08.18.17 PCTO by Plant City Observer

PLANT CITY TIMES &

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

VOLUME 5, NO. 7

FREE

PCHS grad joins Lightning Girls.

SEE PAGE 12. •

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

City looks to increase millage rate Commission continues to eye property tax to support road repair. SEE PAGE 4 YOUR TOWN

Breanne Williams

Elks Lodge Veterans Chairman Judy Wise, Staff Sgt. Osiel Felix and Ron Johns, owner of Plant City Rentals with the donated toys.

Plant City Elks Lodge donates to Toys for Tots The Plant City Elks donated $2,500 worth of toys for Toys for Tots. The group received a grant for the charity drive and decided to do a Christmas in July celebration. Toys for Tots is hosted by the Marines and Staff Sgt. Osiel Felix was presented with the toys by Elks Lodge Veterans Chairman Judy Wise at Plant City Rentals. The property management company is holding the toys until the warehouse officially designated for Toys for Tots opens later this year.

PLANT CITY’S BRITISH BEAUTY

Local painter impresses in U.K. motorcycle manufacturer Triumph’s Iron Moto Challenge. SEE PAGE 3

Breanne Williams

Plant City High’s class of 1950 gathered at Buddy Freddy’s for its 67th reunion.

Class of 1950 celebrates reunion Members of the Plant City High School class of 1950 gathered at Buddy Freddy’s Friday to celebrate their 67th reunion. Ten of the graduates attended along with their friends and family. Betty Chapman Walthall, one of the graduates, brought her senior yearbook along with pictures from previous reunions. The group said this is an annual tradition that they plan to continue for years to come.

Courtesy photos

City looks to ‘shore up’ with utility fund transfers A transfer from the utility funds could add a potential $1.3 million to the city’s general fund in future budgets, allowing for more adequate staffing and pay rates for understaffed city agencies. DANIEL FIGUEROA IV STAFF WRITER

As city commissioners look to property tax to help fund infrastructure maintenance, they have also opened up the possibility of using funds from utility services to bolster other city deficiencies. While discussing the proposal of the city’s first property tax increase

since 1991 to fund street repairs, commissioners asked for the possibility of other funding sources for roads, including transferring funds from the city’s solid waste fund and water and sewer fund. Consensus among the commissioners was to explore the option of using monies from the utility funds to fill other deficient areas in the city’s budget, like being able to attract and maintain a quality workforce.

According to the city finance department, Plant City has grown by 5,000 people since 2008, but has 64 fewer employees. The city has previously used reserve funds to balance the general fund, but that is only a short-term solution and not a sound long-term financial policy, according to the finance department. “What it really comes down to is the expectation of the level of service from our community,” Commissioner Nate Kilton said. “To me, it wouldn’t make sense to raise the ad valorem (property) tax and keep those rates the same. I’m not necessarily convinced that we won’t need both.” Beginning with the 2018-2019 budget cycle, the city’s chief financial officer Diane Reichard said, it could

“What it really comes down to is the expectation of the level of service from our community. To me, it wouldn’t make sense to raise the ad valorem (property) tax and keep those rates the same. I’m not necessarily convinced that we won’t need both.” — Commissioner Nate Kilton

be possible to transfer up to 6% from the utility funds into the general fund. Combined, a 6% transfer from both funds could add $1.3 million to the city’s general fund. Currently, there is a rate study for the city’s water and sewer utility rates, the first since 2013. Commis-

sioners voted to authorize a new study for solid waste utility rates as well, the first since 2004. Interim City Manager Kim Leinbach said both studies should be complete by January, giving the finance department plenty of SEE UTILITY PAGE 4

PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

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The 51st season of the Plant City Recreation & Parks Department’s Optimist Youth Flag Football Program is about to begin. The program is for boys and girls age 4 to 15 and a birth certificate is required upon enrollment unless you were on a team in 2016. Last year, approximately 300 youths played in five age groups. Games are Saturday mornings at the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex. Teams meet each week and “instructing officials” are assigned to the teams to ensure each player carries or catches the ball, subs are rotated evenly and assist in play calling if needed. There will be no practices or coaches for the teams and hard pads and helmets are not allowed. The program offers “basic training in football skills and rules along with positive leadership to build the character and overall citizenship of the players,” according to Jack Holland, director of the Recreation & Parks Department. Registration ends Aug. 30 and the season runs from Sept. 16 through Nov. 4. The cost is $35 per player for the seven game season and this includes a jersey and accident insurance. Register at the Recreation & Parks Department’s administrative office at 1904 South Park Road. The

office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information call (813) 659-4255.

