a power pole from the back of a ďŹ shing boat. During the attempted theft, about $3,000 worth of damage was done to the boat.

ROLE MODEL

1100 block of North Warnell Street. Domestic Violence/Simple Battery. The suspect got upset at her 15-year-old grandson because he would not drive her to the store. When the grandson refused to drive her because he does not have a license, the suspect smacked him in the forehead with an aluminum can of roach spray. The suspect also threw the can of spray at the victim when he called police. The suspect was arrested.

WALLET WOES

600 block of South Frontage Road. Vehicle Burglary. The victim had his wallet in the cab of his work truck during a company meeting. After the meeting, the victim learned someone had entered the unlocked truck and stole his wallet.

JULY 16

THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOT COOL

3010 block of West Reynolds Street. Theft. Sometime in the last day or so, an unknown person(s) cut two metal pipes off the storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exterior A/C unit. The pipes cost $50 to replace.

MISSING TOYS

JULY 17

RIPPED OFF

2000 block of Wood Court. Theft. The business owner advised that an employee has been stealing from the company by having customers write checks but leave the â&#x20AC;&#x153;pay toâ&#x20AC;? portion blank. The employee then ďŹ lls in his own name instead of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name. This has been going on for possibly ďŹ ve months, with an estimated total amount of $66,000. The business accountant is still researching the ďŹ nal total. This investigation is ongoing.

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME

1600 block of East Warren Street. Shooting with Injuries. When ofďŹ cers arrived, the victim was holding a towel on his left buttock. The victim stated he was sitting in his car and was about to back out of his driveway when he heard a gunshot. The victim stated it was a few moments before he realized he had been shot. The victim said he saw no one in the area. There were two other males on scene who also said they heard the shot but saw no one. The car did have damage consistent with being hit by a round that penetrated the vehicle. This investigation is ongoing.

CLOSET RAIDED

2200 block of North Gordon Street. Residential Burglary. The victim left her home early morning and returned to ďŹ nd her front door unsecured. The victim said the only items missing were about 15 to 20 of her blouses/shirts. The clothing is valued at about $150. There were no signs of forced entry.

TECH TROUBLE

1000 block of North Warnell Street. Residential Burglary. The victim left the home at about 7 a.m. and returned at 5 p.m. to ďŹ nd the residence had been burglarized. The following items were missing: 32-inch Memorex ďŹ&#x201A;at-screen TV, valued at $198; 55-inch Samsung ďŹ&#x201A;at-screen TV, valued at $650; XBOX Kinect video-game system, valued at $350; and Sony PlayStation 3 video-game system, valued at $250.

100 block of West Ball Street. Business Burglary. OfďŹ cers responded to an alarm call. Upon arrival, they saw a front window to the business had been broken. They also saw a lock that had been knocked off and the rear door had been pried and kicked several times. The business owner stated an ampliďŹ er, speakers and a 42inch television were taken.

DRINKING PROBLEM

JULY 17

510 block of South Maryland Avenue. Alcohol Violation. The suspect was arrested for possessing an open container of alcohol within 500 feet of a business licensed to sell alcohol.

THREATENING BEHAVIOR

4300 block of Sterling Commerce Drive. Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon. OfďŹ cers responded to the location in reference to a disturbance. The victim was at the motel with the witness, when the witnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s husband arrived and started to argue with the couple. The suspect produced a silver gun and pointed it at the victim while threatening to shoot him. The suspect ďŹ&#x201A;ed the scene in his car when his wife, the witness, called the police. The ofďŹ cers saw a vehicle across the street at the store that matched the description given by the witness. They made contact with the suspect and were able to secure the weapon used during the assault. The suspect was arrested.

JUST BROWSING

110 block of East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Business Burglary. Unknown suspect(s) pried the front door open and entered the business. Nothing was stolen.

CANOPY CRIMINAL

1900 block of Wood Court. Theft. Unknown suspect(s) stole a 12-foot-by-20-foot white canvas canopy with white metal poles set in white, ďŹ ve-gallon cement buckets. The canopy was valued at $150.

JULY 18

MORNING RAID

1310 block of East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Residential Burglary. Unknown suspect(s) broke a window to gain access to the residence between 6:30 and 9 a.m. Two televisions, jewelry, a GPS and a handgun were stolen.

CRITTER CORNER Axel is about 5 years old and weighs about 5 pounds. Ths cuddly guy has all of his shots and is neutered and microchipped. He is good with other canines and crate-trained. To adopt, contact Heidiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Legacy Dog Rescue, in Lithia,(813) 737-1795, or visit heidislegacydog rescue.com.

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP observed: new era

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

4(523$!9 !5'534

Community key in newspaper’s success My wife, Assistant Managing our new partnership in June, Editor Jessica Eng, had trouble I’ve been dreaming about this sleeping the nights leading up edition. I wanted it to be a deto the launch of the newspaper finitive statement of the kind of you’re holding in your hands community newspaper we are today. And my mood swung for our readers and advertisers. wildly — from conAs we approached our fident excitement to go-live date, I amassed sheer panic. a list of potential stories Sure, we’ve been that stretched for miles. publishing the Plant Our staff compiled a City Observer for more list of new ideas for than a year. But this features and sections. joint venture — a partWe put up new signs at nership between the our Historic Downtown Observer Media Group Plant City office and MICHAEL designed new newspaand the Tampa Bay ENG Times — ushers in a per boxes. new era. Now affiliated But, as the deadline with not one but two of the approached for this first edimost celebrated newspaper tion, I realized I hadn’t planned companies in Florida, our staff for one of the most important feels an incredible responsibil- pieces of this inaugural edition — the front-page photo. ity to deliver a product worthy And, quite appropriately for of both names. a community newspaper, our Ever since we announced

savior wasn’t a member of our staff but rather an esteemed resident of our wonderful city. About two weeks ago, I decided our cover story would be a Hometown Heroes feature on U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Adair. Thomas not only is ﬁve months into a yearlong deployment defending our country, but also he left a wife and young daughter behind. His is a dramatic, heartwarming story that ﬁts our editorial mold perfectly. I interviewed Thomas via email and then met his wife, Lauren, and daughter, Autumn, at their Plant City home. But, with Thomas at an undisclosed location in Southeast Asia, I couldn’t take my own photo of the three of them. Local photog phenom Stephanie Humphrey had taken some family portraits

right before Thomas left for his deployment, but she told me she was out of town and did not have access to her home computer. In any other community, the conversation likely would have ended there. Chalk it up to bad timing. But, as we all know, Plant City is different. “I could possibly talk my husband through the process of retrieving some of those images and sending them to you, but I can’t make any promises,” she wrote to me via email — at 10 p.m. Monday night. I replied that I had a backup plan but that I’d appreciate anything she could do the next day. Then, I went to sleep. The next morning, Stephanie had four images waiting in my inbox. After receiving my request, she called her hus-

home sweet home by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

band, Byron, and, for the next hour and a half, tried to teach him Photoshop. Ultimately, she wasn’t satisﬁed with the crops, so she had him send her the images, and she delivered them to me just before midnight. “Bless his heart, he never could get it just right, so I had him adjust the image size, then email them to me, so I could then crop them myself and email them to you,” Stephanie told me. Keep in mind, Stephanie — and Byron — did all of this out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s this type of kindness that makes Plant City such a special place to live, and it’s only ﬁtting that, for the launch of our new newspaper, a member of our community stepped in to help make it a success.

