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Tom Anderson recalls life in the squared circle.
Hope Lutheran sets sail with 2014 VBS.
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PAGES 8-9
FREE • FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014
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education by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Elia introduces Florida Standards at workshop Superintendent MaryEllen Elia believes testing aligned with Florida Standards will benefit Hillsborough students, but her presentation spurred debate among parents and teachers.
Felix Haynes and Gil Gott battled for the top spot in the spelling bee. In the end, Gott prevailed.
+ Gil Gott wins adult spelling bee The executive director of the Plant City Photo Archives and History Center has some new hardware on display. Gil Gott was crowned the winner of the Plant City Kiwanis Club’s Second Annual Business Spelling Bee Aug. 5, at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Building. Gott’s grasp of the English language defeated representatives from 15 other organizations. Second place went to Plant City Times & Observer Founding Publisher Felix Haynes, who represented the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. Other spellers included Caitlyn Chandler (All A Bloom Florists); Linton Jackson (Americare Ambulance Service); Bob Hughens (In the Field magazine); Oscar Herrera (Family Care Pharmacy); Katherine Wolf (Haught Funeral Home); Dawn Cline (Master Craft); Vickie Nguyen (PCHS Key Club); Kayla Clenney (Strong Tower Insurance); Derek Yates (Suncoast Credit Union); Cheryl Johnston (Focus Magazine); Michael Eng (Plant City Times & Observer); Edwena Haney (Hopewell Funeral Home); and Mary Davis (Kaleidoscope Educational Services).
+ Hope launches fall GriefShare Hope Lutheran Church will host a new GriefShare class beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the church, 2001 North Park Road, Plant City. Anyone who is struggling following the recent death of a family member or friend or with a death that occurred some time ago is welcome. Each GriefShare session includes a video seminar and group discussion. For more information, call (813) 752-4622.
, 3&
This week’s winner is
Samantha Tindale See her photo on PAGE 15.
Hillsborough students will take assessments aligned with Florida Standards this school year, but some parents, teachers and students in Plant City expressed deep concerns about the program at an informational presentation July 30. Hillsborough County Public
Schools Superintendent MaryEllen Elia addressed a full auditorium at St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church to explain what she believes to be the benefits of Florida Standards. Elia repeatedly said a major advantage to Florida Standards was that they would be more
rigorous than the previous curriculum. “Our students have to be competitive across the world,” Elia said. “What we’re doing with Florida Standards is raising what we can expect of our students, so they can be better prepared when they leave high
Catherine Sinclair
MaryEllen Elia presented her support for Florida Standards July 30, at St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church. school to go to college or career.” She explained how math and language arts questions would be updated to emphasize logic and critical thinking to pre-
pare students for life after high school. For example, an “old” language arts problem for first
SEE STANDARDS / PAGE 4
DARE TO DANCE
HERO’S WELCOME by Michael Eng | Executive Editor
by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Dance teacher takes leap of faith Macie’s School of Dance and Yoga offers children’s classes and lessons in a variety of genres. With her hair in a perfectly balanced bun and her arms outstretched gracefully, Macie Zimmerhanzel leaps across her dance floor. Her poise is matched by her positivity and perseverance. For years, she dreamed of starting her own dance business, and this summer, she followed that dream and opened Macie’s School of Dance and Yoga. Macie’s School of Dance and Yoga opened July 7, at 605 E. Alexander St. in Plant City. As a certified instructor of dance and yoga, Zimmerhanzel offers classes in a variety of styles, for children ages 3 to 18. Zimmerhanzel earned a bachelor’s degree in dance and secondary education in 2011, from Texas Tech University. After graduating, she continued dancing professionally and teaching. While teaching dance at Manzano Middle School in Brownsville, Texas, Zimmerhanzel established the school’s
Michael Eng
U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Adair told his wife and daughter he wouldn’t be home for a few more weeks. But, on Aug. 4, he gave them a surprise that was even sweeter than a plate of Fred’s Market pancakes.
HOME FOR GOOD Last weekend, breakfast diners at Fred’s Restaurant witnessed a touching moment — U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Adair surprising his wife, Lauren, and 2-year-old daughter, Autumn, after completing a yearlong deployment to Southeast Asia. Two-year-old Autumn Adair doesn’t say a word. But, her eyes — and her arms firmly wrapped around her father’s neck — tell the whole story. For most of her life, Autumn knew her father — U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Adair — primarily through regular Skype chats and photo albums. She was born Sept. 21, 2011, in a military hospital in Okinawa, Japan, and later, while her father completed his
yearlong deployment, Autumn got to know Thomas through regular Skype chats. When she missed him, she’d climb up on the couch to talk to a wedding photo of Thomas and his wife, Lauren. But in this moment — at 10 a.m. Aug. 4, at Fred’s Market — Autumn needs no computer to see
SEE ADAIR / PAGE 4
SEE STUDIO / PAGE 4
what’s goin’ on by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
We heard it through the grapevine: WIN to host revue for Glover School Proceeds from the Aug. 9 Motown Revue will go toward the restoration for the historic Glover School, in Bealsville. A unique concert by local performers will combine history and entertainment while supporting restoration efforts for the Glover School in Bealsville.
Women’s Interest Network in Eastern Hillsborough County, an organization that promotes quality of life for women in Plant City, will host a Motown Revue from 7 to 11 p.m. Satur-
day, Aug. 9, at the Glover School auditorium. Performers will include Velvet Williams, a vocalist based in Tampa, and Music Makers, a Motown group from Lakeland.
Bonnie Carr, who has served as chairwoman of WIN since 2011, has followed Williams’ music for years. “She captures your attention because she has an outstanding voice,” Carr said. “She sings a wide range of types of music,
SEE MOTOWN / PAGE 4
INDEX Calendar.......................2
Courtesy photo
Velvet Williams is one of the musicians who will perform at this weekend’s Motown Revue in Bealsville.
Vol. 2, No. 2 | One section Crossword...................15
Obituaries...................10
Sports.........................11
Weather ......................15
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COMMUNITYCALENDAR FRIDAY, AUG. 8 AARP Driver Safety — takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Cost is $20 for non-members of AARP and $15 for members, payable by cash or check. Preregister by calling (813) 7579215. Disney’s “The Little Mermaid Jr.” — The Sunshine Theater Company and Plant City Entertainment will present this production at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, Saturday, Aug. 9, and Saturday, Aug. 16; and 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, Saturday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug. 17, at Plant City Entertainment, 101 N. Thomas St., Plant City. Tickets are $10 for members; $12 for seniors, non-members and students; and $14 for general admission. For more information, visit pceshows.com or email Jonathan Douglas at showstoogo@aol.com. Dueling Pianos — performance takes place from 9 p.m. to midnight Friday, Aug. 8, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Story Time — takes place from 11 a.m. to noon, Friday Aug. 8, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700. Uncork Your Weekend with Southern Legacy — live music from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752-9100.
SATURDAY, AUG. 9 Free Back-to-School Physicals and Immunizations — takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Ed and Myrtle Lou Swindle Medical Arts Center, 1601 W. Timberlane Drive, Plant City. Appointment required; call (813) 443-3048. Macie’s School of Dance Open House — takes place from 9
to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9; and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, at the school, 605 E. Alexander St. Macie Zimmerhanzel, macieschoolofdanceandyoga@gmail.com or (813) 220-8355. The Peacemakers — performance takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Uncork Your Weekend with Eric Tompkins — live music from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. For more information, call (813) 752-9100.
MONDAY, AUG. 11 Dental Services — takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700. Weight Loss Surgery Information Sessions — takes place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, at the Ed and Myrtle Lou Swindle Medical Arts Center, 1601 W. Timberlane Drive, Plant City. Learn more about the advantages of the adjustable gastric band and sleeve gastrectomy procedures and see if surgical weight loss is an option for you. (813) 644-6720.
TUESDAY, AUG. 12 Mobile Medical Clinic with Hearing and Vision Screening — takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700. Morning Book Discussion — meets from 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Aug. 12, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. This month’s book is “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” by Alexandra Fuller. (813) 7579215.
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. and 60s are played on a large drop-down screen. (813) 7521220.
Ribbon Cutting: Marco’s Pizza — takes place from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at 2909 James L. Redman Parkway, Suite 105, Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org. St. Clement Early Childhood Center Open House and Orientation — takes place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the school, 1104 N. Alexander St., Plant City. Meet with teachers and the director. Full-day care is offered; enrollment in the VPK Program is free for qualified 3- and 4-year-olds. (813) 754-1237.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 13 CPR — takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700. Knit 1, Purl 2 — takes place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Beginners as well as experienced knitters are welcome to attend, and a limited supply of knitting needles and yarn may be used by participants during the class. (813) 757-9215. Open Mic Night — begins at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Plant City Fit Club — meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, at 301 N. Dort St., Plant City. Melissa, (813) 395-3953.
THURSDAY, AUG. 14 Judicial Candidate Forum — takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 1601 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City. This forum is co-sponsored by the Improvement League of Plant City, Bealsville Inc. and the Plant City Area Democratic Club. Ione Townsend, (813) 638-2261.
Berry Patch Quilt Guild — meets from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays, at First Presbyterian Church of Plant City, 404 W. Reynolds St. Use the entrance on Thomas Street. All are welcome. For more information, call Elaine Green, (813) 763-7353. Blood Pressure Checks — takes place from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 644-6720.
BEST BET Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Salute to Agriculture Contact Breakfast — takes place at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Grimes Family Agricultural Center, 2508 Oak Ave., Plant City. The chamber’s Agri-Business Committee will honor this year’s agriculture award winners, including Dale McClellan (Agriculturist of the Year); Marc Sewell and Marshal Sewell (Young Agriculturist of the Year); Rhonda Burnette (Ag Educator of the Year); Highland Packaging Solutions (Agri-Business of the Year); and the Grimes Family (Supporter of Youth in Agriculture). Cost is $15 a person. Call (813) 754-3707 by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, for reservations. Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce New Teacher Coffee — takes place at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Hall, 2301 W. Oak Ave., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org.
SATURDAY, AUG. 16 Polk Museum of Art Family Workshop — takes place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Matt, (863) 688-7743. Strawberry Classic Car Show — takes place from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at 102 N. Palmer St. For more, visit plantcity.org.
TUESDAY, AUG. 19 Evening Book Discussion — meets from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. This month’s book is “The Orchardist” by Amanda Coplin. (813) 757-9215.