Schools prepare for cosmic ballet Students in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco school districts are being given an excused absence on Monday to watch the solar eclipse. This is the first solar eclipse to be solely seen from America since the creation of the United States over 240 years ago. While parts of the country will be receiving a total solar eclipse, where the moon is blocking the entirety of the sun, the rest will receive a partial eclipse, where the moon comes between the Earth and the sun and partially blocks the sun. A notice on Hillsborough’s district website said students are allowed to take a half day, stay home or travel with their families to watch as long as parents write a note the following day. For those who plan to stay in school, many teachers have catered lessons around the event. Some lessons will even be outdoors, though extra safety precautions will be underway. The eclipse will begin at 1:18 p.m. with the maximum coverage of 81% taking place at 2:50 p.m. The eclipse will be fully completed by 4:14 p.m.

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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

Courtesy photo

The 2017 Triumph Bonneville Bobber customized by Tampa Triumph. The gas tank and fenders were painted in Plant City by Danny Yannone and have helped the motorcycle and its creators receive national attention.

Plant City on national stage

with custom Triumph motorcycle An area Triumph dealer is one of four shops in the finals of a national competition thanks in part to the efforts of a local painter. DANIEL FIGUEROA IV STAFF WRITER

he first thing that gets you is the shine. The airbrushed candy blue paint pops against the sparkle of the silver flake, glittering like shrapnel blasting from the blacked out engine and frame below. The lines of Danny Yannone’s paint job sweep back over the fenders and gas tank like passing wind. Standing still, the 2017 Triumph Bonneville Bobber feels fast. The endless lines, quilt-like shells and subtle flames of the bright paint job make it feel more 1977 than 2017. The paint job helped catapult Tampa Triumph to the forefront of Triumph’s Iron Moto Challenge, a national competition highlighting dealer builds using bolt-on accessories, and it was all done in Plant City. The Iron Moto Challenge takes place every year during Chicago’s weekend-long Motoblot motorcycle rally. Each year, Triumph dealers from across the country compete at the rally for the most eye-catching and functional builds they can create using aftermarket parts. The dealers have a maximum of five hours to bring their creations to life. “Everyone else had stock paint with bolt-on accessories,” Yannone said. “We were the only ones with custom tins. It set us apart and got a lot of attention.” Yannone, who owns the custom paint company 53 Grafix, said the custom painted “tins,” a motorcycle’s fenders and gas tank, are a perfect match for the “factory custom” feel Triumph Motorcycles aimed for when designing their new line of retroinspired Bonneville’s. Triumph’s factory bobbers, new for the 2017 model year, harken back to the early generations of custom motorcycling when functionality and originality where key. The bobbers of the ‘50s came to prominence when the post-war generation began stripping what were seen as unnecessary features from stock motorcycles, many of them post-war surplus models. Anything non-essential to a bike going forward as fast as possible was removed or modified. Fenders were among the first items to get removed or chopped and bobbed. The simplicity of bobbers eventually led to the more aggressive chopping of the ‘60s and ‘70s where extended front ends, limited suspension and bright candy colors paired with shining metal flakes became the norm. It’s there where Yannone, 32, said he feels most at home and part of what attracted him to working with the bobbers. “Young body, old soul,” Justin Rocky said. “That’s what he reminds me of.” Rocky is a service advisor for Fun Bike Center Motorsports in Lakeland, a sister dealership to Tampa Triumph. Rocky said he first noticed Yannone’s work at the insistence of customers. “They showed me some picture of their bikes, then I jumped on his Instagram,” Rocky said. “Once I saw the stuff on his Instagram I was like, wow this guy is really talented.”