If you’re reading our newspaper for the first time, I’d like to thank you for giving us a look. We pack every edition full of hyperlocal news about Plant City. We strive to deliver the community’s most complete news report, and our pages always will be filled with coverage that has direct implications for Plant City and its residents. No regional or wire stuff here. For those of you who have been with us since the beginning, thank you for your support — and for staying with us as we embark on our new partnership. In this edition, you’ll find several new features, notably our Faith and Real Estate pages. We hope you enjoy. As always, we cherish your feedback and suggestions. I can be reached by phone, (813) 704-6850 or by email, meng@ plantcityobserver.com.

PERMACULTURE LIVING

Designing your Plant City newspaper brings hometown memories to Big Apple garden homesite Kenya Sykes felt disconnected from her hometown. Her childhood growing up in Plant City was a distant memory, overshadowed by her busy adult life as the owner of an accounting ﬁrm in New York City. But that all changed when she read a Plant City Observer Facebook post shared by one of her Facebook friends. She clicked the link to our story, “Longtime city employee honored with street sign.” After reading the story and looking at the photo of the street sign dedication for Eddie Brooks, who worked for 46 years at the MLK Recreation Center in Plant City, Sykes decided to share the photo herself, cropping a close-up of the sign, which now marks the circular drive around the rec center. In the post, she wrote, “The street that changed my life! Bravo sir!” “It really made me pause and think about my time growing up and the impact he had on my life,” she says. “It was the ﬁrst time I felt connected in years.” In this profession, there is nothing better than connecting with your readers. Hearing positive feedback on a story reinforces our objective — to be the best community newspaper serving Greater Plant City. Our stories often are just glimpses into the lives of our readers, and we have the wonderful-yetchallenging task of telling those stories in the best way possible. On occasion, we have seen our coverage touch those outside of Plant City, far and wide. When Kenya sent me an email June 24, explaining how touched she was after learning about the street dedication, I knew a rare and wonderful opportunity had presented itself.

TRUE ENTREPRENEUR

After graduating in 1991, from Plant City High, Kenya left the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World to attend Florida A&M University, in Tallahassee, where she earned a degree in accounting. She then went to work for a top accounting ﬁrm in Minneapolis, before earning two master’s degrees in

Amanda Buckle

During a recent vacation, Associate Editor Matt Mauney met Plant City native Kenya Sykes in New York City, to deliver a few copies of the Plant City Observer. 2007 — from Saint Joseph’s University and Villanova University. Then, she went to New York City, where she started K. M. Sykes, CPA P.C., which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. “After leaving for college, I’ve only been back to Plant City to visit,” she says. She still has family in Plant City, including her mom, but says her busy schedule doesn’t allow her to visit as often as she would like. Reading the story on Brooks, an essential figure in her life, allowed her to reflect on her childhood. “You often get into a grind as an adult and can lose touch, but seeing that really touched me,” she says. “He deserved that honor.”

ROLE MODEL

As with many young people who grew up in Plant City, Brooks was both a mentor and friend to Kenya and had an active role in her life. “I practically saw him every day of my life growing up,” she says. “I was at the rec center all the time, especially during the summer. It was the after-school spot for most kids in my neighborhood.” When Kenya was in junior high, she helped Brooks start Teen Council and became the ﬁrst president of the

Plant City Times & Observer Locally Owned

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

youth leadership and outreach group. In the summer of 1988, Kenya traveled to Daytona with Brooks and the rest of Teen Council to go on college tours. “It was the ﬁrst exposure for many of us to life outside of Plant City,” she said. “For me, it was eye-opening. Just look at where I live now.” Through Teen Council and later becoming the president of Upper Bound, Kenya developed the strong leadership skills she has today. “He (Brooks) would always give me opportunities to lead,” she says. “If there was an idea for an organization, he would often give me a lot of the responsibility and tell me to plan things. If it weren’t for stuff like that, I wouldn’t have the conﬁdence or self-esteem I have today.” Through organizations and other after-school activities that the MLK rec center provided, Kenya developed many of the interests she has today. Using deejay equipment provided by the rec center, she developed a love for the hobby and even had her own deejay company during her time in Minneapolis. “It was a different time back then,” she says about growing up in Plant City in

TO ADVERTISE

Call Veronica Prostko, (813) 704-6850, or Joanna Verga, (813) 310-8767.

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

the 80s and early 90s. “Kids were just kids. The rec center gave us a place to go, and kids appreciated having a place like that to go to every day.”

HAND-DELIVERY

In Sykes’ email, she asked for a copy of the paper that contained the street dedication article. I received the email two weeks before a planned vacation to New York and New Jersey around the Fourth of July holiday. So, an idea formed to meet Kenya and hand-deliver the article. After coordinating schedules and navigating through a re-routed subway system, I met Kenya in front of the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, in Lower Manhattan. I handed her two copies each of the April 18 and the May 30 editions. The former containing a preview article about the street dedication and the latter coverage of the dedication itself. Both now sit framed in her New York ofﬁce. Sykes hopes to one day start a scholarship in Brooks’ name for someone from Plant City. “I have always had the desire to pay tribute to him,” she says. “This story rekindles that dream.”

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.

Gardening, as a science, inyou and to support the living cludes many features that may ecology of the site. Combine not be readily apparent until elements based on how they you pay close attention to the interact with each other. Will natural dynamics on your site. there be a greenhouse, a chickIn a permaculture garden, en coop, water catchment a well-developed design is systems, barriers or paths? The the central feature leading list can be quite large, but it is to a rich successful garden. important to think this out and Many gardeners fail see how you can efto plan out a specific ficiently link elements property design, which together to support the can result in frustraoverall garden space. tion, confusion and In permaculture, less productivity. In we map out zones permaculture, we use and sectors to create a process to create a a layout that serves all natural landscape that inhabitants: the people, captures heat, wind, the plants, the animals, BOB sun and water in a way the insects, the soil by ABBENZELLER utilizing structures, that develops all the necessary structures water, sun, wind and and systems required to sucother resources on the land. cessfully bring fertility to the Planning is all about recognizland. ing and organizing beneficial In this article, I am borrowrelationships on site. ing key instructional points 4. Development. Now, you from a book by Toby Hemcan draw out your barriers enway titled “Gaia’s Garden,” and paths, buildings and trees, which I highly recommend. bushes and planting beds to To design your garden, there scale on paper, so you can see are five steps: observation, the relationships and then visioning, planning, developbegin installing the elements ment and implementation. as designed. Prioritize your inEach plot of land possesses stallations, taking into account specific resources to be used what factors need to be adand needs to be satisfied. Let’s dressed first, second, etc. Also, take a look at each step. understand factors such as 1. Observation. To create seasonal restrictions, financial, environmental needs, technia design, you must be aware cal requirements or personal of many elements present desire. on your property. Just a few 5. Implementation. This is include structures, animals, utility lines, views, type of soil, the physical landscaping and hardscaping on the property, areas of sun, shade and moisincluding earth-moving, water ture, wind, and neighborhood activities. Make a written list or catchment, composting, planting trees, creating beds, sheet a video or a sketch of what is mulching, paths, planting anpresent on your property. nuals, watering and more. 2.Visioning. Write or record Following this design, how your landscape will look process you will be maximizand what it will provide for you. Aspects can include food, ing your chances of creating a nourishing, living environwildlife, privacy, play space, ment right on your homeflowers, a pond, medicinal stead. To do this right, it takes plants, firewood, mulch, wildlife habitat, market garden some time, patience, education and commitment. The and more. Defining elements by function instead of concrete reward is that you will end up description will help spur your with a productive, aesthetically pleasing homegrown system imagination to utilize feathat will require less and less tures, flora and fauna that are physical maintenance over already available on site. time. 3. Planning. From your Bob Abbenzeller is a certivisioning notes, make a list of priorities. What problems need fied permaculture designer and volunteer at the Plant solving? What is personally City Commons Community satisfying or spirit-lifting? Are Garden. The garden is hosting a there environmental chalfree study of “Gaia’s Garden” at lenges? Is there enough or too 7 p.m. the fourth Thursday of much space to develop? Does each month, at Bruton Memoa lawn need to be removed or rial Library, 302 W. McLendon water captured on site? St., Plant City. For more, email This leads into analyzto pcpermaculture@gmail.com ing how you can arrange the or call (813) 489-5520. various elements to satisfy