GriefShare — session begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Hope Lutheran Church, 2001 N. Park Road, Plant City. GriefShare is special seminar and support group for those grieving the loss of someone close. For more information, call Lyn Senkarik, (813) 7524622.
MONDAY, AUG. 25 Crochet Class — takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Beginning and intermediate crochet enthusiasts are welcome to attend, but all students must have a crochet hook. (813) 757-9215.
ONGOING Black-and-White Nite — takes place from 6:33 to 8:13 p.m. Thursdays, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Vintage sitcoms and sci-fi from the 50s
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. (813) 6446720. Duplicate Bridge — meets at 1 p.m. Fridays, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 302 Carey St., Plant City. Players must have partners. Walt Arnold, (813) 752-1602. GFWC Woman’s Club of Plant City — meets at 11 a.m. the second Tuesday of each month, at the clubhouse, 1110 N. Wheeler St. Hope Al-Anon Group — meets at 7:30 p.m. Mondays, at Hull House at First Presbyterian Church, 203 Thomas St. (813) 763-3698. Ladies Bible Study — meets at 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays, at Planteen Recreation Center, 401 Dort St., Plant City. For more information, call Martha Sue Skinner, (813) 752-7630. Line Dancing Lessons — takes place from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill, 106 E. S.R. 60, Plant City. (813) 7374444. Motion Commotion —takes place from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. For more, call (813) 757-9215.
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eye-opener by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Missionary returns from Honduras Melissa Harnage did more than help build a school when she went on a mission trip with Bay Life Church and LeaderTreks. She also found a new perspective on life.
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not think about things that make them uncomfortable.” The 17-year-old speaks with the wisdom of an old soul. Safe at home in comfortable Plant City, she talks about the first time she watched the news upon returning to Florida. Television hosts played mini golf in between segments about recipes and a couple having their anniversary in the middle of Rockefeller Center. “It’s so contrived,” Harnage said. “Do you understand there are kids in Honduras who are hungry tonight?” She thinks back to a little boy named Yefri. His black, rotting teeth didn’t keep Harnage from calling him the cutest little thing she had ever seen. Even a language barrier couldn’t keep
“
When Melissa Harnage boarded a plane for Honduras June 22, she left behind her cell phone, Internet connection and any semblance of her life back in America. Armed with a camera and a helping heart, she arrived in the povertystricken country with the goal to run a vacation Bible school in Siguatepeque and help build onto a school in a facility for orphans called La Providencia. What she didn’t realize was that the children’s lives she was trying to change would also change her. “There’s so much opportunity in the world for us to make it better, and we spend it on making ourselves more comfortable,” Harnage said. “It’s ignorance by choice. They’d rather
You can just see these kids — they really have so little but are so happy with what they do have. We really are just all the same people just put into different circumstances. — Melissa Harnage
the two apart. He sat by her in church and loved to play with her hair and get piggyback rides. “Sometimes I find it hard to relate to kids,” Harnage said. “That was probably the saddest good-bye I’ve ever had to say in my life. It was the last time I would ever see him again.” Harnage didn’t just become more comfortable around kids. She also learned leadership skills, an emphasis of LeaderTreks, the organization that helped plan the mission for Bay Life Church of Brandon. She was assigned to the cleaning team and was responsible for budgeting out the supplies list. Other teams were responsible for vacation Bible school, cooking, communication, music ministry and construction. “You have to work together and step up to the plate,” Harnage said. “I was not comfortable with leading before this. Looking back I can contribute, can step up, orchestrate and help to make things happen.” And although she learned
Amber Jurgensen
Melissa Harnage’s mission trip to Honduras changed her life. some valuable life skills, one of her favorite parts of the mission was mixing the concrete to build a drainage ditch by the La Providencia school. For a courtyard to be built in front of the school, the ditch must be completed. The courtyard will be a safe place for the children to gather before classes. Tucked away high in the mountains of the Aguas del Padre community, La Providencia houses 96 orphans as well as a school and medical facility for the children. The youth missionaries stayed in the clinic’s recovery room. Harnage bounced down the
mountain in an old bus to pick up cleaning supplies and help run vacation Bible school at the base village. When she first traveled through the country, she saw the state of poverty. What looked like shack houses without doors turned out to be the main stores of cities. “You can just see these kids — they really have so little but are so happy with what they do have,” Harnage said. “We really are just all the same people just put into different circumstances.” Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
NEWS
BRIEFS + Sunshine Bancorp completes conversion Sunshine Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Sunshine State Bank, announced last week it has completed its initial $42.3 million mutual-to-stock conversion. The conversion was completed July 14, and the shares of the common stock were expected to begin trading July 15, on the Nasdaq Capital Market, under the symbol “SBCP.” The company sold 4,232,000 shares of common stock, including 338,560 shares to the employee stock ownership plan, at $10 per share. Certificates reflecting the shares and refund checks for any subscribers not receiving all or part of shares ordered were expected to be mailed by July 15. The Sunshine State Federal Savings board made a decision to file for a mutual-to-stock conversion in December 2013. “We want to raise capital to allow us to grow,” President Floyd Hall told the Plant City Times & Observer in January. “In anticipation that the economy is going to get better, we want to support future efforts.” Sunshine State Federal Savings and Loan Association had been a mutual savings and loan company since 1954. Subscribers who want to confirm allocation should contact the stock information center, (877) 821-5783. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Information is also available online, allocations. kbw.com.
+ Mom who drowned baby deemed insane
RENOVATION REALITY Justin Kline
The new renovations to the Plant City Chamber of Commerce building’s exterior were revealed Aug. 5, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Dozens of Plant City business leaders and community figures attended the event. Before the ribbon was cut, chamber Chairman Nate Kilton and Plant City Vice Mayor Bill Dodson gave brief speeches about the state of the chamber and its commitment to professionalism. Upgrades to the building included a new paint job, a new sign, and new lights and awnings.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Museum society seeks non-profit classification The society was formed to oversee the operations and management of the new train viewing platform and museum. Interested tourists wandered the exhibits of the Robert W. Willaford Museum last week, snapping pictures and admiring the red caboose in the yard outside. Now that the train platform has been completed and the bulk of Robert Willaford’s collection has been moved on site, City Commissioner Mike Sparkman pulled together a committee to start the nonprofit Robert W. Willaford Museum Society, Inc. Jerry Lofstrom is president of the committee. Along with Susan Gales, Eric Barber, Gail Lyons and Pat Pogue, the society will oversee the management of the Robert W. Willaford Museum. They are just as passionate about Plant City’s rich rail history as the visitors to the museum. “The museum tells a story through artifacts of Plant City’s past and for that matter, America’s past,” Lofstrom said. “The West was built around the railroad. Before there was Plant City, there was the railroad.” The committee selected Executive Director Benny Lu-
Amber Jurgensen
Jerry Lofstrom will be heading the Robert W. Willaford Museum Society Inc. brano to oversee and manage the museum. With his help, it is now open six days a week. He can rattle off a long list of regulars and new visitors he’s seen since he started working there six months ago. One from England, another from Puerto Rico. Then, there are the tourists who come in from Orlando after visiting the theme parks. They’re more excited to come to the train museum.
“It really brings people into town,” Lubrano said. Lofstrom agrees that the society can make the museum an even bigger draw for tourists and locals alike. “We’ve got the mold. … Now, we have to bring it to it’s potential,” Lofstrom said. “I believe it really will be a shining star of this city.” The society has some plans in the making to take place in
phases. In phase one, the society wants to get new signage that labels it more aptly as a museum rather than just a welcome center. Landscaping and lighting are another part of phase one plans. The society hopes to complete those tasks by October. An ongoing task includes working with Willaford to tag all the artifacts to provide as detailed a description for visitors. The society also wants to produce an introductory film, narrated by Willaford, to be shown in the side room of the museum. In the future, the society hopes to keep up an annual Railfest event and open the tower building to the north. It is currently being used as storage. “This is something that is significant to this community,” Lofstrom said. “It’s part of its past. We’re defined by the past. It will live long after we’re gone.” With a $3,000 budget, it is imperative that the society gets its non-profit status to be able to take donations. It can take from six months to 18 months to be approved. Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS Jerry Lofstrom: President Eric Barber: President Gail Lyons: Secretary Susan Gales: Treasurer Pat Pogue: Member
TOUR GUIDE
With the help of the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Society Inc., the museum is open six days a week and available for field trips and group tours. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. The museum will be open until 8 p.m during the Plant City Bike Fest and Strawberry Classic Car Show. For appointments, call (813) 719-6989. The museum is located at 102 N. Palmer St., Plant City.
She was the last one sitting on the courtroom bench. Occasionally she hung her head. Sometimes she glanced across the room, at her father and stepmother, before pulling her gaze back to the stand. When finally called to testify, she mostly said, “Yes. Yes, she had been forthright with the doctors. Yes, she understood what the attorney had said. Yes, she knew she was leaving to receive psychiatric treatment. On July 29, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed: Talae Thomas, 32 of Plant City, was insane when she drowned her 5-week-old son, Chase James Urijah Harrison, because she believed he was the devil. Circuit Judge Chet A. Tharpe deemed her not guilty of first-degree murder because of insanity. She now will report to a state hospital instead of prison. Authorities arrested Thomas, then 30, in November 2012. Plant City police had found her in the road, saying she killed her baby and wanted to be taken to a hospital. Officers found the baby dead inside her home.
+ County to consider Keel & Curley rezone The final decision regarding Keel and Curley Winery’s rezone request will be made next week. The Hillsborough County Commission is scheduled to hear the item at its Land Use Meeting, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. The Keel family and their attorney, Judy James, filed an application March 25 to its zoning to include the brewery, beer sales, event hosting and parking.
+ Correction The article, “Plant City summer reading program prepares for concert,” published in the Aug. 1 edition, contained an error. Unity in the Community donated $22,000.