From there, Rocky said, he started using Yannone for paint on repair work in the shop. That led to the owner’s allowing him to do a few custom paint jobs for bikes on the showroom floor. His first two Triumphs sold quickly, Rocky said. When the Tampa shop opened, he began doing work for them as well. Rocky said Yannone stood out to him because of his attention to detail and old-school sensibilities. “Still having an artist that can hand pinstripe is rare,” Rocky said. “Danny still does it by hand. To me that’s what really got it. Just the details that he puts in. If you weren’t paying attention you’d miss it, but you hit the right bit of light and you catch everything. He’s humble about it, too. You wouldn’t even know he could do what he does.” The pride Yannone takes in his work is evident in the care he puts into each project and the recognition he’s receiving. Tampa Triumph brought a few bikes painted by Yannone to Motoblot, garnering attention form motorcycle magazines and the Triumph corporate. He also has projects in the works for major players in the custom motorcycle world like Bill Dodge’s Bling’s Cycles. Many of Bling’s bike make their way to the covers of leading motorcycle rags like Cycle Source and Hot Bike. Yannone’s coming flake-bombed candy red chopper is nearly guaranteed a spread. Even with a career on the rise, Yannone is quick to credit the people who helped him get there before taking it for himself. He gives Rocky credit for being persistent enough with the owners at Fun Bike and Tampa Triumph to give him a shot. Yannone, an Orange County, N.Y., native got his start painting helmets for dirt car and racers and motocross riders in Middletown, N.Y., where he himself rode. His number was 53 and the inspiration for his company’s name. From there, he began to study under Justin Barnes, a world-class painter who rose to prominence as the goto painter for Orange County Choppers of the Discovery Channel show American Chopper. Yannone even bought much of his equipment from Barnes. Keeping Barnes’ legacy alive is still an inspiration that keeps him going, Yannone said. “To carry that on a little bit, that means a lot to me,” He said. “he took lot of time out of his life to help me with more than just painting. He’s my best friend. I think there’s some sense that if I didn’t do this, I wasn’t holding up my end of the deal.” He even credits Jason Hallman, owner of Plant City’s Cycle Stop for helping give him a space to work in after losing his own Lakeland-based shop two years ago. With nearly 15 years of painting experience under his belt, the road hasn’t always been easy, Yannone said. The custom motorcycle world is a luxury industry where work is never guaranteed. While some days, he said, he’s left scratching his head over where the work might come from next, he knows his pursuits are guided by passion and the love for seeing the

Photos by Daniel Figueroa IV

Danny Yannone gets ready to sand the gas tank of a Harley-Davidson touring model he is preparing to paint for a customer’s motorcyle. Sanding, he says, is a tedious but necessary part of the paint process.

“They showed me some picture of their bikes, then I jumped on his Instagram. Once I saw the stuff on his Instagram I was like, wow this guy is really talented.”

— Justin Rocky

Danny Yannone’s personal Yamaha Bolt features the “flaked out” candy colors he is becoming known for as well as numerous nods to his roots. The number ‘53’ was Yannone’s number when he raced motocross in Orange County, N.Y. and is a reminder of his humble beginnings painting helmets for dirt racers.

look on someone’s face once he’s done with a project. “If I didn’t do this, I’d probably go crazy,” Yannone said. “The passion

and the art far outweigh the money.” Voting is currently open for the 2017 Iron Moto Challenge at triumph motorcycles.com.

PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

City looks to property tax to mend street woes Talks have moved forward to raise the property tax rate in the coming budget for infrastructure maintenance.

FROM PAGE 1

time to analyze whether any adjustments need to be made to the utility rates and if the money in both funds would be able to sustain a transfer to the general fund. Mayor Rick Lott said money added to the general fund from utility funds could be used to “shore up” city agencies suffering from staff deficiencies. Many city agencies, like the recreation and parks department and the police department, are currently underfunded and understaffed, which could adversely impact the services the city provides. Plant City Police Department Chief Ed Duncan told commissioners the department is currently operating below the national and regional standards for officers per 1,000 residents. According to the FBI’s 2014 Uniform Crime Report, the nationwide average is 2.3 officers per 1,000 residents, while in the South Atlantic Region, to which Plant City belongs, the average is 3 officers per 1,000 residents. PCPD, Duncan said, currently has about 1.75 officers per 1,000 residents. “We would do well with two for every thousand,” Duncan said. “We would need 10 more officers.” Currently, Duncan said, PCPD has about eight officers on duty per shift, but that number can often be six or seven. PCPD divides the city into nine zones, ten more full-time officers would allow for nine per shift, putting one officer in each zone. The staffing issues extend to the dispatchers as well. PCPD dispatchers respond to fire and medical emergencies, as well as law enforcement emergencies, requiring more extensive certifications, Duncan said. Duncan said he has seen 13 dispatchers come and go since he took over the department in 2014. Adequate pay can be an issue as well. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers are usually paid more and require less certification. “It’s a very high-stress job with heavy turnover,” Duncan said. “You want good people answering those calls. They are the lynchpin, they are the ones who get the ball rolling in this city.” As the city attempts to do far more with far fewer people, commissioners said they hope to continue to find new funding sources, like the potential utility fund transfers, to be able to attract and maintain a quality workforce.