Plant City Times &

Observer General Manager/Editorial / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com

General Manager/Advertising / Tony Del Castillo, tdelcastillo@tampabay.com Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, jeng@PlantCityObserver.com Associate Editors / (Community) Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com; (Sports) Matt Mauney, mmauney@PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, vprostko@tampabay.com; Joanna Verga, jverga@tampabay.com Circulation/Ofﬁce Manager / Linda Lancaster, llancaster@PlantCityObserver.com

PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2013

CLUB HUBBUB If your club would like to post announcements, email them to Associate Editor Amber Jurgensen, ajur gensen@plantcityobserver. com.

+ Plant City Lions Club

Florida state Rep. Dan Raulerson was the guest speaker at the Plant City Lions Club meeting July 30, at Buddy Freddy’s. Raulerson shared about his first legislative session, including the passage of the Midtown bill, which will help streamline the process of development. The Plant City Lions Club meets at noon Tuesdays, at Buddy Freddy’s, 1101 Goldfinch Drive, Plant City. For more information, visit plantcitylions.org.

Planteen Recreation Supervisor Jason Hargrove took a pie to the face from MLK Coordinator Ivan Brooks. Right: Cheerleader Christina Williams, 7, was one of MLK’s flyers.

+ Plant City Noon Rotary Club

David Miller will be the featured speaker at the Plant City Noon Rotary Club’s meeting at noon, Aug. 5, at the HCC Plant City John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road.

+ Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2013 Business of the Year Awards. The deadline to submit nominations is tomorrow, Aug. 2. The awards are presented in five business categories; growing business (two to eight years); small business (one to five full-time employees); mid-size business (six to 29 full-time employees); large business (30-plus full-time employees); and special business (demonstrating exemplary community contributions). For a nomination form contact the chamber, (813) 752-8793 or email Amy Nizamoff at amy@plantcity. org.

+ Plant City Kiwanis Club

Who will be the queen bee (or king) at the first annual Business Spelling Bee? Plant City residents can find out during the competition, which takes place at 7 p.m. Aug. 6, at the 1914 High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. More than 30 business leaders will compete in this year’s bee. Entry fees and ticket sales go to help two of the Kiwanis Club’s events, as well as its Read Around the World and Stuff the Bus campaigns.

&UHDPLQJ

The MLK team showed toughness both on offense and defense.

the Competition

Students enrolled in the summer program at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rec Center avenged their 2012 kickball loss with a 14-13 victory July 27, over their rivals at Planteen Rec Center. Bragging rights, a trophy and a pie pummeling were up for grabs in this year’s match. In the end, MLK Coordinator Ivan Brooks smushed a whippedcream pie into the face of Planteen Recreation Supervisor Jason Hargrove — much to the delight of every student.

Andrew Donaldson, 8, was a fierce competitor.

IN FOCUS by Michael Eng | Editor

+ Plant City Elks Lodge No. 1727

Each year, Plant City Elks Lodge No. 1727 helps send students to the Florida Elks Youth Camp, in Marion County. This year, the Lodge was able to send three Plant City-area students. They returned to Plant City today after two months at camp. It costs about $200 to send students to camp. The camp is located on 405 acres of forest and includes a lake on-site. The camp is open to any child who is a resident of Florida.

MLK’s Deonte Oliver, 12, kicked a home run. The Planteen offense nearly came back in the final inning.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

4(523$!9 !5'534

REAL ESTATE

by Michael Eng | Editor

Michael Eng

The home at 906 W. Sam Allen Road, which has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,840 square feet of living area, sold for $400,000.

Sam Allen Road home tops July real-estate transactions A home off Sam Allen Road was the top residential realestate transaction in July. The home at 906 W. Sam Allen Road sold for $400,000. Built in 1977, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,840 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $140.85.

ALDERMAN’S ADDITION

MONTHLY SNAPSHOT High Sale Price: $400,000 Low Sale Price: $2,000 Average Sale Price: $122,343 Median Sale Price: $105,000 Short Sales: Seven REO/Bank Owned: Five

square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $100.30.

SUGAR CREEK

The home at 3923 Creek Woods Drive sold for $110,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,176 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $93.54.

The home at 111W. Granﬁeld Ave. sold for $34,000 (REO/ bank owned). Built in 1925, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,714 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $19.84.

ing area. The price per square foot is $7.53. The home at 104 S. Gordon St. sold for $2,000. Built in 1937, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 996 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $2.01.

ALEXANDER WOODS

MCDONALD TERRACE

TRAPNELL RIDGE

MORRELL PARK

WALDEN LAKE

The townhouse at 273 Alexander Woods Drive sold for $96,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,497 of living area. The price per square foot is $64.13. The townhouse at 259 Alexander Woods Drive sold for $96,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,497 of living area. The price per square foot is $64.13. The townhouse at 271 Alexander Woods Drive sold for $87,000. Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 1,282 of living area. The price per square foot is $67.86.

CITRUS LANDING

The home at 100 Orange Bud Ray sold for $110,000 (short sale). Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,565 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $70.29.

COUNTRY HILLS EAST

The home at 4427 Country Hills Blvd. sold for $120,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,334 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $89.96. The home at 521 Lindsay Anne Court sold for $105,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,285 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $81.71. The home at 4510 Ethan Way sold for $100,000 (short sale). Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,212 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $82.51.

DEVANE ESTATES

The home at 905 N. Mobley St. sold for $97,000 (short sale). Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,363 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $71.17.

DIXIE GARDENS

The home at 1402 N. Lime St. sold for $107,000. Built in 1986, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 1,776 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $60.25.

KENTWOOD PARK

The townhouse at 2302 Maki Road, No. 35 sold for $35,000. Built in 1987, it has two bedrooms, one-and-one-half baths. The price per square foot is $39.06.

LINCOLN PARK

The home at 104 S. Gordon St. sold for $7,500. Built in 1937, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 996 square feet of liv-

The home at 1908 Avon St. sold for $27,000. Built in 1952, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 634 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $42.59.

The home at 515 Langford Circle sold for $88,000. Built in 1957, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,487 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $59.18.

PINEVIEW

The home at 1804 E. Carol Drive sold for $94,900. Built in 1973, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,837 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $51.66.

PLANT CITY

The home at 4706 Drawdy Road sold for $162,700. Built in 1974, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,940 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $83.87. The home at 1005 W. Calhoun St. sold for $84,500 (short sale). Built in 1952, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,204 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $70.18. The home at 2807 S. Frontage Road sold for $74,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, one bath and 1,797 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $41.18. The home at 602W. Mahoney St. sold for $57,205 (REO/bank owned). Built in 1930, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,160 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $26.48. The home at 113 W. Lee St. sold for $45,000. Built in 1963, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 1,024 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $43.95. The home at 3610 Boot Bay Road, Unit A sold for $25,000. Built in 1959, it has two bedrooms, one bath and 672 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $37.20.