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STUDIO / PAGE 1 first competitive dance team. “I really want to instill my love and passion in my students,” Zimmerhanzel said. In 2012, Zimmerhanzel moved to Plant City to be closer to family in the area, and she began teaching ballet and jazz at three local preschools: Walden Lake Learning Center, Plant City Learning Center and Children’s Nest. “I especially love teaching the little ones, because they’re like a blank canvas that I get to mold,” Zimmerhanzel said. “It’s really important to get them when they’re young, so they can learn self-esteem and selfaccomplishment.” Through her preschool program, she built her clientele until she was confident she would succeed as an independent business owner. “It’s been my lifelong dream to be able to open a place of my own,” Zimmerhanzel said. The school is not the only dance school in Plant City, but its yoga classes make it unique, as does Zimmerhanzel’s exten-
ADAIR / PAGE 1 her dad. As she settles in on Thomas’ lap, she rests her head against his chest. Lauren removes her glasses to wipe away the tears. She thought Thomas wouldn’t be back for a few more weeks. But, it was all a ploy. Thomas had driven through the night from Fort Hood, Texas, to surprise his family. And, after they were seated for breakfast, he entered the restaurant in full military uniform and a bouquet of flowers in his hand. The grand gesture captivated other diners. Several came to the table to thank Thomas
MOTOWN / PAGE 1 from jazz to R&B, and she’s very engaging to the audience.” Williams will be donating her performance time. She previously sang in Plant City in March at a fundraiser for the Plant City Community Development Corporation. Music Makers plays at weddings, parties, reunions and other events in central Florida. Like Williams, Music Makers performs a variety of styles, including gospel at faith-related functions. Glover School has a long and detailed history. Bealsville, a historically black community southeast of Plant City, established its first public school in 1873. This building, the Jamison School, was a small, two-room structure for first to fifth grade. Decades later, Bealsville residents saw a need for a new school and pleaded for one to be built. Through numerous community fundraisers and Ben Glover’s donation of 10 acres, Bealsville acquired the resources to establish the Glover School in 1933. In 1971, Hillsborough County schools were ordered to be desegregated. The Glover School was converted to a sixth-grade center for black
Macie Zimmerhanzel, owner of Plant City’s newest dance school, is a certified instructor of dance and yoga.
OPEN HOUSES WHEN: 9 to 10:30 a.m. Aug. 9; 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 14 WHERE: 605 E. Alexander St. INFO: Attendees who sign up for classes will receive a 50% discount for the first month of tuition. There will also be giveaways and prize drawings. Fall dance classes begin Monday, Aug. 18. CONTACT: (813) 220-8355 or visit maciesschoolofdance.com
sive background in education. “I love giving positivity and encouragement to my students,” Zimmerhanzel said. “Every child deserves a chance to be in the spotlight, on stage, and be able to put on a tutu and dance for everyone.” Although Zimmerhanzel is the only teacher at Macie’s School of Dance and Yoga, the school has a second employee: her mother and office manager, Mindie Zimmerhanzel. Mindie also has a teaching background, as well as a master’s degree in
secondary education. “Macie’s the talent, the educator,” Mindie said. “I’m just along to help with the kiddos. I’m all about developing kids. I think it’s so important. Kids need as much mentoring as they can get.” The Zimmerhanzels already are planning for the future, as well. There will be a recital at Plant City High School for all of the school’s students next summer. Beyond 2015, they hope to keep growing. Mindie said she was proud of
her daughter for following her love of dance. “I can’t say enough good things about (Macie),” she said. “She’s a beautiful person inside and out. She has strong faith, and she’s determined to succeed.” Currently, all of Zimmerhanzel’s students are girls, but she has taught boys before, including an all-boys hip-hop class while she was in college. She said Plant City boys interested in any style of dance are welcome at her studio. Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
for his service. Others give him hugs. Another came by to say she was paying for their meals. It was precisely the kind of homecoming Thomas had dreamed of since he began his deployment. Two years after graduating from Plant City High School in 2006, Thomas enlisted in the Army. He spent his first few years in Japan and married Lauren on Sept. 9, 2009. About two years later, they welcomed Autumn into their family. Soon after Autumn’s birth, the Adairs returned stateside to Fort Hood. Thomas later accepted a 12-month deployment
to an undisclosed location in Southeast Asia. Lauren and Autumn moved in December 2012, back to Plant City, and Thomas left the states in March 2013 to begin his service. During his deployment, Thomas served as an early-warning system team leader and worked with the Patriot Missile System to provide air and missile defense for a critical asset in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility. Thomas spent two weeks of R&R with his family about one year ago. They were reunited again when he returned in March to Fort Hood. “It has been a crazy ride these
past six years, but it is great to be home,” Thomas says. “I am excited to put down roots.” While serving in Japan and Fort Hood, Thomas earned his associate’s degree in general education through the University of Maryland’s University College. Now home, he will begin studying at the University of South Florida to pursue a degree in criminology, with hopes of beginning a career in law enforcement. “Hopefully, God will open up a job opportunity for me,” Thomas says. “I always wanted to be in law enforcement.” Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.
STANDARDS / PAGE 1
of the U.S. Constitution in his pocket and a star-spangled bow tie around his neck. Roam has been home-schooled his entire life and will be a senior this year. He told Elia he was concerned because certain large corporations developed Common Core and that he fears they could use the curriculum to promote their own agendas. “I can’t speak for the corporations, but they’re putting money into this, so they’re going to have some say in it,” Roam said. “It gets kids thinking, but it pushes them to think the way they want them thinking.” Terry Kemple, who is running for the School Board District 4, had arrived at the church nearly an hour before the presentation began. He and some volunteers stood on the street and passed out literature about Florida Standards. Kemple said he wanted attendees to be able to pose specific, informed questions to Elia. “I’ve been campaigning quite a while now for this seat, so the most common question I get asked is, ‘Where do you stand on Common Core?’” Kemple said. “Only one person who has ever asked me that question has disagreed with me when I’ve said I’m against Common Core.” Kemple said he was against it for two reasons. “Number one, it’s never been tested,” Kemple said. “We’re risking our children’s education and their future on an experiment.” Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
Catherine Sinclair
MOTOWN REVIEW WHEN: 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9 WHERE: Glover School, 5104 Horton Road, Plant City COST: $15 in advance (buffet included) and white students and operated this way until 1980, when it was permanently closed, because of low enrollment and lack of finances. The following year, Bealsville residents established Bealsville Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping the Glover School campus under its community’s control. The school is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and the Motown Revue will be one of the first events at the school since it was reopened for community purposes. “They want to give something back and share my vision in that there needs to be someplace where women can get together and decide what their needs are, and collectively work together,” Carr said. For reservations, call (813) 927-2590. Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
graders might have been: “Write about your favorite part of the book, ‘Welcome to the Rainforest.’ Did you like this story? Why?” But the “new” problem, still to be used in first grade classrooms, would be: “Using the book ‘Welcome to the Rainforest,’ write an opinion piece explaining what the most important gift the rainforest plants offer is. State your opinion and support it by using evidence from the text. Reread your writing and check for capitals and periods. Does your writing make sense?” Elia said updates like this would help children to develop complex analysis skills at an early age. Many attendees applauded when Elia reminded them that there would be no more FCAT testing. “Here’s the problem,” she said. “I’m not sure what we are going to have (instead).” When she opened the floor for questions after her 45-minute presentation, many attendees disagreed with her. They spent an hour asking her questions and stating their concerns. Some said they were worried that with Florida Standards, educators would not have the creative freedoms they once did. Others did not support the standardized testing schedule, which takes place statewide in March and may conflict with the Florida Strawberry Festival. Noah Roam stepped up to the microphone with a copy
THIS WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS
THIS WEEK’S CRYPTOGRAM ANSWERS 1. Why do flies hate going into sushi bars? They are afraid of getting wiped out by the spider rolls. 2. Smitten, a man married a pretty but very tipsy woman. She was a whisky maker but he loved her still.
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farmville by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Plant City High’s freshman team will represent the community at nationals.
Courtesy photos
Plant City schools clean up at State FFA Convention A freshman team at Plant City High was among the winners. They will wll be going on to nationals. With agriculture part of the fabric of the Plant City community, it’s no surprise that the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World’s schools cleaned up at this year’s 86th Florida State FFA Convention. The convention took place June 30 to July 4, at the Caribe Royale, in Orlando. More than 4,000 people attended the popular event. Marshall, Tomlin and Turkey Creek middle schools all received awards, as well as Plant City, Durant and Strawberry Crest high schools. Any teams that placed first through fifth were recognized on stage. Tomlin and Turkey Creek middle schools and two Plant City High School teams were distinguished as the only Premier Chapters in the state. Premier status is based on their Program of Activities for the year including student achievements in projects, career development events, competitions and community service. One of Plant City’s teams, an all-freshman group, won the school some merit after not receiving any state trophies for years. “A group of freshmen, sophomores in fall, and their advisers, decided it was time for a change,” said Sherrie Mueller, a college and career counselor at the high school. “With a lot of hard work, and with parent and community support, this dream came true at the state FFA convention in Orlando.” Part of their secret was a lot of practice. They visited the Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions clubs to present their Agricultural Issues presentation. They also asked the Farm Bureau and the University of Florida Collegiate FFA for feedback and critiques. The presentation was a political debate on paladin, an agricultural issue that affected Plant City strawberry growers when they could no longer use methyl bromide. They will go on to compete in nationals in October, in Louisville, Ky. Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
THE WINNERS MARSHALL MIDDLE Adviser Alicia Price • Hannah Spivey, second place, Prepared Speaking TOMLIN MIDDLE Advisers Jason Steward and Kayla Giorgi • Premier Chapter • Parliamentary Procedure, first place. Members include Kendall Gaudens-Chairman, Caroline Brummer, Mackenzie Steele, Matthew DelCastillo, Lily Batley, Reagan Brown, Madi Conrad and Anna Ress. Coach is Wesley Joyner. • Meats Judging Team, first place. Members include Matthew DelCastillo, Cole Harrell, Tyler Wright and Garrett Barnes. • Ornamental Horticulture Demonstration • Abbie Deweese and Reagan Tears, first place, Artistic Arrangement • Madi Conrad and Delaney Flower, first place, Landscaping Area • Reagan Brown and Kendall Gaudens, second place, Consumer Use • Lily Batley and Katelyn Yarbrough, second place, Production Area • Forestry Team, second place. Members include Clayton Brock, Kyle Brooks, Matthew DelCastillo, J.P. Prescott, Selena Ortega and Sydney Swartman. • Dairy Judging Team, second place. Members include Gracie Lee, Dalton Vanderford, Chas Waller and Sean Yagins. • Vegetable Judging Team, second place. Members include Russell Butler, Jermiah Ford, J.P. Prescott, Sydney Swartman, Savannah Tucker and Noah Zeff. • Talent, Emma Poole TURKEY CREEK MIDDLE Advisers Allison Sparkman and Buddy Coleman • Premier Chapter • Livestock Judging, second place. Members include Chloe Tew, Jacob Gainer, James Jurnigan and Jessica Tillis