MILLAGE RATE PROPERTY VALUE IN PLANT CITY

BY THE NUMBERS

4.7157

DANIEL FIGUEROA IV

20%

current millage rate

STAFF WRITER

The City Commission is moving forward with the possibility of raising the property tax rate for the 20172018 budget cycle. Commissioners discussed the raise Monday at a special commission meeting. During the last regular meeting on July 24, commissioners, led by Mayor Rick Lott, voted to increase the property tax rate, also known as millage, from $4.7157 per $1,000 in taxable property value to $5.7157 per $1,000 in taxable property value. The average assessed value of homes in Plant City is close to $100,000, according to the city’s finance department. With that home value, residents would pay an additional $100 per year or $8 per month. With the $50,000 homestead exemption, the homeowner would pay an increase of $50 per year or $4 per month. The July 24 vote was not a final decision. The city’s budget will not be finalized until the end of September, before which, the commission will hold public hearings where Plant City residents will be able to give on-therecord comments about the potential increase. The Commission voted for the increase at the time in order to be able to open discussion about the potential to increase, stating it could be anything from the current rate to the 1 mill increase. The final property tax rate wouldn’t be decided until after the public hearings. Commissioners are eyeing the increase to fund ongoing efforts to improve and maintain Plant City’s roads. “As commissioners, that’s probably the question we get asked most,” Commissioner Mary Mathis said. “When will my street be paved?” Plant City maintains about 160 miles of road, including four miles of brick roads. Currently, road projects are funded with $1 million per year. The city’s engineering department estimates that it would cost about $61 million to repair every city-owned road. That means, at the current rate of funding, Plant City’s roads would be resurfaced every 61 years. The increase in property tax would add about $1.9 million to the city’s overall budget, according to the city’s chief financial officer Diane Reichard. “We will take that money and we

Utility

5.7157

of all residental properties, in Plant City, are valued at less than $50,000

proposed 1.0 mil increase

$1.9 million

generated annually

$99,371

average property value in Plant City

will show it in the general fund,” Reichard said. “We will then show it as a transfer over to a special project called ‘street resurfacing’ using the additional 1 mill, so that we can demonstrate to our citizens, with the money that came in, what exact projects that one mill was used for.” Commissioners indicated the goal would be maintaining streets in a 15-year cycle, which would require $4 million a year in funding. During the current budget cycle, Hillsborough County entered into an agreement to give Plant City an additional $2 million if Plant City can raise $2 million of its own. The city was able to free up the additional $1 million in the current budget but will likely not have that ability in the coming years. Hillsborough County has indicated those same matching funds might be available for the next budget year as well. Commissioners said they have received positive feedback from the community, including in Walden Lake, which accounts for 20% of residential properties in the city. “There were some positive indications that the community spirit was not what you might assume when talking about raising millage rate,” Vice-Mayor William Dodson said. “We have a community that is openminded enough to realize there hasn’t been an increase in more than 20 years and as a result we have gotten behind.” Commissioners also said it is important to hear from every community in the city, particularly during the to-be-announced public hearings. “It’s very important that anyone in our city, no matter what community they are from, that they are invited to come give their opinion about that,” Mathis said. “Because we’re here to work for them. We want to make sure any citizen in our community has that chance. Please come.”

EVERY $100,00 OF PROPERTY VALUE $100 per year or $8 per month

WITH $50,000 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION $50 per year or $4 per month

UNDER $50,000 IN PROPERTY VALUE No property tax change

PROPERTY VALUE OF WALDEN LAKE

20%

of all residential properties are located in Walden Lake

$172,158

average property value AFTER HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION THE ADDITIONAL COST TO AN AVERAGE HOMEONWER $122 per year or $10 per month

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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

We asked: How do you feel about Charlottesville protestors?

ow do you feel about Charlottesville protestors being identified as white supremacists and members of the KKK and subse“No, it’s not fair. You do quently being fired? have the right to be at

“I don’t think it’s OK. Everybody’s got to make money. They have to make a living. Unless they committed a crime, they shouldn’t be fired.” — Cory Richardson, 41

“I think it’s OK they are fired. Any company with any sense of ethics should not employ racists and they discriminate against even people that go in as customers.”

a protest. If they’re just expressing their side of the story but they’re not being violent, they should not be terminated.”

— Donna Gellman-Rodriguez, 66

— Mike Salo, 60

“Yeah, absolutely. It’s bringing a bad name for the business and if you’re going to run a business or be an employee of said business you should be representing who you work for and present yourself well.”

“No, they shouldn’t be fired. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, their own opinions. We’re all our own individuals, why not have our life outside of work. So I don’t think it should influence it.” — Lucy Ibarra, 28

— Jack Ray, 18

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PLANT CITY TIMES &

PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER Locally owned by Ed Verner, Karen Berry, Nate Kilton and Felix Haynes The Plant City Times & Observer is published by Plant City Media LLC, a jointventure of the Tampa Bay Times and Plant City Observer LLC.

CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Fridays. It is inserted into the Tampa Bay Times for subscribers. The Plant City Times & Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 1507 S. Alexander St., Suite 103.

SEND US YOUR NEWS We want to hear from you. Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements.

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Observer Publisher / Karen Berry, KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com Managing Editor / Sarah Holt, SHolt@PlantCityObserver.com Associate Editor / Sports Editor / Justin Kline, JKline@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writer / Daniel Figueroa IV, DFigueroa@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writer / Breanne Williams, BWilliams@PlantCityObserver.com Editorial Designer / C.J. Major, cmajor@yourobserver.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

PlantCityObserver.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

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Back to school S

tudents in Plant City went back to school Thursday. The community had rallied together in the weeks prior to arm both students and teachers with free back-to-school supplies. Events like the New Teacher Coffee and the Noon Rotary's Community Appreciation serviced hundreds of educators and their pupils in preparation for the coming school year. We asked parents to send in their photos of the big day. We received hundreds of photos from children ranging from pre-kindergarten to senior year. Here are a few of our favorite submissions. — BREANNE WILLIAMS

COCAINE ADDICTION RESEARCH STUDY

Courtesy photos

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OWNER’S REPORT

FELIX HAYNES

Real Help for Confederate statues and violence Deep Hurt… Felix Haynes weighs in on the national debate about Confederate monuments and what to do with them.

The finality of death is very hard to accept—losing a loved one is painful beyond description. A group called GriefShare is about helping the hurting, accepting the reality before you… so you can go on with life again. GriefShare is a series of ‘helps and suggestions’ for those who have lost someone through the process of death. We will begin the 13-week course on

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hat issue has been faced by our Hillsborough County Commission, and by many other units of local government, including Charlottesville, Virginia. Unfortunately, in some places the issue has erupted into violence, as at Charlottesville. For some, the issue is a simple one: the Confederacy was founded upon slavery, therefore anything about that insurrection is racist and should be eliminated. This includes statues of Confederate leaders. For others, including this writer, the issue is not so simple. While condemning slavery and racism, we take pride in how well our ancestors in the Confederate army fought and how many battles they won. For years, that pride was all our ancestors had to live on. But I believe one Confederate leader whose statue is ubiquitous in the South, Robert E. Lee, would see the issue differently. Lee graduated second in his West Point class and embarked on a 25-year career in the Army. Winning three brevet promotions on the battlefields of the Mexican War and solving engineering challenges posed by rivers and harbors in cities like St. Louis, he was marked to be a general in America’s next war. Offered Brigadier General, which President Lincoln recruited at the beginning of the Civil War, Lee turned it down after agonizing over the decision and resigned from the Army because he could not draw his sword against Virginia, his native state. Such sentiments were common in 1861, with loyalty to one’s native state coming before that of the United States. He freed all his family’s slaves in December 1862. After leading the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to victory in many battles, Lee recognized the North’s manpower advantage, swallowed his pride and sorrow and surrendered his army to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox. Promising

never to take up arms against the United States again, he gave his parole to Grant. In return, when Grant became President he protected Lee from the efforts of some American leaders to put him on trial for treason. But Lee did more than accept defeat. Preferring that the men of his army receive the credit, he never asked for the adulation he received after the war as the Confederacy’s brilliant military leader. He committed the rest of his life to develop Southern youth, to help rebuild the United States and to be the best American he could. Carrying out this goal, he turned down lucrative offers from many American companies to lead them. He carried out a letter-writing campaign for the rest of his life to prevent other Southerners, not as accepting of defeat on the battlefield, from continuing their insurrection against the United States through guerrilla warfare. Instead, he accepted an offer from a near-bankrupt Washington College in Lexington, Virginia, to become their President. Through the esteem with which Lee was held nationally, Lee rebuilt Washington College’s endowment, curriculum and enrollment for the half-decade he led it. In his honor, it was renamed Washington and Lee College after his death in 1871. So now we come to the issue of Lee’s statues, and those of many other Confederates, throughout the states of the old Confederacy. I believe he would say it is not only time, but high time, to remove them to a place of history, such as a in a museum or cemetery or on private property. He would say, 152 years after he surrendered, to keep your pride in the battlefield exploits of the Army of Northern Virginia but remove the statues from public property and put your efforts on building America.

Felix Haynes is a coowner of the Plant City Times & Observer.

PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

The beat goes on STAFF WRITER

Andrew Young is bringing more than just a new face to Jackson Elementary School. He was hired this year as the new music teacher and immediately began a campaign to provide his students with a curriculum that would go beyond simply teaching them how to play an instrument. Young plans to purchase an entire set, 39 total, of world percussion instruments, including African drums, shekeres, ginkgoes and more. He said he wants to use the instruments to teach students about cultures from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America, as the instruments are authentic to those regions.

“I think music is important because it’s a universal language. Children are born with that creativity, with that innate sense of wanting to be creative beings.” — Andrew Young

“It doesn’t matter where I’ve taught, I’ve taught in rural environments, urban, suburban, the one thing that all these kids gravitate toward are these drums,” Young said. “I’ve seen it. It’s all kids. It doesn’t matter the demographic, this music is universal and they can all connect that way. I’m just hoping they foster a lifelong love of the arts and music.” His passion for music and teaching led him to a World Drumming Training for teachers, where he met his wife, Chelsea, who is a music teacher at Wilson Elementary.

Breanne Williams

Andrew Young plans to use instruments from around the world in his classes.

Smiling, Young pulled up a video of his wedding day. There, crouched over the very drums he hopes to buy for his class, was his wedding party, including the bride, banging out a perfectly synched rhythm as their guests laughed and sang along. “I think music is important because it’s a universal language,” Young said. “Children are born with that creativity, with that innate sense of wanting to be creative beings. As soon as you hear music kids want to move to it so being able to learn about it and intelligently speak about it is also a goal in addition to just having fun with it and unleashing that creative side.” Young said he is hoping members of the community step up to help him purchase the instruments for his class. He started a campaign on DonorsChoose.org, a website created by a teacher in the Bronx where teachers can post classroom project requests and donors can choose what venture they wish to support.

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“I’ve done smaller projects on (Donors Choose) before and they’ve always been successful,” Young said. “The site is for teachers and I looked and there are quite a few projects in the Tampa area so if someone just looks for Mr. Young in Plant City mine is the first project that comes up.” The instruments will cost $4,275 and the deadline for donating on the website is Nov. 30. Jackson has also added the project to its PTA so checks can be sent to the school under the title Jackson Elementary PTA with Music in the Memo or For line. Young is also in the process of writing grants to help cover the cost of the instruments. He said it is the duty of every music teacher to work hard to ensure their students have the best experience. Approximately 550 kids attend Jackson and all of them will end up in Young’s class twice a week. He is able to put two kids on each drum so the desired instruments will be able to ensure no child is left sitting while the rest of the class learns. The cuts across the country to the arts has many schools going without music classes altogether. “I didn’t grow up with a music program,” Young said. “Up until fifth grade I didn’t have anything. I want to give kid’s an experience that I didn’t have. Sometimes music is forgotten about in schools but it’s so important, just like all the other arts and children benefit so much from it.” Hillsborough County is one of the leading counties in the country for arts education. It has been recognized multiple times as one of the best communities for music education. However, Young said, while the county is inarguably one of the best, the equality between schools tends to vary. “I really believe that if every single person in the year took on one human rights thing, whether it’s donating to the ASPCA or volunteering your time at the ‘Y’ or something, the world would be a better place if everyone were to just champion one cause,” Young said. “I’m hoping the community rallies behind music and gets involved with their schools. I’m not looking for Mozarts, I’m just looking for people who will go out and really support the arts.”

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The new music teacher at Jackson Elementary is hoping to raise enough funds to purchase a new set of instruments for his students.

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SAY ‘CHEESE’: On a recent trip to Wisconsin, Gail Lyons brought a piece of home in the Plant City Times & Observer. Lyons and George Domedion met with Joe and Marlene Merrin in Appleton, Wisconsin, and also attended EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

AUGUST 18, 2017

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Hole in one for health South Florida Baptist Hospital’s Rehabilitation Services will offer golf assessments to improve client’s swing and reduce risk of injury. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Courtesy photos

Physical therapist Giancarlos Pizzini evaluates Blair Butler at the South Florida Baptist Hospital’s Rehabilitation Services as part of the new Titleist Performance Institute golf assessments.

“When I was looking around the area I realized there wasn’t anything like this and there were definitely plenty of golfers and golf courses around here. It was a good idea for us to explore this as an option and provide this service for the community.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Hand and finger injuries: Repetitive blunt trauma or single severe trauma to the fingers can lead to numerous conditions such as tendinitis, broken or deformed bones and a condition called hypothenar hammer syndrome.

55 million people play golf

206

countries worldwide

26 million

Americans play golf

Tendinitis in the elbows: Referred to as “Tennis Elbow.” Risk increases with age and is more common among people who routinely perform activities with repetitive motion like golf.