THE PRESERVE

The condominium at 2206 Preservation Drive, No. 37 sold for $122,750. Built in 1994, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,488 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $82.49.

SHUPARD ESTATES

The home at 1609 Country Pathway Road sold for $200,000 (REO/bank owned). Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,994

TOWER GROVE ESTATES

The home at 604 Tower Grove Drive sold for $286,662. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,738 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $104.70. The home at 3910 Trapnell Ridge Drive sold for $124,925. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,489 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $83.90.

The home at 3903 Fairlea Drive sold for $276,500. Built in 1989, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths, a pool and 2,808 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $98.47. The home at 2936 Spring Hammock Drive sold for $215,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,011 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $106.91. The condominium at 2742 Golf Lake Drive, No. 17 sold for $155,000. Built in 1996, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,475 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $105.08. The home at 1438 Walden Oaks Place sold for $120,000 (short sale). Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,595 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $75.24.

WALDEN WOODS

The condominium at 784 Ashentree Drivesoldfor$96,000 (short sale). Built in 2008, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 1,594 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $60.23.

WHISPERING WOODS

The home at 2828 Holly Bluff Court sold for $222,490. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,392 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $93.01. The home at 2713 Holly Bluff Court sold for $214,090. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,045 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $104.69.

WIGGINS TRACE

The home at 3412 Wiggins Trace Drive sold for $210,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,163 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $97.09.

WINDMILL POINTE

The home at 4409 Windmill Pointe Drive sold for $178,700 (short sale). Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,467 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $72.44.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

4(523$!9 !5'534

THE GOOD OL’ DAYS by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

OBSERVEROBITUARIES Linda Lucille Andersen

Trish Granger Bassett, Jerry Goss and Loretta Davis Clark enjoyed looking at all the old photographs. Their Class of 1963 held its 50th reunion July 27.

Planters pack Festival Expo Hall for reunion Walking into the Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Hall July 27, was like taking a trip back in time, as 17 Plant City Senior High School classes walked down memory lane during the ﬁrst Planters Reunion. Before the new Plant City High School was built, area students attended what is now Tomlin Middle School for their high school years. That location graduated 17 classes, from 1956 to 1972, holding the nickname the “Planters,” the school’s mascot before being changed to the current Raiders nickname. More than 650 people attended the reunion, with groups representing each of the 17 classes. In addition to spouses and other guests, several former faculty members from the era also attended. The night was ﬁlled with reminiscing, as each class had a display of keepsakes, including letter jackets, yearbooks and plenty of photos. Each guest received a commemorative DVD and a program highlighting the history of the old Tomlin location.

Jolene Ahlschwede, Class of 1971, and her husband, Mike

Debbie Layton and Vickie Covert volunteered to take photos at the reunion.

Tommie and Myrle Henry graduated in 1957 and 1956, respectively.

Linda Lucille Andersen, 65 of Plant City died July 28, 2013, at South Florida Baptist Hospital. Born Nov. 20, 1947 in Plant City, she was the daughter of the late William and the late Addie Mae Branch Johns. She was the wife of the late Andy Andersen. Mrs. Anderson was a greeter at the Valrico Cracker Barrel and of the Methodist faith. Survivors include a son, Gerald Smith; daughter, Sylvia Reynolds; brother, Raymond Johns; and grandchildren, Alex Smith and Kaylee Reynolds. The family will be having private services. Online condolences may be made at haughtfuneralhome.com.

Patricia Ann Andreas

Patricia Ann Andreas, 72, of Plant City, died July 20, 2013, at home. She was born in Chicago. She was a retired school teacher and taught for 39 years. Most of those years were served in the Hillsborough County at Plant City High School. Survivors include one nephew, Robert Kyle Morris III; and three nieces, Andrea Brock, Colynn Watson and Rhonda Ritz. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dionysios Andreas. A Memorial Service will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 8, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 302 Carey St., Plant City. Condolences may be made at wellsmemorial.com.

Edward A. Hill

Edward A. Hill, 78, of Plant City, died July 26, 2013. He was born Oct. 19, 1934, in Roanoke, Va., to William R. and Anna Elizabeth (Foster) Hill. He married Lois (Stinson), who survives. He also is survived by one son, David Hill (Nicki); a daughter, Diane Hill (Fred); three grandchildren; and

one great-grandchild. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 1, at Wells Memorial & Event Center. Visitation will be one hour prior to services. Memorials may be made to the Gideons, for the purchase of Bibles.

Joyce Carr Kinchen

Joyce Carr Kinchen, 77, of Plant City, died July 27, 2013. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Bob; four daughters, Diane Nelson (Tommy), DeeDee Grooms (Carl), Denise Alderman (Tim) and Darla Nutter (Brook); four grandchildren, Kristi Shaw (John), Dustin Grooms (Alison), Danielle and Bella Nutter; one great-grandchild, Skyler Grooms; siblings, Bud Carr, Micky Carr (Lynette), Ernie Carr and Lorene Glausier (Raymond); brother-inlaws Bill Kinchen (Wendy) and Jimmy Kinchen (Jean); and many loving nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life was held July 31, at Sydney First Church of God. Interment followed at Hopewell Memorial Gardens, Plant City. Donations may be made to LifePath Hospice, 12470 Telecom Drive, Suite 300, Temple Terrace, FL 33637. Online condolences may be made at hopewellfuneral.com.

Jeanette Learnahan

Jeanette Learnahan, 91, of Plant City, died July 22, 2013, at her Plant City home. She was born May 19, 1922, in Chicago. She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Learnahan. Survivors include her sons, Michael, Gene (Karen), James and Kenneth (Deme); daughter, Kathy Moon; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. A funeral service was held July 27, at Wells Memorial and Event Center. Condolences may be made at wellsmemorial.com.

Ronald “Ronnie” Smith

Ronald “Ronnie” Smith, 66, of Plant City, died July 25, 2013. He was the son of the late James R. and Delores Young Smith. Mr. Smith was a retired boilermaker, a U.S. Navy veteran and a

member of Plant City’s First Baptist Church. He enjoyed ﬁshing, hog hunting, bicycle riding and his German shepherds. Survivors include his loving wife, Cary Smith; sister, Joyce Thomas; brothers, Steven and Thomas Smith; in-laws, Mike and Teresa Rohrkemper, Tom and Patty Rohrkemper, Mary Kay Rohrkemper, and Rosie and Jack Young. Memorial services were held July 29, at the Haught Funeral Home. If so desired, contributions may be made in his name to Davita Dialysis, 1211 W. Reynolds St., Plant City, FL 33563. Online condolences may made at haughtfuneralhome.com.

Eunice Trapnell

Eunice Trapnell, 83, of Plant City, died July 29, 2013. She was a loving wife, mother and Nana. She is survived by her children, James (Dottie) and Bill (Cheryl); grandchildren, Thad Trapnell, Theresa Stein (Josh), Heather Trnka (John) and Tyler Trapnell; great-grandchildren, Will, Savannah, Caden, Jackson, Joshua, Julianne and Dominic; and sisters, Doris Levins and Elsie Copeland. She is preceded in death by her husband, William. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 1, at Hopewell Funeral Home, 6005 C.R. 39 S., Plant City. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 2, at Hopewell. Interment to follow at Hopewell Memorial Gardens, Plant City. Online condolences may be made at hopewellfuneral.com.