DURANT HIGH SCHOOL Advisers Tim Cribbs, Kendall Burnette and Thomas Sturgis • Parliamentary Procedure, first place. Members include Mariah Kunze, Kaitlyn Taylor, Clint Walden, Alyssa Shepherd, Mylie Feaster and Keri Greenwood. • Job Interview, first place, Mylie Feaster • High School Prepared Speaking, second place, Mylie Feaster Proficiency Awards • Kassidy Hastings, first place, Sheep Production • Alex Fernandez, first place, Landscape Management • State Star Greenhand finalist, Jacob Burnette • State Farmer Degree Jacob Belisle, Dalton Dry, Mylie Feaster, Miranda Lane, Alyssa Shepherd, Alex Fernandez, Cole Ebdrup, Konnore Long, Heather Ross and Tori Griffith • American Farmer Degree Haley Smith, Morgan Belsley, Kennedy Dean, Jerri Rowell, Jesse Coleman, Kelsey Newsome and Miranda Mayo • Elections Mylie Feaster, Area V State FFA vice president PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL Advisers Leigh Cason and Michael Paul Premier Chapter • J.G. Smith and Plant City Senior Chapter • Agricultural Issues, first place. Members include Arie Fry, Ashlyn Yarbrough, Gresham Stephens, Benji Padgett, Megan Todd, Taylor Grimes and Lauren Schism • Talent, Benji Padgett STRAWBERRY CREST HIGH Advisers Susan Mayo, Julie Alfonso and Michelle Cesario. • Agricultural Issues, Second place. Members include Corey Newcomb, Savannah Vida, Marcus Hobbs, Morgan Lee, Shannon Gill and Haley Flack. • Creed Speaking Contest, second place, Haley Riley • Florida FFA State Star Greenhand, Anna Conrad • State FFA secretary, Victoria Harris
WALDEN, HOBLICK RECEIVE FFA BLUE AND GOLD AWARD Pam Walden, the supervisor for agriculture and JROTC for Area 6, and John Hoblick from Florida Farm Bureau also won awards at this year’s convention. Both received the FFA Blue and Gold Award for outstanding service and commitment to the Florida FFA Association. John Hoblick and Pam Walden received the FFA Blue and Gold Award
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PILLOW TALK by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Plant City pillow prank goes viral Last week, Brian West stole a pillow from the Holiday Inn Express, teasing the owner and his close friend, Charles Harris, on Facebook. It didn’t take long for other business owners to get in on the action. Charles Harris proudly posted a picture of his newly wrapped banquettes July 28, on Facebook. Otherwise known as couches, the owner of the Holiday Inn Express off Park Road was excited to share one of the final touches of the lobby’s renovations. Sitting on the couch was one pillow. A minor detail in the scheme of things. But, it didn’t go unnoticed by his friends. That pillow has been called everything in the comments — “a foofy artichoke looking thing,” “a plant,” “butt ugly”— to name a few monickers. Let’s just say it wasn’t very popular around town. But, that all changed once Brian West got his hands on it. A close friend of Harris, West waltzed into the lobby before he left on a business trip to North Carolina last week. He told the front desk clerk, Aaron Schutz, not to call Harris. And before Schutz could even bat an eye, West had walked right out with the pillow under his arm. He posted a picture on Facebook of the pillow in his truck before heading to
Michael Cameron’s financial management office. There, they snapped even more pictures of it in the planter by the window. It camouflaged perfectly with the rest of the bushes. They tagged Harris in each one. “Charles is fun to joke with,” West said. “People can be fun to cut up with when they take it well. He takes it very well.” The joke didn’t stop there. He passed the pillow off to Cameron, telling him to find someone else to give it to to take more photos. From there, it went to Carole Wright’s desk at her accounting firm. Then, it took pictures with all of the “Man on the Street” sculptures in Plant City. Ironically, the same day, Harris had been invited to speak at the sculpture unveiling. Over the course of a week, as each person passed it to the next, the pillow went further and further around Plant City. It stopped at the police station. It took a ride in a wheelchair and got a mammogram at South Florida Baptist Hospital. It got a new
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outfit at Southside Western & Outdoor Wear. Soon, the Photoshop pranks set in. Someone put it diving over Niagara Falls and in Harris’ own photo— driving his car and sitting on his plate looking very artichokelike at a restaurant. The pillow got a haircut, read the Plant City Times & Observer and tested positive for toxic mold (but was sterilized in the same trip). All of the pictures ended up on Facebook, going viral in local circles around town. “Everybody was real creative,” West said. “For me, it’s a testament about social media and just how spontaneous it can be.” Where the pillow ended up was just as spontaneous as its online life. After filling out applications at Rita Staffing, the pillow was able to secure a job with the city on a construction site. Sadly, it was involved in a gruesome accident, dying after being run over by a large piece of equipment. The picture went online. “Charles can be kind of
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anal,” West said. “I saw that picture and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, we’ve ruined it. It’s like a $250 or $300 pillow. It’s not something you can go buy at Target for $30.” Little did West and Harris know at the time that Janet Kelly had made a stunt double out of construction paper. “I got a little concerned when I saw it halfway run over,” Harris said. “It was in a dirt parking lot getting all messed up. But, I have good friends with good intentions. It was out of my hands.” The pranksters still had a funeral for the pillow at Wells Memorial and Event Center. “(It was) very sad,” said Manager Verna McKelvin. “There were (six) mourners in the crowd. They shared memories of his adventure through Plant City. But they continued to ask one question: ‘Where is the next of kin for this poor little guy?’ I am still waiting for the next of kin to contact me to pick him up.” Harris finally got his pillow back this week. “It’ll be happy to sit back on the couch,” Harris said. “Maybe it’ll need armed guards around it. I might have to buy some more as decoys.” Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Fridays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City. The Plant City Times & Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A. If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.
Plant City Times &
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General Manager/Executive Editor / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com General Manager/Advertising / Stacey Hudson, shudson@tampabay.com Managing Editor / Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, jeng@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writers / Justin Kline, jkline@PlantCityObserver.com; Catherine Sinclair, csinclair@PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, vprostko@PlantCityObserver.com; Joanna Verga, jverga@tampabay.com Circulation/Office Manager / Linda Lancaster, llancaster@PlantCityObserver.com
“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” — Friedrich Hayek, “Road to Serfdom,” 1944
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2014 PRIMARY PRIMER
CANDIDATE Q&As Editor’s Note: As the Aug. 26 primary election draws closer, the Plant City Times & Observer will be publishing profiles and Q&As from each of the candidates who will represent Plant City and its constituents. In this edition, we introduce the candidates for Hillsborough County Commission District 4 and District 7. District 4 candidates include Republicans Rick Cochran, Janet Dougherty and Stacy White. District 7 candidates include Republicans Al Higginbotham, Don Kruse, Robin Lester and Tim Schock; and Democrats Patricia “Pat” Kemp and Mark Nash. Responses have been edited according to space, not content.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 7
FOR FULL CANDIDATE ANSWERS, VISIT PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
AL HIGGINBOTHAM What would be your top priorities if elected? Economic development, planning and growth/transportation, workforce education, budget. What are some of the current challenges in Hillsborough County, and what are your solutions to those problems? Continue on the path of Hillsborough County being a leader in job creation. Address transit challenges through community-driven task force, transportation leadership policy group. What are some of the current challenges facing Plant City, and if elected, how would you address
those concerns? Continue to ensure Plant City has an equal opportunity for economic development, budget issues and transportation opportunities just like any other community in the county. The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the county grow in the next 30 years? This effort headed up by the MPO and Planning Commission provides a pathway for the 600,000 new residents and about 400,000 new jobs projected for our county. The report should be viewed as a “living document,” which continues to engage the public, remaining flexible as economic and market conditions mandate.
REPUBLICAN What makes you the best candidate for the commission? In 2006, our voters and residents were concerned about our county budget; image and conduct of the board; and growth. I listened, paid attention to the details and kept my word. Working together, we have enjoyed many successes, but there is still work to do. As your commissioner, I have utilized both my experiences as a business owner for nearly three decades (prior to being elected) and my personal life endeavors as a man of faith, husband and father. I have learned, no matter what the challenge or difficulty you face in life, that through honesty, hard work and faith, you can succeed. I will continue to apply my experiences and life’s lessons as a county commissioner.
BIO AGE: 60 FAMILY: Married to Devon for 34 years;
two grown children
HOMETOWN: Plant City EDUCATION: University of Florida,
1977
EXPERIENCE: Small-business owner from 1978 until elected office in 2006 FAVORITE AUTHOR AND BOOK: Last book read was a biography on Davy Crocket; authors vary IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Abraham Lincoln WEBSITE: Vote4Al.com
DON KRUSE What would be your top priorities if elected? See through to fruition a smart transportation system that encourages smart growth to our metro areas away from creating gridlock-producing sprawl, economic development by attracting businesses that will create opportunities for a skilled labor-force and higherincome jobs. What are some of the current challenges in Hillsborough County, and what are your solutions to those problems? Ensure that Hillsborough County grows in the right direction by building an infrastructure that is compatible with the 600,000 projected growth in our population by the year 2040, with
a smart mass-transportation system in place along with forward-thinking leaders, growth can be guided to our metropolitan areas and away from creating more urban sprawl. What are some of the current challenges facing Plant City, and if elected, how would you address those concerns? Keeping sprawl in check and not encouraging redevelopment of productive farmland to non-agricultural use, and promoting expansion and relocation of agribusinesses to the area. The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the county grow in the next 30 years? Hillsborough and its surrounding counties will all benefit from a regional
REPUBLICAN approach on dealing with varying issues that concern us all, from helping the homeless to developing and implementing a multi-modal transportation system. What makes you the best candidate for the commission? I’m the only one in this race that actually has a plan for job growth, through my PIWA plan, Property Improvements Without Assessments. This would allow all property owners within a 24-month period to make improvements to their property (up to 50% of the current value), and, as long as they own the property, they will never be assessed for those improvements. Not only do you create jobs under this program, but later, when these properties are sold, the new owner will pay the full assessed value of the property providing future tax revenue for our county.
BIO AGE: 54 FAMILY: Wife, Rita; three children;
three grandchildren
HOMETOWN: Hillsborough County EDUCATION: High school EXPERIENCE: Small-business owner,
Beauty and Health Institute
FAVORITE AUTHOR AND BOOK:
Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism” IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE? My
grandfather WEBSITE: donkruse.com and piwa plan.org.
ROBIN A. LESTER What would be your top priorities if elected? We need job growth — good jobs and higher-paying jobs employing the entrepreneurial spirit and embracing technology and innovation. We need these to keep our young people here from HCC, UT and USF engaged. We need to provide them with an environment that embraces smart transit systems and encourages urban density. What are some current Hillsborough County challenges, and what are your solutions to those problems Obviously, we need continued economic-development initiatives. We must also ensure that our firstresponders have the funds to do their jobs, as well as our police force.