More than 33%

— Giancarlos Pizzini DPT, CMPT

of U.S. golfers are 50 years or older

er people really take a little bit more fine tuning and a little bit more time to make that happen,” Pizzini said. If, during the assessment, the golfer reports they feel any pain or symptoms that may warrant calling in another health care professional, the therapist can make a recommendation for physical therapy, which is also offered on site. Pizzini said the ultimate goal of the assessment is to help improve each golfer’s game and reduce the risk of injury on the green. “I would really like the average golfer out there to really just evaluate their golf game,” Pizzini said. “If

they’re playing well and they’re hitting the ball well and they feel good about their score, then by all means keep doing what you’re doing. But if you feel like there’s an aspect of your game that needs to be improved or if you’ve had issues with your body in the past in relation to your golf game, come see us and we’ll be more than happy to help you and to help your game.” Assessments are between 45 minutes and an hour long. If interested, call SFBH’s rehabilitation center at 813-707-9362 to make an appointment.

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South Florida Baptist Hospital is offering golfers a chance to increase their game and reduce the risk of injury. The hospital’s rehabilitation services will now be offering Titleist Performance Institute golf assessments for both amateur and professional golfers. The appointments aim to analyze how golfers perform by assessing movements and targeting areas of the body relative to their performance. Giancarlos Pizzini became a physical therapist at SFBH a little over a year ago. Prior to that he had been working in the Fort Lauderdale area where he was certified in the Titleist Performance Institute assessment training. He realized it would be a great asset for the SFBH and its rehabilitation center to provide this service to the golfers in the community. “When I was looking around the area I realized there wasn’t anything like this and there were definitely plenty of golfers and golf courses around here,” Pizzini said. “It was a good idea for us to explore this as an option and provide this service for the community.” Titleist Performance Institute was created by Titleist, a manufacturer of golf equipment. The company partnered with clinicians to create an institute that would benefit both professional and amateur golfers. According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, playing golf has positive health effects on the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, metabolic health, cancer risk and musculoskeletal health. However, amateur golfers annually have an incidence of injury between 15.8% and 40.9% with lifetime injury incidence between 25.2% and 67.4%, according to a study published in the journal. Getting injured can take a golfer out of the game for months, if not permanently, and SFBH aims to reduce the risk of those injuries ever happening. The assessment determines which areas of the body are limited and what each individual golfer’s deficiencies are. Pizzini records the person’s swing on a driver and an iron. He then uses a slow motion application to take a closer look and connects the body’s movement to the effectiveness of the swing. “Golf is a unilateral exercise,” Pizzini said. “It’s something that is done repetitively and you have to create a lot of high rotational forces in order to create a good golf swing. Most golfers that are out there want to hit it longer and they want to hit it straighter so they put their bodies into a repetitive demand that could potentially cause injury.” Pizzini said the actual injury usually depends on what each golfer’s body limitations are. The average Joe who goes out on the weekends to play eight or nine holes has different restraints than a professional golfer would and the assessments are designed to perfectly fit each individual client. “Some people are able to kind of quickly adapt, just making a couple of quick changes to their swing, but oth-

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

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One Accord Church visited Tomlin Middle School.

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lant City-area churches spent Aug. 13 making sure area students, teachers and other school personnel get protected by prayer. Eighteen churches participated in a “Back to School Prayer Walk,” covering 25 schools in Area 6. Over 250 participants braved the rain on foot or by car and circled around campuses, praying from 1 to 2 p.m. Pastor Fred Harrold, of One Accord Church, said the prayer walk was a return to form after a fouryear hiatus. Harrold and 20 members of the church prayed at Tomlin Middle School, where co-pastor Randy Humphrey teaches science. “We’re praying for the teachers, the students, the faculty, administrators, bus workers, drivers, lunchroom ladies, all of the above for them to have a good, safe year,” Harrold said. Parents were eager to pray whether their children attended a particular school or not. Roberto Chavez, who attends New Jerusalem Church, prayed at Bryan Elementary even though his child attends a different school. “We need to remember God is here,” Chavez said.

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SATURDAY, AUG. 19

NRA PERSONAL PROTECTION IN THE HOME INTERMEDIATE COURSE 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Learn basic defensive skills, home safety strategies, responding to a violent confrontation, firearms and the law. Includes classroom, range time and course material. Taught by local certified instructors. Class size is limited. The nine-hour course is $120. Call (813) 567-3100 to register or go to handgunbasics.com. STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CAR SHOW 3 to 8 p.m. The monthly Strawberry Classic Car Show is held on the third Saturday of each month in historic downtown Plant City. This month, the show will be featuring trucks. Free registration starts at 3 p.m. There will be free bounce houses and kid’s entertainment, a 50/50 raffle, food trucks and the local shops and restaurants are open as well.