Heral Duane Van Hook

Heral Duane Van Hook, 65 of Plant City died July 22, 2013, at home. Born Nov. 8, 1947, in Goshen, he was the son of the late Wallace and the late Dorothy Eggleston Van Hook. He was the husband of Diane Carrick Van Hook, who survives. Online condolences may be made at haughtfuneralhome.com.

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

4(523$!9 !5'534

ten-hut! by Michael Eng | Editor

JOSHING AROUND

Students at FBC Midway enjoyed a military-themed week July 15 to 19, during

the church’s Vacation Bible School. The Back 2 Basics camp featured plenty of arts

and crafts, Christian music, food, fun and faithful messages throughout the week.

Jacob Carey, 3, worked hard on his art project.

Dani Dodd pledged her allegiance to God.

Campers learned a variety of songs during the Back 2 Basics camp.

Olivia Innes and Ava Futch had a blast at this year’s camp.

God is calling: Grow young again When I was a little boy, we Slam! She would lock us out, and we were on our own for got bored a lot. Well, in my the rest of the summer day. house, it was illegal to get bored. My mom was agnostic These were the days before to boredom and refused to Nintendo Wii, Facebook believe it was possible and texting. We were to exist if one had an stranded in the land of imagination. summer with nothing It would never fail in to do and forced to stay the summer time. My hydrated by the garden little brother, Zak, hose. Being the boys we and I would be in were, before we knew the house, bored out of our minds. Mom it, we were off on some would be watching adventure involving JOSH “All My Children,” and bikes, ramps, buildLOUDERMILK ing forts or playing in we would lie on the the creek. Our favorite shag carpet, stare at phrase that rebuked boredom the ceiling fan and lament on this horrid state of mental and was, “What if?” This phrase was the key that unlocked physical inertia. imagination fueled by reckless Our contentious whining wonder. would drift to Mom’s radarGrand/hyper ideas would like hearing. She had had enough. invade our minds like an Go outside! See you at dinexcited wet dog skidding ner! through the house after a bath. Intricate forts were constructed, bicycle ramps were built so high that to jump it gave us a direct line of passage into manhood. Yes, we faced danger and let adrenaline pump through our hearts. The hours raced by, and dusk became a time of sorrow. We raged at the dying of the light! Covered in blood, dirt and mud, we chased ﬁreﬂies and did our best to ignore Dad’s call for us to come inside.

“

Midway goes back to basics

Part of walking by faith is to dream again … let it propel us back into a world that was full of wonder and possibilities.

As adults, we traded in imagination and settled for our lives. We used to dream of what we would become. Instead, we got jobs, settled down and put hope away. Nostalgia takes the place of future hope. We believe our best days are behind us. We ﬁnd escape through Facebook, sports and TV. We work our jobs. We forget to hope. “What if” now is the key that unlocks thoughts of uncertainty, fear and anxiety. Part of walking by faith is to dream again. Go reclaim that childlike faith and let it propel us back into a world that was full of wonder and possibilities. God is inviting us to believe and trust in Him again. He is inviting us to run, play and engage imagination once again. It is never too late to trust. He is calling us to grow young. Plant City resident Josh Loudermilk is a part of Humor to Outreach, a Christian-based comedy troupe.You can reach Josh at louderthoughts@yahoo. com.

Sports

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Dean Collins anchors Lakeland All-Stars. 12 THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2013

PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM

little league

by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

Journey to Williamsport ends early for Majors The Plant City Little League 11-12 baseball All-Stars had their season come to an end in the semifinals of the state tournament. The Plant City Little League Majors entered this season with high expectations, unknowing of the bitter taste of defeat. That’s because they rarely experienced the feeling. The team entered this season having only lost one game in the previous two seasons. Seasons that saw them go as far as possible and win the district, sectional, state and southeast region tournaments. This season put the most on the line, with another tier after the region tournament — the coveted Little League World Series, in Williamsport, Pa. Although the team and coaches had dreams of going to Williamsport, they knew that the road to get there would not be an easy one. That road ended July 28, in the state tournament, as Plant City fell to Martin County North 8-4 in the state semifinals in Lutz. Martin County North would go on to win the state championship July 29, defeating Sarasota American. They, not Plant City, now will head to Warner Robins, Ga., for the southeast regional, with a spot inWilliamsport and the national spotlight on the line. “It definitely hurts and is a hard pill to swallow,” said Plant City Manager T.J. Messick. “It’s the last time most of these boys will play on the smaller field, and it’s just a heart-breaker.”

SEE LITTLE LEAGUE / PAGE 12

Courtesy photos

The replica fields are to give players the experience of playing in a major league park. The outfields are scaled-down versions of the real thing, complete with a crowd and replica scoreboard.

DREAMING BIG COMING SOON? by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

TIMELINE

Notable Moments for Plant City Stadium

Plant City has entered negotiations with Big League Dreams Inc. The company hopes to build two major-league replica ballparks in the existing Randy L. Larson Four-Plex and restore Plant City Stadium.

Courtesy photo

The Little League All-Stars had a remarkable three seasons, going 42-3 and winning three district and sectional titles and two state and southeast region championships.

SHOW ME THE MAUNEY

Pro soccer short-lived in Plant City

Longtime Plant City residents will never forget the decade when the Cincinnati Reds called Plant City home during the spring. Few, however, will remember the time when the facility hosted a professional soccer franchise. It seems VisionPro Sports Institute’s time in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World will be short-lived. After two request for proposals from the city on a sale or longterm lease of the 6,700-seat stadium and adjacent Randy L. Larson Four-Plex, there was only one bidder — Big League Dreams Inc. After reportedly missing the MATT deadline of the ﬁrst request, VSI MAUNEY decided not to put in a proposal for the second RFQ. The company began a lease of Plant City Stadium in April, for $10,000 per month, after other options fell through as the inaugural season for VSI Tampa Bay FC, a United Soccer League expansion franchise, quickly approached. According to Director of Soccer Clay Roberts, a former Plant City High soccer standout, the company had an interest in the property but expressed concern that there wasn’t enough land to support VSI’s plans of a residential soccer academy (which is planned to include 20-plus playing ﬁelds). Before VSI came to Plant City, the company had plans to eventually move into 28,000-seat

SEE MAUNEY/ PAGE 12

During Richard “Rick” Odekirk’s playing days as a professional baseball pitcher, he heard constant criticisms from fans in the crowd. “When I was having a bad outing, I would hear people tell me how lousy I was,” Odekirk said. “They would say how they could do a better job if they had the opportunity.” After a 14-year career that never got him out of the minor leagues, Odekirk retired from baseball, but his passion for the game never wavered. “A lot of the people who came and watched us play would have liked to be pro players,” Odekirk said. “As a result, we started talking about ways of how to give the amateur athlete the experience of playing in a majorleague environment.” After consulting with his father, a real-estate developer, the idea of Big League Dreams formed. The ﬁrst Big League Dreams park was built in 1996, after reaching a partnership with Cathedral City, Calif., located near Palm Springs. The park celebrated its opening day Jan. 10, 1998, with the Pepsi All-Star Softball Game, a slow-pitch softball tournament featuring former MLB AllStars. The game was aired on NBC and brought more than 6,000 fans to the new park. Today, Big League Dreams Inc. has 11 locations in four states — California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas —

with five projects in the works. Big League Dreams builds scaled-down replicas of famous baseball stadiums, such as Boston’s Fenway Park, New York’s Yankee Stadium and Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The stadiums are designed to accommodate a variety of sports, including youth baseball, youth fast-pitch softball and adult slow-pitch softball. After Big League Dreams became the sole bidder of a longterm lease proposal of Plant City Stadium and the Randy L. Larson Four-Plex, City Manager Greg Horwedel and the Plant City Commission decided to open negotiations with the company. Negotiations are set to begin today and last 45 days. Big League Dreams, in association with Hopkins Facilities Group, MIG and Barton Malow, hopes to build two of its replica stadiums at two of the current fields at the Randy L. Larson Four-Plex. Plant City Stadium, the former spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and current home of VisionPro Sports Institute’s USL PRO soccer team and three affiliate teams, has been proposed to receive an update.