What are some of the current challenges facing Plant City, and if elected, how would you address those concerns? Plant City has a challenge in that it is seen as a vibrant community by those who live in the area, and a rural area by those who live in the more direct Tampa area. Our challenges are the same, but our needs are different. Plant City also has traffic challenges as its infrastructure has been stretched beyond expectations. More than 500,000 people are expected to move into the county in the next 10 years. Many will choose to live in Plant City. The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the county grow in the next 30 years? As Cuba falls, I see our county as
REPUBLICAN uniquely positioned to serve South and Central American markets. Our airport is positioning for this. Our port must do so, as well. Innovation will play an increasingly important role. We will need to smartly develop mass-transit and transportation alternatives to move people and materials, and we must position our county now for higher-paying jobs in manufacturing and entrepreneurship, moving away from our back office reputation. What makes you the best candidate for the commission? I am a consensus-builder and a good listener. My résumé speaks to my business experience in terms of looking for return on investment, accountability and strategic planning. More than anything else, Hillsborough County is my home. I want to give back to make this a better community.
BIO AGE: 52 FAMILY: Married to Grady
Lester; four grown stepchildren and four godchildren HOMETOWN: Born in the Panama Canal Zone, raised in Williamsburg, Va. EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in English and political science, Appalachian State University; master’s degree English and rhetorical research, University of North Carolina at Charlotte EXPERIENCE: Executive director, Florida Venture Forum FAVORITE AUTHOR AND BOOK: William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury” IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Thomas Jefferson or Sir Winston Churchill WEBSITE: electrobinlester.com
TIM SCHOCK What would be your top priorities if elected? Economic empowerment; fiscal responsibility; improving transportation; accessibility and transparency.
We have to align our budget with the priorities of our county. Third, we need to build transportation infrastructure that meets the goal of reducing traffic congestion and moving people efficiently and effectively. I am the only candidate opposed to a new sales tax for light rail.
What are some of the current challenges in Hillsborough, and what are your solutions to those problems? The priorities I listed above are in line with the current challenges. First, focusing on economic empowerment that allows our entrepreneurs and businesses to grow will create an environment that attracts other businesses. Second, our county budget has grown 44% in the last eight years, to a proposed FY15 budget of $3.9 billion. And yet, less than $10 million is being spent on transportation improvements.
What are some of the current challenges facing Plant City, and if elected, how would you address those concerns? In addition to serving as a hub for county agribusiness, Plant City has shown tremendous growth in manufacturing in recent years. Providing the opportunity for those businesses to grow and expand is vital. In addition, greater Plant City residents experience significant issues with traffic congestion. It is a problem I have been passionate to solve during my
REPUBLICAN career. One solution I embrace is the development of bus toll lanes to create a reliable and effective commute that also provides transit options.
BIO
The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the county grow in the next 30 years? Our County Commission should focus on creating growth plans with a priority on a neighborhoods-first approach that allows individual communities to retain their unique identity.
HOMETOWN: Tampa EDUCATION: Duke University, MBA;
What makes you the best candidate for the commission? My unique experience in the transportation and technology industries delivering solutions that solve problems we all face every day. It’s what drives my passion and desire to serve.
AGE: 41 FAMILY: Wife, Heather; children,
Bailie, 14, and Jeb, 12
Emory University, bachelor’s degree in international studies EXPERIENCE: Small-business owner, Lightning Capital Consulting; Hillsborough County representative on the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
George Washington, a man who could have been king but instead chose a course that laid the foundation for other American leaders to follow. WEBSITE: TimSchock.com
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PATRICIA ‘PAT’ KEMP What would be your top priorities if elected? Better job opportunities with higher wages to support our families with a more dynamic and diverse economy by growing local businesses and attracting high-quality employers. Transportation solutions that offer more choices and less traffic by providing more convenient bus service, better roads and safer pathways for bicycles and walking. Smart growth that preserves our community character and agricultural heritage by focusing building where roads and services already exist. Protecting our environment and natural resources — trees, water, air and open spaces — to keep this a great place to live for future generations.
What are some of the current challenges in Hillsborough, and what are your solutions to those problems? Better job opportunities, transportation solutions and smart growth that protects our communities and environment. We can get all this done, but it takes discipline and elected officials who work for the public interest. What are some of the current challenges facing Plant City, and if elected, how would you address those concerns? The biggest challenge for Plant City is finding the balance that supports a healthy economy and good jobs while preserving this area’s smalltown, friendly character, history and agricultural heritage. We also need to encourage best practices in agriculture to save water and reduce pollution and waste, so everyone is served.
DEMOCRAT The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the county grow in the next 30 years? We need to focus growth and revitalization in areas that are already developed and have roads, water and sewer services. This will protect our natural and agricultural lands and create more vibrant, close-knit communities where people of all ages live and work. What makes you the best candidate for the commission? I have a 30-year record of leadership, experience and community service in Hillsborough County. And as a working mother, I bring a perspective that’s needed on a commission that currently has only one woman and six men.
DISTRICT 4
DISTRICT 7
MARK NASH What would be your top priorities if elected? We must improve and upgrade how we do transportation in our county and region; attract living-wage jobs to our county and stop using tax-payer dollars to attract mega-retailers that pay minimum wage jobs and crush our small businesses, especially those who have been in business for decades; and grow smarter, including changing policy to increase density in the corridors that will benefit from improved transit options. What are some of the current challenges in Hillsborough, and what are your solutions to those problems? We have county government that has historically mismanaged county
programs (homeless recovery, affordable housing, animal services, and public works), and those issues need to be resolved and managed efficiently for the taxpayers. I would like to eliminate the wasteful spending in local government and apply the savings to improving our roadways, water-drainage problems, better maintenance of public rights of way (grass mowing, trash pick-up) and to creating more after school programs for our youth. What are some of the current challenges facing Plant City, and if elected, how would you address those concerns? We need to protect our agricultural interests in the county, and work to attract higher-wage jobs to east Hillsborough. With several plant closings in the past few years in the Plant City
BIO AGE: 57 FAMILY: Working mother of
two children in college
HOMETOWN: Tampa; born and raised,
Washington, D.C., College Park, Md. EDUCATION: Stetson University College of Law EXPERIENCE: Lawyer at Bay Area Legal Services and in private practice; award-winning public radio news director and reporter at WUSF and talk-show host at WMNF POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Chief aide to Congresswoman Kathy Castor FAVORITE AUTHOR AND BOOK: “Florida’s Vanishing Springs”
by Craig Pittman
IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE DEAD OR LIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Mark Twain, a personal hero and I’m sure he would make me laugh. WEBSITE: electpatkemp.com
DEMOCRAT area, this side of the county sure could use some living-wage jobs with career opportunities. The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the county grow in the next 30 years? I would sure like to see a redirection toward infill in our urban and suburban core to better prepare our county for an improved bus system and for light rail, where it makes logical sense. What makes you the best candidate for the commission? I will be a tireless advocate for fiscal responsibility, public involvement in local government and quality results that will allow Hillsborough County to lead our region to a better future.
BIO AGE: 52 FAMILY: Single, no children HOMETOWN: Brandon; currently reside
in Lithia
EDUCATION: Brandon Senior High
School; Florida State University, bachelor’s degree in criminology EXPERIENCE: Business professional, political strategist/consultant; The Gillette Company; president of the Tampa/Hillsborough County Human Rights Council FAVORITE AUTHOR AND BOOK: George Packer’s “The Unwinding” and Fred Karl’s “The 57 Club” IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
My grandfather on my father’s side. He died five years before I was born, and I was named after him. WEBSITE: ElectMarkNash.com
RICK COCHRAN What would be your top priorities if elected? To update and provide enough funding to properly maintain our aging infrastructure. This can be done without seeking new taxes from the residents of Hillsborough County. Second, to streamline the process of doing business in Hillsborough to encourage private-sector employers to grow and hire. What are some of the current challenges in Hillsborough, and what are your solutions to those problems? Our infrastructure is outdated, and it is too difficult to do business in Hillsborough. In addition to those challenges, there are too many semiindependent regulatory agencies within Hillsborough’s government.
What are some of the current challenges facing Plant City, and if elected, how would you address those concerns? The agricultural community is a massive driver of Plant City’s economy, and we, as a County Commission, should do everything within our power to hold this industry harmless from regulatory changes and should look for creative ways to allow agribusiness to expand their business model to remain competitive. In addition, Plant City has experienced tremendous economic development success recently. We should encourage continued focus on locating new and existing business growth in Plant City. The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the
REPUBLICAN county grow in the next 30 years? We must make sure to protect the limited amount of land that is still available in Hillsborough County as agricultural as well as industrial lands. Also, we must do a better job managing Hillsborough’s massive growth. Long-range planning and an adherence to the plan will make the Hillsborough County of 2040 a better place to live, work and play. What makes you the best candidate for the commission? My background of service, as well as my hard-working approach, make me the best candidate in this race. I have spent a career making hard decisions without the luxury of time. I had to decide whether or not someone was going to jail, or whether I should draw or discharge my firearm, all with seconds to decide.
BIO AGE: 49 FAMILY: Wife, Karen; daughters, Holli,
25, and Alyssa, 21 HOMETOWN: Raised in Temple Terrace EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in criminology, St. Leo University, cum laude EXPERIENCE: U.S. Air Force veteran; retired senior detective, Tampa Police Department; past senior vice president, Tampa Police Benevolent Association; past member, Hillsborough County Land Use Appeals Board FAVORITE AUTHOR: Michael Connelly IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?
Abraham Lincoln WEBSITE: VoteRickCochran.com
JANET DOUGHERTY What would be your top priorities if elected? Make government more accessible to residents by holding evening meetings at different locations in District 4, the elimination of sole-source contracting, increasing the frequency of contract rebidding to encourage competition and drive down costs, streamlining government, independent efficiency auditing of county government, implementing transparency initiatives and tackling our transportation and concurrency issues. What are some of the current challenges in Hillsborough, and what are your solutions to those problems? Transportation and adequate infrastructure for future growth are the
biggest challenges facing Hillsborough County. The current County Commission just recently released a plan of how to deal with the county’s transportation needs. This plan needs to be thoroughly reviewed with public input. The other challenge is the creation of jobs with livable wages. What are some of the current challenges facing Plant City, and if elected, how would you address those concerns? One of the biggest challenges ahead is the redevelopment of the newly acquired brownfield in the center of downtown Plant City. The county needs to assist, when appropriate, to help with that revitalization effort. Another challenge facing the residents of Plant City is the condition of the Walden Lake golf course. Because the property is privately owned, I am
REPUBLICAN not sure how the county can assist, but I am committed to utilizing county resources to solve this problem.