HOW IT WORKS

Big League Dreams works with cities, counties and special districts to bring their facilities to life at little or no cost to taxpayers.

The company has developed public-private partnerships with cities, including Chino Hills, Calif., with the city funding the construction of the park and Big League Dreams handling the management of the facility. Percentages of revenues and profits are shared with the cities after management fees are met. Plant City brings a more unique situation, because the city already has an operational facility. “When we started, typically, we would hear from cities or counties that just needed a park, period,” Odekirk explained. “We found out really early that these parks would attract tournaments of some kind every weekend.” Horwedel, who advised the city to move forward with negotiations with Big League Dreams at the July 22 Plant City Commission meeting, still has some questions and concerns with the current proposal. “We have 45 days to discuss how the proposal might be modiﬁed to make better sense for the city,” Horwedel said. “With the proposal the way it is, I do believe there will be a signiﬁcant cost for the city to bare, and I do not feel that is in our best interest.” The City Commission rejected April 22, a proposal from Big League

1987

City Manager Nettie Mae Draughon, Mayor Sadye Martin and Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds, broke ground on Plant City Stadium.

1988 to 1997

The Reds held their spring training in Plant City for a decade, before moving operations to Sarasota, where they remained until 2009. The Reds now hold spring training in Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz.

1999

The Women’s Pro Softball League held its All-Star game at the stadium in what was a nationally televised event. The Tampa Bay FireStix and the Florida Wahoos of the WPSL also called Plant City home.

SEE STADIUM / PAGE 13

2000

The Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field is one of the most popular replicas Big League Dreams offers. Current replicas include the famous ivy on the outfield wall.

The International Softball Federation, the worldwide governing body of softball, moved its headquarters to Plant City in offices near the stadium. The ISF logo was painted on the front of Plant City Stadium, where it remains today. After being converted into a softball facility, the ISF has held national and international tournaments in the stadium and the adjacent Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex.

SEE TIMELINE / 13

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

4(523$!9 !5'534

MAUNEY / 11 stadium by 2016, with the ultimate goal of bringing an MLS franchise to Tampa Bay. Plant City Stadium and the Randy L. Larson Four-Plex still were appealing for the company, which strives to promote the game of soccer in Tampa Bay from youth to the pros, but opting not to submit a proposal shows that interest wasn’t high enough. So, it seems Plant City Stadium will go in the record books as the ﬁrst home of VSI Tampa Bay FC, even if it was only for a few months. In addition to the USL PRO team, VSI held matches at the stadium for its PDL, Super 20s and W-League (women) teams. Those three teams recently wrapped up their seasons, while the USL PRO team still has three home games remaining, including two this weekend. Despite being 7-2-2 at Plant City Stadium this season, making them one of

LITTLE LEAGUE / 11

BUMP IN THE ROAD

Plant City cruised through the District 4 tournament, outscoring opponents 46-9 in four games. After a close 5-4 win over North Brandon in the Section 4 tournament, Plant City took care of Lakewood Ranch 19-2 and Lutz 10-0. The team kicked off the pool play in Pool B of the state tournament July 26 with an 11-5 win over Dunedin. In the second game of pool play July 27, Plant City defeated

the best home teams in the United Soccer League, VSI has failed to attract local support. Fans are speckled about in a mostly empty stadium on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, when VSI holds matches. At its best, VSI pulls in several hundred fans, far below the total of USL PRO team and VSI’s Sunday night opponent, Orlando City, which averages about 8,000 fans each game. The Tampa Bay Rowdies, a longstanding pro soccer team that competes in the North American Soccer League (which is one tier up from USL PRO and directly beneath MLS), averages about 4,000 fans each game, including a crowd favorite, the Rowdy Rowdies, a die-hard group of fans. Sure, VSI is an expansion team, but there were no signs that they could ever pull in similar numbers or get the same kind of support of other regional pro teams by staying in Plant City. In no way does this mean Plant City is

North Springs 12-1, thanks to two two-run home runs from Parker Messick and J.J. Gonzalez and a three-run shot from Andrew Long. Braxton Plunk got the win on the mound in the second game, allowing just one run in the complete game, while throwing only 47 pitches in four innings. “That was one heck of a pitching performance,” Messick said. Plant City looked to be in control in the third game against Northwest Leon, starting things off with a three-run homer from Parker Messick and a solo shot from Ben Pues. Plant City found itself with an 11-3 lead in the fifth, but Northwest Leon began to chip away at the lead. “Before we knew it, they were back in it,” Messick said. Northwest Leon would go on to win the game 12-11, forcing Plant City to face Martin County North, the top team in Pool A, in the state semifinals. In that semifinal, Plant City couldn’t get anything going offensively, with their first nine batters retired in order. By the time the offense got going, Martin County North already had a sizable lead and went on to win 8-4, eliminating Plant City and putting an end to dreams of Williamsport. “Obviously, we were severely disappointed after that game,” Messick said. “The Martin County team was good and

not a “soccer town.” In many ways, it very much is. Just go to a local park on a Sunday afternoon, and you’ll see hundreds of soccer fans (sometimes more than at the VSI games) watching adult men’s leagues. The Plant City Lancers, a local youth organization, has about 200 kids participating each year and that number has been steadily growing, along with the numbers of the PCRPD/Optimist Youth Soccer program. Soccer was popular among young people and adults before VSI came, and it will continue to be popular after it is gone. It is hard to say why pro soccer didn’t stick here — or even whether there is a single reason. It could be poor marketing, a tough economy, slow growth or just simply lack of interest. Whatever it was, it led to a brief timestamp on the history of Plant City Stadium that will make a good trivia question years down the line.

ROSTER

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

2 3 4 5 11 13 15 17 19 24 32 33 52

Bryar Christian Braxton Plunk Jake Stines Hunter Emerine Andrew Long Connor Rogers Parker Messick Cade Shissler Dylan Robinson Ben Pues Tommy Johnson J.J. Gonzalez Jacob Smith

Manager: T.J. Messick Assistant coaches: Casey Christian, Steve Shissler and Jeff Robinson were classy and well coached, but we felt like and still do feel like we were better. We just gave up too many runs.” A grand slam with two outs in the second inning sparked Martin County North. Costly errors and mental lapses on defense — one of Plant City’s strongest assets entering the All-Star season — also contributed to the loss. “Those mistakes we made were difﬁcult, but everyone defensively played their butts off for the whole tournament and the entire season,” Messick said.