BIO
The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the county grow in the next 30 years? I would like to see the county grow with livable communities and improved quality of life.
daughter, Hollis; grandson, Killian HOMETOWN: Hillsborough County EDUCATION: Bachelor’s in public administration EXPERIENCE: Owner of a regulatory compliance company and a bio-fertlizer company, with projects in phosphate, water, transportation, zoning, recycling organics, maritime and environmental policy. Youngest delegate to the Ronald Reagan convention in 1984 FAVORITE AUTHOR AND BOOK: “A Land Remembered,” Patrick Smith
What makes you the best candidate for the commission? I have the temperament, patience and interpersonal skills that are required of a county commissioner who needs to be a good listener, an effective communicator and solution-oriented individual. As a business owner, I have extensive private sector and business experience.
AGE: 52 FAMILY: Seven brothers and sisters;
IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE? Jesus
Christ WEBSITE: VoteJanetD.com
STACY WHITE What would be your top priorities if elected? Road improvements, working on solutions to traffic gridlock, providing outstanding constituent services to the citizens of District 4 and working with our public safety agencies to fight crime and support a safe community. What are some of the current challenges in Hillsborough, and what are your solutions to those problems? Road conditions and traffic gridlock are at the top of the list. My solution would be to allocate funds toward road improvements — even if that means making the tough decision to cut funding in areas that may not be as much of a priority. The proposal for a penny sales tax increase is not the solution.
What are some of the current challenges facing Plant City, and if elected, how would you address those concerns? I am a proponent of keeping decision-making as local as possible. Plant City is in the fortunate position of being a municipality, so decisions can be made close to home. Therefore, I will always strive to support the City Commission of Plant City in working on local issues. The current challenges facing the Greater Plant City area are neighborhood safety, road conditions and codeenforcement issues. I will work closely with the Plant City Police Department and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to fight crime and support a safe neighborhood initiative in Plant City. I will make every effort to provide each of these agencies the resources that they need.
REPUBLICAN The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the county grow in the next 30 years? I would like to see dense urban infill near the metropolitan area. I would like to see our agricultural heritage preserved and see the opportunity for rural living to remain in place for those that wish to live in a rural setting. What makes you the best candidate for the commission? As a current member of the Hillsborough County School Board, I am the only candidate in this race that has ever been elected to office. The skills that I have gained in working with fellow board members, working with senior staff and policy-making are invaluable as I seek to become the next District 4 county commissioner.
BIO AGE: 41 FAMILY: Married to wife, Barbie, for 18
years; three children Hometown: Hillsborough County EDUCATION: East Bay High School; doctor of pharmacy, University of Florida EXPERIENCE: Four years, Hillsborough County School Board FAVORITE AUTHOR AND BOOK: Dave Ramsey, “Financial Peace” IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE? Teddy
Roosevelt WEBSITE: votestacywhite.com
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OBSERVEROBITUARIES Merriem Estelle Bush
Merriem Estelle Bush, 83, of Plant City, died Aug. 3, 2014, in Bonifay. She was born Oct. 13, 1930, in Plant City, to the late Charlie Lee and Irma Silas Sutherland. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Bush was preceded in death by her husband, Herman Bush and two sons, Charles Bush and Pete Bush. Mrs. Bush is survived by one daughter, Dorothy Claville, of Bonfay; one brother, Cody Sutherland, of Plant City; one sister, Ardelle Brock, of Plant City; and several grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Graveside services were
held Aug. 7, at Mt. Enon Cemetery, in Plant City. Online condolences may be made to the family at haught funeralhome.com.
Adeline Coladonato
Adeline Coladonato, 87, of Plant City, died Aug. 4, 2014. She is survived by a son, Dom; daughter, Grace Spano (Chris); and grandchildren, Pete, Joe and Gina. A funeral service was held Aug. 7, at Wells Memorial and Event Center; burial at Oaklawn Cemetery. Online condolences may be made to the family at wells memorial.com.
Robert L. Klein
Robert L. Klein, 88, of Plant City, died Aug. 3, 2014. Born in Chicago, Mr. Klein was a veteran of World War II, and a member of the VFW and First Presbyterian Church in Plant City. He loved to golf and fish. Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Florence Klein; and daughter, Katherine Meyer (Gerard). A memorial service was held Aug. 6, at First Presbyterian Church in Plant City. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Stained Glass Window fund at First Presbyterian Church, 407 Mahoney St. W., Plant City, FL 33563-3126. Online condolences may be made to the family at wellsme morial.com.
Analilia Cruz Quinto
Analilia Cruz Quinto, 52, of Plant City, died July 26, 2014, at Brandon Regional Hospital. Born Nov. 10, 1961, in Michoacan, Mexico, she was the daughter of Fabian Cruz and the late Delores Quinto. Survivors include daughters, Lina M. Zarsoza and Emalis Zarsoza; brothers, Oscar Cruz and
FAITH by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Simon Cruz; sisters, Margarita Vasquez and Josesa Cruz; and many other beloved family members. A funeral service was held Aug. 1, at Haught Funeral Home Chapel, Plant City. Online condolences may be made to the family at haught funeralhome.com.
Lylburn Franklin ‘Frank’ Roach
Lylburn Franklin “Frank” Roach, 72, of Plant City, died July 28, 2014, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Born Jan. 28, 1942, he was the son of the late Nedas and Irene Miller Roach. He was the husband of Renee Roach, who survives. He enjoyed NASCAR and was a Tampa Bay Rays fan. Survivors also include son, Russell Roach; daughters, Kim LaGrone, Kristie Roach and Alicia Roach; brother, Gene Roach; sisters, Jane Duncan and Jessie Stooksbury; and six grandchildren. A funeral service was held Aug. 4, at Haught Funeral Home Chapel, Plant City; interment in Memorial Park Cemetery. Online condolences may be made to the family at haught funeralhome.com.
Alek VanGelder, Ryan Castleberry, Amador Gabriel and Aiden VanGelder
Hope Lutheran vacation Bible school sets sail Kids at Hope Lutheran Church had a whale of a good time at this year’s vacation Bible school. The church’s sea-themed event featured
a number of fun games, neat crafts, catchy songs and challenging Bible quizzes to keep its students entertained over the last four days.
Arianna VanGelder had a blast making crafts. Left: The sea-faring theme was a hit with the students.
Sports
YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Special Olympics athlete John Straub ready to take the field in softball. 12 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
SIDELINES Do you have a good sports scoop for us? Contact Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.
FOOTBALL
+ Little League ready to kick off It’s finally time for some football! The Tri-County Youth Football and Cheerleading Conference season is set to begin Aug. 9, and a full season schedule is viewable online. The Turkey Creek Trojans will play a home game against the Wesley Chapel Cowboys, but that one will be held at the Antioch Redskins’ field, 8510 Franklin Road. The Plant City Dolphins are set to kick their season off with a road game against the Brandon Cowboys at the Cowboys’ field, 2807 South Kingsway Road, Seffner. The Antioch Redskins will not play any games in the 2014 season. Kick-off times for all teams in all 2014 games are: 9 a.m. (Mighty Mite); 10:30 a.m. (Pee Wee); noon (Midget); 2 p.m. (Junior Varsity); and 4 p.m. (Varsity). For a complete season schedule, go to plantcitydolphins. com/files/2014%20 FOOTBALL%20 SCHEDULE%20Final.pdf.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
+ Softball season begins this month Hillsborough County Special Olympics athletes are hitting the training grounds now, getting ready to begin their season in a few weeks. The Plant City Raiders will play the Plant City Titans Aug. 30, at Plant City High School, 1 Raider Place. For more information, visit Special OlympicsHillsborough.org.
+ Bowlers ready to roll in season Special Olympics Hillsborough has announced a few of the important dates for the 2014 Bowling season. The first official competition date will be Sept. 13 at Brandon Crossroads Bowl, 609 Crater Lane. Athletes from all over Hillsborough County will test their skills. The first big competition date will be Oct. 11, when the Plant City athletes go to Lakeland’s Orange Bowl, taking on athletes from Hillsborough and Polk counties in the Area Bowling Competition. Orange Bowl is located at 4318 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland. For more information, visit SpecialOlympics Hillsborough.org.
MARTIAL ARTS
+ Welbon karate to help parents Chris Welbon Karate is hosting its Parents Night Out from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., Aug. 16. Kids ages 4 or older will enjoy a fun atmosphere to learn and play in while their parents can have some free time. For more, call the school at (813) 752-9800.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014
the few, the proud by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Raiders set practice to military time Last week, the Plant City Raiders brought the U.S. Marines to practice to learn how to lead effectively. After losing many of their key leaders to graduation, the Plant City Raiders’ new crop of seniors are about to fill big shoes. To help the boys become better leaders on and off the field, the Raiders called in the U.S. Marines. Led by Capt. Kevin Lowe and Staff Sgt. Jose Moreno, a team of 14 Marines led the football team in a series of rigorous physical and mental workouts. “It was amazing,” senior Dustyn Hart says. “I learned
how to be a leader and to coach people up.” The workshop itself is new to the Plant City area; the Raiders are the first team to integrate it into a practice. It’s safe to say, though, that it was unlike any practice these boys have ever experienced.
THE FIRST HALF
Lowe, executive officer at the Orlando recruiting station, is one of the people responsible for creating the workshop. “It’s something we developed
here, taking ideas from what people were doing across the country and applying it to football,” he says. The first half of the workshop is fairly straight-forward: a series of workouts focused around one leadership principle and one leadership trait. The Marines abide by 11 principles and 14 traits in total. “It’s taught at the beginning of boot camp and continues throughout your career,” Lowe
SEE RAIDERS / PAGE 14
BEYOND THE MAT by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
LIFE OF THE
‘PARTY MAN’ Want to know what it’s like to be a pro wrestler? Ask resident Tom Anderson— who did it for 15 years.