REMARKABLE RUN

What the Plant City Majors were able to accomplish

cannot be overlooked. The team remained intact since forming as a 9-10 team two years ago. That team won the district, sectional, state and southeast region Tournament of State Champions the past two years. With two additional players this season as a 13-player Majors roster — Tommy Johnson and Jacob Smith — Plant City again won the district and sectional tournaments and was one game away from possibly repeating as state champions for the third consecutive year. Messick said the team has agreed to return next season as Juniors, playing on a larger field in between the Majors field and a traditional field you see in high school. The Juniors division has a World Series, albeit not as famous as the Little League World Series. “It would have been great to go all the way this year, but it takes nothing away from these kids,” Messick said. In the past three years, Plant City compiled a 42-3 record. “I don’t know if there’s any team out there that can say they did that,” Messick said. “I’ve had the fantastic opportunity to not only watch these boys grow as baseball players, but grow as young men. It seems like it’s gone in a blink of an eye.” Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@plantcityobserver. com.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

DEAN COLLINS

Plant City resident Dean Collins has been playing baseball for most his life. The 13-year-old Shiloh Middle School student recently wrapped up an All-Star season with the South Lakeland All-Stars in the Babe Ruth league, where the catcher had the opportunity to try out his arm from behind the plate. How long have you been playing baseball? Since I was 5 What got you interested in playing? My dad and mom grew up playing, so they got me started, and I’ve loved it ever since. Have you always played in Lakeland? No, I’ve played in Plant City and Lakeland. I started playing in Lakeland when I was 9 and then played in Plant City up to this last season, where I played in Lakeland again. How long have you been a catcher? I started when I was 10, and I loved it. What speciﬁcally do you like about the position? I think it’s the most important one, and I like it, because you get to do everything and are involved with everything and get to kind of control the game. How did your All-Star team do this year? We only made it through districts. We made it to the game before the championship. What made you want to play Babe Ruth instead of Little League here in Plant City? I like Babe Ruth better, because you can steal and throw out runners. I’ve seen my game get a lot better. I want to

play when I get to high school, so I know it will help me. This last season has been great.

How did you do offensively this season? I hit four home runs. When we went to FishHawk to play, there were 10-foot fences, and I hit way over that, back-to-back. Do you play any other sports? Nope, just baseball If you didn’t play baseball, what sport would you play? Probably football. I played ﬂag football when I was little. Do you have a favorite professional team? I would like to play for the Tigers. I’ve seen the Lakeland Tigers play, and that’s a reason why I’d like to play for them. Do you have a player that you look up to? Prince Fielder, because he has a lot of power. What are some things you like to do or hobbies outside of baseball? I like to bowl, sometimes. Do you have a favorite movie? “Paciﬁc Rim.” It was really cool. What’s your favorite pregame or post-game meal? Pizza What’s your goal once you get to high school? I’d like to play varsity, and I want to keep my grades up.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

4(523$!9 !5'534

STADIUM / 11 Dreams, stating it lacked key information, specifically regarding the potential costs and benefits of the proposal to Plant City. The request for proposals was then reissued May 29, with responses due by June 28. Again, Big League Dreams was the only bidder. “Our preference would be to have as minimal city investment as possible, with the maximum return,” Horwedel said. The city currently loses about $387,000 annually on operating costs of the stadium and four-plex. VSI’s lease of Plant City Stadium for $10,000 per month runs through August. The current proposal lists an estimated subtotal of all city funds totaling $1.5 million. The proposal estimates the annual gross revenue, based on a 10-year average, would total $3,082,958, with 2.4%, or $73,911, going to the city. Horwedel expressed concern about the community and surrounding areas financially supporting the Big League Dreams concept in Plant City. The company makes its profits by renting the stadiums to teams and tournaments that want to use the replica stadiums and fields. It pulls in additional revenue by charging admission for tournaments, typically $3 for adults and $1 for kids. “We’re not sure how successful that would be here,” Horwedel said. Although youth baseball and softball is popular in Plant City and surrounding areas, families and fans normally are allowed to attend games for free at other venues, such as Mike E. Sansone Community Park. “None of these currently exists in Florida, so there is no template to make sure the market will support the proposal,” Horwedel said. “We want to carefully analyze the proposal and the model they proposed and make the best decision for the city.” To view the current proposal in its entirety, visit PlantCityObserver.com and click on the story link.

EYE ON THE SOUTHEAST

Odekirk, his partners and investors have had plans of expanding their operations out east for several years, speciﬁcally in the Southeast, a baseball hotbed. “When we started looking to expand to the Southeast, we knew Plant City was the ﬁrst we would be talking to,” said Odekirk, who remembers playing in spring training games in Plant City Stadium during his pro career. Representatives from Plant City reached out to Big League Dreams several years ago, expressing interest in the company. That led to the city approving, in October 2011, a 30-year license agreement with the Big League Dreams. Before that approval, city staff spent 18 months reviewing Big League Dreams’ operations in other states. Under the agreement, Plant City would pay Big League Dreams a $450,000 li-

TIMELINE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

2008

The Plant City Pig Jam was held on the stadium’s property for the first time. This November, the annual barbecue event will celebrate its 11th year.

2013 — In April,

VisionPro Sports Institute agreed to a short-term lease of Plant City Stadium to act as the home venue for an expansion United Soccer League PRO franchise, VSI Tampa Bay FC, and three affiliate teams. The stadium was converted into a soccer facility at the cost of VSI. Per the lease agreement, the company will pay for the facility to be converted back.

censing fee to ensure the company did not build a similar location within a 40-mile-by30-mile oval around Plant City Stadium. Since then, Odekirk said several Florida cities have expressed interest in Big League Dreams. The company currently has ﬁve projects in the negotiation stages or further. Four of those are in the Southeast, three of which are in the Sunshine State — Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale and Plant City. A metro Atlanta location and a central California location are also in the works. “We heard from a lot of cities in Florida, and we identiﬁed those that would be best for us to proceed in,” Odekirk said. If a deal is reached, Plant City would become the only Big League Dreams location in Central Florida. Of the current 11 cities, the smallest city based on population is the original location in Cathedral City, Calif. Its population of more than 51,000 far exceeds Plant City’s 35,000 population, but Odekirk feels Plant City’s central location to the Tampa Bay and Orlando markets makes it an attractive choice. “We’re not obviously just looking right at Plant City, but looking within a 45-minute drive,” Odekirk said. “The travel market in Tampa and Orlando is so big. We consider Plant City a can’t-miss market.”

IF IT HAPPENS

If a deal is reached, it would be new territory for both Big League Dreams and the city. Big League Dreams has built and adapted existing ballparks, but a former spring-training facility would be a ﬁrst. Odekirk said the replica stadiums would be built around the existing ﬁelds at the fourplex. He hopes to start with two parks and then expand in the

future, if those are successful. “If it is as successful as we believe it would be, it has the potential for sure to grow down the line,” he said. “We have to be successful there before we get to that.” Although Wrigley, Fenway and Yankee Stadium are the three most popular options for replicas, the company leaves it up to the cities to decide what replicas it wants built. According to Odekirk, there are no plans to convert Plant

City Stadium into a replica ﬁeld but instead update it and restore it to its past as the spring home of the Reds. “We would like to dress it up to be the premier ﬁeld on the complex,” he said. Odekirk said he and his partners would be open to adding the Reds logo back to the park. “That would be up to the city,” he said. Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@plantcityobserver. com.

FUTURE OF THE ISF?

In 2000, The International Softball Federation, the worldwide governing body of softball, moved its headquarters to Plant City. The ISF logo is painted on the front of Plant City Stadium, where the ISF has held national and international tournaments. The city’s current agreement with the ISF, which gives the organization rights to use the stadium, runs through 2019. According to City Manager Greg Horwedel, the city plans to honor that agreement “no matter the possible redevelopment of the stadium.” The current agreement only covers the stadium and not the Randy L. Larson Four-Plex.

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

PLANT CITY

RAIN

(INCHES)

WEATHER

WED.

July 24

0.01

THURS.