I
n the middle of a civic center auditorium is a wrestling ring, and two men are perched atop one of the corner turnbuckles. Tom Anderson is attempting to slam “Barbed Wire” Brad Taylor into the middle of the ring, right into a bed of thumbtacks. Taylor is holding onto the rope for dear life, after a sudden change of heart. “He goes, ‘No, forget it, I’m not doing it,’” Tom Anderson says. “Right in the middle of it.” But, Anderson, then known as “Chris Michaels,” is still determined to give the people the show they had paid to see. After trading blows with Taylor, he scoops the man from his post and body slams him into the bed of tacks. Taylor absorbs the brunt of them, but even Michaels stands up with some embedded in his legs, knees and palms. The crowd goes wild. Just another night in the life of a hardcore wrestler. Anderson wrestled in matches like this for some of his 15 years in the business and, as extreme as
they sound to the casual observer, he looks back on them fondly. After finally getting a chance to give his wrestling career a proper send-off back in November, with a “street fight” in the Gentleman’s Quest fundraising show, he finally got his closure. “At the end of the night, the crowd was happy, GQ was happy, and I was happy,” Anderson says. “At the end of the night, when I did that three-count on Chris Nelson, I let out the biggest sigh of relief. It was, like, the closing moment for me. My night was over, my wrestling career was over.” How he got into the business, though, is another story worth telling.
SEE PARTY / PAGE 14
File photo
Plant City High School football players participated in a Marine Corps workout July 29.
IF YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN’
Even people who don’t know much about wrestling know Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He’s a legend in the squared circle and has also made a successful career for himself on the silver screen. But did you know that he also has a Plant City connection? “I met ‘The Rock’ before he was ‘The Rock,’” Tom Anderson says. “There used to be a flea market downtown, where the old theater was. His dad, Rocky Johnson, used to wrestle here in Plant City every month. They would clear it out every month for wrestling. His son would come with him from time to time and would be in the back room. You know, that’s Rocky’s kid. Later on, it’s ‘The Rock.’” Think about that the next time you watch one of his movies. “I knew him when he was like this,” Anderson says, moving his hand toward his chest.
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
A lesson from the Price trade For fans of professional baseball, hockey, basketball and football (in that order), few days are quite as exciting as the annual trade deadlines. If you were on Twitter at all July 31, for the Major League Baseball deadline, then you probably noticed a lot of talk about former Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price. “A lot” may be a big understatement. Combing through the JUSTIN sea of David KLINE Price trade rumors was like wading waist-deep through a thick, muddy swamp. I spent nearly two hours with my face glued to my phone, from the moment it was reported that Price was definitely moving until the three-team trade with the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners was announced close to 4 p.m. As far as trade deadlines go, it was maybe the most exciting that the MLB has had in years. And, it was mostly because of a bunch of fake Twitter accounts. I’m sure a lot of you Rays fans were duped at least once or twice throughout the day, as all kinds of fake news reports gained traction. Price and Ben Zobrist to the Tigers! Zobrist to Pittsburgh for Starling Marte! Price to Miami for Giancarlo Stanton! Super hot-stove stuff, coming from what appeared to be legitimate sportswriters’ accounts— Ken Rosenthal, Bob Nightengale, you name it. I posted about a Tampa-toCleveland trade with characters from the movie “Major League,” but I made it obvious that it was a joke. Then again, as superstitious as the Rays have been lately, having Pedro Cerrano in the clubhouse wouldn’t be a surprise. Sometimes, it’s tougher to tell who is fake and who isn’t. It’s even true of the big outlets— ESPN was duped by a Bob Nightengale impersonator, reporting live on television about a Zobrist-toPittsburgh trade that didn’t happen. (For the record, that account’s Twitter handle was “@Daily_Tunez”— which should have been a huge red flag.) Before that, one of its reporters was duped by a Joel Sherman impersonator with a fake Philadelphia/
SEE KLINE / PAGE 12
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KLINE / FROM 11 New York Yankees trade report. Even a few of my acquaintances from other papers in the Tampa Bay area bit on a convincing Rosenthal impersonator with a Price/Stanton trade. This is very much a Twitter problem because of the nature of the beast: Unlike Facebook, Twitter is tailor-made for short, rapid-fire bursts of information— a great tool for breaking news before anybody else. As such, many people tend to get their news this way. No matter which side you’re on, it’s a blessing and a curse. How can you tell who’s for real on Twitter, and who’s trolling everybody? It’s not always obvious right away, but it’s definitely doable. Here’s how you can avoid taking the bait, whether it’s trade deadline day, draft day, free agency or whatever interests you in the sports world: 1. Know your sources. If you want to make sure you’re
hearing from credible reporters, find their Twitter accounts before the big day(s), and follow them. Besides the Twitter handle, two tell-tale signs of the real deal are the blue Verified checkmark circle, which should move with the avatar when you swipe to see the bio, and the number of users in the “Following” box, which should be large. 2. Pay attention to your news feed. Let’s say you follow Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal), and a friend of yours retweets one of “his” posts about a big trade. First, look at the Tweet and scroll through your feed to see if Rosenthal really sent it. Then, click on the user associated with the Tweet and view their profile. Does their handle match? Do they have at least tens of thousands of followers (for a nationally-relevant reporter)? And, how many total Tweets have they sent? 3. If it’s a local reporter with no Verified mark, like Tim Graham of the Buffalo News, do a quick check of the publica-
tion’s website and find some of that writer’s stories. You don’t have to read anything in full, just make sure that this person does work at that publication and check his or her bio for a Twitter handle. Most, if not all, will publish it with their email address and other contact information. Keep this information in mind and, the next time the Rays, Lightning or Buccaneers are making moves, you probably won’t be fooled. As for the Price trade itself, I have just three thoughts. Detroit’s General Manager, Dave Dombrowski, is a baseball wizard that could probably have his own movie (like “Moneyball,” for Oakland’s Billy Beane) if he keeps this up. Seattle made out all right with young outfielder Austin Jackson, all things considered. Tampa got burned badly and, if not for the Tigers including top prospect Willy Adames, might have been better off letting Price walk at the end of the year.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
JOHN STRAUB In his second year or playing sports, Special Olympics athlete John Straub has picked up softball for the first time. With the season fast approaching, his coaches have been pleased with his progress in the Hillsborough County team’s practices.
So, this is your first year ever playing softball? It’s my first year. I’ve never done it before. What positions do you like playing? I like trying to catch it out in the field as best as I can. We train in the infield and outfield, but I would say outfield is my favorite. What are your goals for this season? I want to get better at what I’m doing now. I want to get better at catching the ball and hitting the ball. How long have you been involved with Special Olympics? I think two years. What other sports do you play? I started with basketball. I also play soccer and volleyball. I’m starting soccer this Saturday. But, what’s your favorite? My favorite sport is basketball. It’s just one of my best sports. I can shoot by myself. How long have you been playing sports, besides Special Olympics? Two years.
So, you’re kind of a new athlete. What made you want to start playing sports? Well, I want to get better, for one. And, you can get healthy. What do you like to do for fun? I play my Playstation 3, and I go outside and walk. What video games do you like to play? I like “Smackdown” and football. Madden or NCAA football? Both. I’m good at Madden, and I’m trying to get a little better at the college game. It’s kind of difficult, but almost the same. What are your favorite movies? “The Dukes of Hazzard.” The old one. What about TV? I don’t have a really favorite one, but I like one that doesn’t come on anymore. It used to. I like “CHiPs.” What’s your favorite food? Bananas, grapes and strawberries. If you could be either rich or famous, which would you pick? I would say, famous. Why be famous, rather than rich? Being rich, you’ve got to get up early.
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Kaitlyn Dunne has a mean serve.
BUMP, SET, SPIKE! The Plant City Recreation & Parks Department’s recent Volleyball Sports Camp gave area girls a whole week to work on their skills. Hosted by Plant City High School and Lady Raiders head coach, Jessica Thornton, the camp featured a series of passing, attacking and other drills, as well as simulated game action.
WELBON CAMP KICKS UP SUMMER FUN WITH MARTIAL ARTS
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Ask any of Chris Welbon’s students what they like about summer vacation, and “karate camp” will be a popular answer. Welbon and his instructors held the second installment of their annual summer camp, taking the kids out into the fresh air at Mike E. Sansone Park for fun, games and karate lessons. And, of course, it wouldn’t be Welbon’s camp if the kids didn’t play the everpopular Battlefield Swords game.
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LIVING THE DREAM
A wrestling fan since his youth, Anderson got the chance to break into the business when he met Al Hardiman in the early 1990s. Hardiman, who ran a promotion and a training center in Winter Haven, offered to train Anderson to be a manager. It still meant that he had to take a beating. “They told me, ‘Well, you’re kind of small,’” Anderson says. “‘You’d probably be a manager, so you don’t get killed.’ They invited me out to train.” This meant learning to take falls, bumps and slams, just like the wrestlers. Except, as a manager, most of these things would happen to him outside of the ring. Outside of the ring, it’s just concrete. Even in his first night of training, Anderson got wellacquainted with the surface. “They used me as a crashtest dummy,” Anderson says. “I got slammed around, beat on, body slammed, suplexed. I couldn’t move the next day.”
He had planned to debut as “Fast Eddie Silver,” but the ring announcer instead called him “Slick Willy.” By 1991, Anderson had bulked up enough to train as a wrestler and eventually started competing. He won a championship title in his debut match, working as a heel — a bad guy. “People think wrestling is fake, because some things are planned,” Anderson says. “Don’t think for a minute that those quest aren’t taking a beating every night.” For some reason, people began to like “Slick Willy.” Once he became a full-on babyface — a good guy— he was repackaged as the “Party Man,” borrowing some traits from the legendary Shawn Michaels. Bouncing from promotion to promotion, Anderson was able to make decent money doing what he loved as a side gig to his full-time job in a body shop. “I also had the opportunity to work on shows with Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine, Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake, Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart,” Ander-
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son says. “In-between contracts, a lot of those guys would work the independent circuit. I’m living my dream, but I’m also in my dream because I’m working with a lot of guys that I grew up watching.” When he teamed up with “Dirty” Dennis Allen, Anderson was introduced to the hardcore scene and loved it.
TO THE EXTREME
Allen was a product of Larry Sharpe’s Monster Factory, a training ground for wrestlers based in Philadelphia and New Jersey. He was exposed to Extreme Championship Wrestling, a legendary Philadelphia promotion that eventually went mainstream. When he came to Florida, he got Anderson to try it out. “Dennis was sadistic,” Anderson says. “He had a mean streak a mile long. He didn’t intentionally go out to hurt people, but he wasn’t about to let someone push him around, either. Dennis brought out a rougher side in me.” They formed a tag team
called “The Thrillseekers” and developed their own signature match: the “Thrillsville Street Fight.” The first one was a steelcage match with weapons. The second was even crazier. “My second hardcore match, my partner actually got us into that situation,” Anderson says. “The guys we were wrestling, the month before, they said, ‘We want you in a Russian Chain match.’ We said, ‘Russian Chain Match ... We want you in a ‘Thrillsville Street Fight!’ Dennis looks out to the crowd and says, ‘You come out next month. You bring it, we’ll use it!’” “I got in the back and I said, ‘Well, what’s that mean?’ He says, ‘I don’t know. But, we’ll see how sick these people are.’” How sick were they? They showed up in droves, with tire irons, trash cans, car fenders and the tailgate of someone’s Ford Bronco, just to name a few things. The match, which has been uploaded to YouTube, ended in a victory for The Thrillseekers. Matches like these took a toll
on Anderson, who did this all over Florida while working his other job. “Get off work, go home, shower, get your gear and head to the show, then get in around 1 or 2 o’clock the next morning,” he says. “Then, get up early to go to work again. We’d run on four or five hours of sleep, and we’d do two or three shows a week.” When he became a hardcore champion, he would bring his own weapons to matches. Finding the right stuff meant going to yard sales and picking up whatever he could find on the cheap, and he’d try to reuse as many items as he could. Weapons were as common as folding chairs, and sometimes as uncommon as vacuum cleaners. No matter what the weapon, guys had to take their shots straight-up. “The guy that trained me, he was trained by the ‘Great Malenko,’” Anderson says. “That was old-school. If you can’t take a forearm, a chop, a hit to the head, don’t get in the ring. We were not allowed to put our hands up if someone swung a chair. If you put your hands up, you didn’t work the next show.”
CALLING IT A CAREER
Anderson wrestled the Florida independent circuit until 2006, when his work schedule finally caught up with his wrestling travels. As an electrician, he worked so many hours that he would sometimes have no choice but to cancel appearances. “That’s really what helped
RAIDERS / PAGE 11 says. “The traits are tailored to Marines, but they apply to any leadership position.” The workouts, for example, go like this: At the core exercise station, a Marine will talk to the players about the principle, set the example, and the trait, “enthusiasm.” After the speech, everyone— including the Marine— will do the workout. “We go through the workouts, too,” Moreno says. “We talk about setting the example, so we run and we move as they do.” Depending on the weather conditions — namely, the heat and humidity — workouts last for four-and-one-half to six minutes. Moreno, who works at the Plant City recruiting station, says the best thing about the workouts is seeing the players’ reactions when they push themselves harder than normal. “One thing that I love is to see the sense of pride when they complete a workout,” Moreno says. “Once they start working out and they see themselves pushing past their physical and mental limitations, they see that they’re getting better.” Once the players are finished with that workout circuit, it’s time for the final phase.
THE FIGHT AFTER THE FIGHT
That comes in the form of what Lowe calls a “tactical decision game”— a series of physical challenges that require critical thinking and, most importantly, teamwork. “They’re worn out from their workouts; it’s hard to think,” Lowe says. “They’re tired, they’re hungry, they want something to drink. This is what it’s like in the fourth quarter. This is what they need to do to rise to the top.” In this case, two teams of 35 Raiders had to make it from end zone to end zone while completing a series of drills. This included going prone and crawling from the end zone to the 50-yard line, then doing 100 pull-ups on a bar that they assembled themselves. Players that were penalized at any point for taking shortcuts would have to be physically carried across the field at one point. Making things more challenging for the players was the fact that the Marines’ instructions for each drill were purposely vague. They would have to use teamwork to figure out exactly how to complete each exercise. Nothing else would suffice. “We tell them that, if somebody doesn’t perform at 100%, there’s a consequence,” Moreno says. “If you don’t perform as a team, everybody’s going to have to pay the consequences. You’re only as strong as your weakest link.” The way the players and coaching staff have gushed
Justin Kline
Tom Anderson went by several names in his wrestling career but may be best-known as “Party Man” Chris Michaels.
me phase out of wrestling,” he says. “We were working so many hours, and I’d have to cancel shows, and it got to where I just said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’” The one thing that Anderson misses about competing is working the audience. “I miss the crowds,” Anderson says. “Going out there with a vision of what you want to happen, out there in the match, hoping to get a reaction out of the crowd that you want — and then you go out there and do it. That’s cool.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES AND TRAITS The Marine Corps abide by 11 leadership principles and 14 leadership traits, all of which are communicated to football players in their workshops.
PRINCIPLES
1. Be technically and tactically proficient 2. Know yourself and seek self-improvement 3. Know your Marines and look out for their welfare 4. Keep your Marines informed 5. Set the example 6. Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished 7. Train your Marines as a team 8. Make sound and timely decisions 9. Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates 10. Employ your unit in accordance with its capabilities 11. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions
TRAITS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Justice Judgment Dependability Integrity Decisiveness Tact Initiative Endurance Bearing Unselfishness Courage Knowledge Loyalty Enthusiasm
about the workshop indicate that it worked. “Our coaches were able to learn, as well,” assistant head coach Greg Meyer says. “It was a great experience for the staff and the kids.”
THE RESULTS
According to Meyer, it worked almost immediately. “The thing that stood out most to us, at our first practice, was how much control our seniors took,” Meyer says. Having lost many team leaders to graduation, the incoming seniors’ willingness to step up will be crucial to this year’s chance of success. And, they know that very well now. “It’s going to work out great,” Hart says. “The seniors we have now, most of us started last year. We’re just kind of filling last year’s seniors’ shoes, taking their spots, and it’ll all be all right.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
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(INCHES) July 31
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AUGUST TO DATE
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3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
HIGH 93 92 92 92 93 93 92
SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES Fri., Aug. 8 Sat., Aug. 9 Sun., Aug. 10 Mon., Aug. 11 Tues., Aug. 12 Wed., Aug. 13 Thurs., Aug. 14
SUNRISE 6:55 a.m. 6:55 a.m. 6:56 a.m. 6:56 a.m. 6:57 a.m. 6:57 a.m. 6:58 a.m.
SUNSET 8:14 p.m. 8:13 p.m. 8:12 p.m. 8:11 p.m. 8:11 p.m. 8:10 p.m. 8:09 p.m.
LOW 74 75 75 74 75 74 76
Samantha Tindale submitted this shot of the Plant City High School water tower. “A beautiful morning indeed — great way to start the work day,” she says. The Plant City Times & Observer and Grimes Hardware have partnered to host the I Love Plant City Photo Contest. Winners will have their photo featured and receive a $15 gift certificate to Grimes Hardware’s Strawberry Town Cafe! To enter, email your photo, along with a caption, to Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver.com; subject line: I Love Plant City. Winners can pick up their prize at Grimes Hardware.
MOON PHASES
Aug. 10
Aug. 17
OKRA SHIPPING POINT: ORLANDO SIZE 1/2 bushel ctns
LOW $10.35
HIGH $10.85
Aug. 25
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture Aug. 3
COM AS YOU ARE
By Mary Jersey | Edited by Timothy E. Parker ACROSS 1 Artist with acid 7 Cockpit figure 14 Tropical conifers 20 Jailbird’s hope 21 Musical “sweet potato” 22 Greenhorn 23 Deliverer of the past 24 Deserved 25 Big naval group 26 Any substances one can eat 28 Beeper 30 Most Virgos’ mo. 31 Crucifix 32 Den dwellers 34 “Beg pardon ...” 38 Exit the system 40 Yo-Yo Ma’s instrument 41 Oft-quoted saying 42 Military might 45 Irish hooch 46 Be the king 47 Tidies 48 Having celebrity 49 Fitted one within another 50 Vast wasteland 51 Sci-fi beings 52 Stonehenge stones 53 Tokyo, before it was Tokyo 54 Mark on a steer 55 Cousin of the raccoon 56 In ___ (together) 58 According with custom 61 Noisy sitting sound 65 Estrogen producer 67 Leave out in pronunciation 68 Honest pres. 69 Plug
72 74 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 92 94 97 100 103 104 105 106 107 108 109
Mexican gentlemen Regular customer Makes merry Assumed name Failed to follow suit “Read all ___ it” Lowered in esteem Brevity Barks excitedly Bushy-tailed monkeys Small songbird Pig’s brunch Communion plate Many a roast Type of duck? One way to fatherhood Type of advantage Sultanate on Borneo’s coast One who owes a favor One who waits “The Wizard of Oz” prop O. Henry, notably Getting a new address Packing a wallop Like blushing cheeks “Chango” preceder
DOWN 1 DeMille specialty 2 Mexican snacks 3 Thick, sweet liqueur 4 A catcher is behind it 5 Synthetic rubber 6 Monthly payment for many 7 Make big, as hair 8 South American feline 9 Peeled 10 Camera part
SUDOKU PACIFIC Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 27 29 32 33 35 36 37 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 48 49 51 52 54 55 57 58 59 60 62 63
Blazing A person Frog larvae Climbers’ obstacles Long ago Russian craft? Otherwise called (Abbr.) Accomplished Ocean Jeremy of Hollywood “Author unknown” (Abbr.) Disclose Intestinal obstruction Wyclef Jean’s birthplace Ham-and-___ (mediocre boxer) Darns British bloke Funny ladies “ ___ you ashamed of yourself?” “Alive” setting Like the sound from 63-Across Brick worker “The Age of Reason” author “Ba-DUM” drumbeat In apple-pie order Military group Small grimace or pout Do drilling Bounders Just deserts Popular pets “Back to the Future” star Like some mattresses At ___ (uncaptured) Some woodwinds
© 2013 Universal Uclick
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Hangs in the balance Electrical units Requests divine help “___ Without a Cause” Rounded molding Asp or adder Red lab dye Impudently bold Opposed to unions, to some
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Not fully worked out Steer’s last stop Rhythmic dance “... and make it fast!” Vie Most domesticated Show the way, in a way Sayings of Jesus, e.g. Calf-length skirts Olympic competition
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Faculty head French film Turnpike turnoff Cogito, ____ sum Jazz style “___ Bravo” (Wayne film) The max. Sis relative ___ Angeles
C RY P T O G R A M S 1 . C E M J X H Q L S Y E T G S A X L BA L B G X Y P Y E L Z T K Y ? G E S M T K S T H K T L J X H A S G G L B A C L N S J X P G Z M G E S Y N L J S K K X Q Q Y. 2 . J I Y Q Q L P, B I B P I B D DY L H B E D L Q Q N W G Q S L D N Q Y E J N M Z I B P. J O L M B J B M OY J T L N I B T L D W G Q O L R Z S L H O L D
J OY R R .
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