TEMPERATURES

July 25

1.85

FRI.

0.24

SAT.

July 27

0.00

SUN.

0.07

MON.

July 29

0.00

TUES.

July 30

0.00

JULY

TO DATE

6.75 (2012: 6.11)

YEAR

TO DATE 24.47 (2012: 22.61)

HIGH 90 90 91 91 91 91 91

Thurs., Aug. 1 Fri., Aug. 2 Sat., Aug. 3 Sun., Aug. 4 Mon., Aug. 5 Tues., Aug. 6 Wed., Aug. 31

July 26

July 28

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

4(523$!9 !5'534

SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES SUNRISE 6:51 a.m. 6:52 a.m. 6:52 a.m. 6:53 a.m. 6:53 a.m. 6:54 a.m. 6:54 a.m.

Thurs., Aug. 1 Fri., Aug. 2 Sat., Aug. 3 Sun., Aug. 4 Mon., Aug. 5 Mon., Aug. 6 Mon., Aug. 7

SUNSET 8:19 p.m. 8:18 p.m. 8:17 p.m. 8:17 p.m. 8:16 p.m. 8:15 p.m. 8:14 p.m.

PAPAYA PRICES (FROM BRAZIL)

LOW 73 75 75 73 75 75 75

MOON PHASES

Aug. 14

Aug. 21

SHIPPING POINT: MIAMI

PRODUCT 3.5 kg. containers

LOW $10.50

HIGH $12

Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture

Aug. 28

Aug. 6

, 3&

Barbara Markland shared this breathtaking photo of the sun rising over a Plant City strawberry field. Markland calls it “Strawberry Sunrise.” The Plant City Times & Observer, State Farm Insurance agent Tony Lee and The Corner Store have partnered to host the I Love Plant City Photo Contest. Winners will have their photo featured and receive a $10 gift certificate to The Corner Store! To enter, email your photo, with a caption, to Managing Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver.com; subject line: I Love Plant City.

NOW IS THE TIME By Roger D. Ellis | Edited by Timothy E. Parker

ACROSS 1 Indian border state 6 Mural or sculpture, e.g. 9 Take out, in mob movies 13 Shish kebab stick 19 Small jazz band 20 Batman and Robin, say 21 Dip ___ in (test) 22 Dahl of “Watch the Birdie” 23 Time to get off the fence 26 Claims similarities 27 It turns over before it runs 28 Scouts’ creations 30 Type of parrot 31 Liquid on leaves 32 “___ Abner” 33 Country singer Tillis 34 Woodshop tool 35 Loose, as trousers 38 Family tree members 39 Length of a quick fight? 43 “Fifteen Miles on the ___ Canal” 44 Cup’s edge 45 Get ___ on the back 48 Game with scratching 49 Certain extremity 50 Cotton unit 51 “Babi ___” (Yevtushenko poem) 52 Like glowing coals 53 Blu-ray predecessor 56 March 17 celebrant, familiarly 58 Cast-of-thousands films 61 Pertaining to the flock 62 Thing to carry in a boardroom 64 Richard Nixon’s daughter 65 Small piece of currency 68 Like clockwork 71 “___ Flux” (2005 movie) 72 “Gone With the Wind” star de Havilland 74 Author Hemingway 75 The “G” of GTO 77 Shipwreck locator 78 Boca ___, Fla. 79 To a sickening extent 84 Donny or Marie, by birth 86 Airport safety agcy. 88 Position in a hierarchy 89 Be deceitful 90 Carried with difficulty 91 Many a minor 92 Mel, baseball’s “Little Giant” 93 Shades that fade in fall 94 Enclosed, in legalese 96 “The Andy Griffith Show” boy 98 They help you choose sides 99 “Sounds good!”

100 Seller of sea shells 101 Word after “lily” or “mouse” 102 Response to a fleecing? 103 Utmost (Abbr.) 104 Put under, the old way 108 Like much bulk mail 112 Remain faithful (to) 114 Homeowner’s additional liability 117 Close-fitting short jacket 118 Black, poetically 119 Auto gear selection 120 Grow dark 121 “Jeopardy!” contestants, e.g. 122 New Year’s Eve word 123 1,000,000,000 years 124 A lot of assessments? DOWN 1 Result of overexercise 2 Before you know it 3 Beyond self-confident 4 Shorten, as a reference book 5 Mr. ___ (Lucy’s TV boss) 6 Also mention 7 Feel regret for 8 Warning bell 9 “Now, where ___?” 10 “Take ___ from me!” (“Here’s some advice”) 11 Camper’s food warmer 12 Pulitzer-winner for “Russia Leaves the War” 13 Pepper go-with 14 “Heaven’s Gate” actor Kristofferson 15 Large deer with antlers 16 A bit less than what the boss expects? 17 Group of nine 18 Further shorten, as a board 24 Not very many 25 “You’re darned right!” 29 Breakfast or brunch order 32 Gently gallops 35 Big Ben, for one 36 Two-dimensional calculation 37 Musician’s jobs 38 Glassmaker’s material 40 “Spare the ___, spoil ...” 41 Partner for this and that (with “the”) 42 Idealists 44 “Well, ___!” 46 History is written in it 47 Bandleader Shaw and namesakes 50 Lingerie item 52 ___ McNally (atlas publisher)

54 Way to get to the top, perhaps 55 Target competitor 57 ___ Potty 59 AFL’s other half 60 Common California map word 63 Celebrated 64 Despotic ruler 65 Uno + uno 66 1969 Nobel Peace Prize grp. 67 Good choice for an impatient carnivore? 69 Bear a lamb 70 Paternal relative 73 Plenty upset 76 Northern diving bird 78 Pungent salad bar item 80 Smartphone brand 81 Distinctive flair 82 Indigenous Japanese people 83 Recruit’s fare

85 87 91 93

Chop, as a tree “My life is ___ book” “... and ___ hangs a tale” Compound used for crowd control 94 They may accompany handshakes 95 Grad students’ projects 97 Ping-Pong ball whacker 98 Earth’s middle layer 99 New Mexico state flower 102 Hiker’s sock-clinger 104 “And they lived happily ___ after” 105 Ball-bearing gadgets? 106 Desktop graphic 107 Region 109 Puts away dishes? 110 Tommie of the 1969 World Series Mets 111 Black bears’ lairs 113 Nibbled on 115 “Old MacDonald” sound 116 Possess

SUDOKU PACIFIC

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

4(523$!9 !5'534

¬ ³ L 1EêrÝe wáá íòº áí ^ §E ¡e _¡EÝÝ ri_ôÝê³§rÙÝrÙĠ _rSêE§ÁEUEģÇ_³§ ^ ³ôÙÝe #³¬Ç Ù Ç áeíĩ eíĩ ^ rEi¡ ¬rÝe ¬r EiÝ 5ôrÝiEģ Eê Á§f 3rÙĠ _r Ùr_ê³Ùģ #³¬iEģ Eê ¬³³¬

¡EÝÝ ri iĠrÙê Ý ¬ ¬r 1EêrÝe í ¬rÝ o Ç ĩ ^ ii ê ³¬E¡ ¬rÝ oºÇ ĩ rE_

xnɭƤƂ̷ɶ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɭ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɶ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɭ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɶ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɭ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɶ xnɭƤƂ̷ɭ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɭ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɭ xnɭƤƂ̷ɶ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɭ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɭ xnɭƤƂ̷ɶ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɭ

xnɭƤƂ̷ɶ

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

4(523$!9 !5'534