MONDAY, AUG. 21

BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S YMCA SPIRIT NIGHT 5 to 8 p.m. Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is partnering up with the Plant City Family YMCA. Take the family out to eat and mention the YMCA. When you do, Beefs will donate 15% of your check to the Plant City YMCA. Beef’s is located at 2418 James Redman Parkway.

TUESDAY, AUG. 22

PlantCityObserver.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

GRIEF SHARE CLASS 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Hope Lutheran Church is hosting a 13 week grief share class series starting Aug. 22. The course will be a seminar and

a support group for those grieving the loss of someone close. Each session includes a video and group discussion. Both the morning and the evening session will be identical. To register for either or for more information contact Rev. Dean Pfeffer at (813) 752-4622.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23

MIXED LEVEL YOGA 6 to 7 p.m. The Koa Yoga Studio will be teaching a mixed level yoga class at Keel and Curley Winery. The class will be in the grape vines at the winery. Enjoy an hour of yoga under the night sky. The cost is $15 at the door and includes the drink of your choice. Please bring your own mat.

ONGOING DIABETES PREVENTION CLASS 16 WEEK SERIES 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The United Food Bank of Plant City, 702 E Alsobrook St # H, is hosting a diabetes prevention class, which will be taught by registered dietitians and health educators. The series is free to the public. Registration is required. Contact (813) 307-8015 ext. 7111. PLANT CITY TOASTMASTERS CLUB #4051 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. Thursdays at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 S. Evers St., Plant City. New members welcome. ACOUSTIC HAPPY HOUR 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

File photo

Vice-Mayor Bill Dodson and Mayor Rick Lott

CHRISTIAN MUSIC 6:33 to 8:33 p.m. Thursdays, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220.

KEEL AND CURLEY LIVE MUSIC 6:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-9100.

THE CLASSROOM GALLERY 1 to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. Art is on display by members of the East Hillsborough Art Guild.

KRAZY KUP LIVE MUSIC 8:33 to 10:33 p.m. Saturdays, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB 1 p.m. Fridays at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 302 Carey St. For more information, call Walt Arnold at (813) 752-1602.

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BEST BET WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23

LUNCH WITH THE MAYOR 11 a.m. Rise Plant City is hosting a lunch with Mayor Rick Lott for its August Lunch and Learn Event at the Elks Lodge. Lott will be covering various topics of concern and interest that involves the improvements of Plant City including, real estate infrastructure expansion, midtown expansion, the new property tax and more. A Q&A will follow. RSVP at riseplantcity.com.

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® isprogram by the Dignity Memorial network of funeral, a socialthat support program helps widowsSponsored and widowers LIFT ® is a socialLIFT support helps widows andthat widowers LIFT is Open to All Widows and Widowers cremation and cemetery providers, the LIFT program adjust to the lossadjust of a spouse providing hope tobyreinforce a sense of to reinforce to thebyloss of a spouse providing hope a senseandofentertaining. There are no fees is both educational by theorDignity network of funeral, cremation and cemetery providers, t wholeness and purpose in those may beinfeeling ormay isolated. dues participate. Dignity Memorial LIFT members wholeness andwho purpose thoselost who beSponsored feeling lost ortoMemorial isolated.

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Sara Mathews, age 51, of Plant City Florida passed away Thursday, August 10, 2017. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haughtfuneralhome.com.

AUGUST 18, 2017

SPORTS Do you have a good sports scoop for us? Email Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.

‘Lightning ready’ Ellie Shouse recently became one of the 14 Tampa Bay Lightning Girls for the 2017-18 season. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Courtesy photo

P.C. tennis player wins first tourney Jovee Tkach (above) put her tennis skills to the test Aug. 3 and won her first tournament. Tkach, 6, won first place in her 8 and under singles division at the 2017 Polk County Junior Tournament. She has been playing tennis for a year and a half at Plant City Tennis Center, learning from pro C. Shane Johnson.

Football preseason games Durant, Plant City and Strawberry Crest are about to get back to business in tonight’s slate of preseason exhibition games. Each game begins at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. n Blake vs. Durant, 4748 Cougar Path n Plant City at Spoto, 8538 Eagle

Palm Drive, Riverview n Strawberry Crest at Seminole, 4691 Gallagher Road, Dover (7 p.m.)

Adult softball leagues signing up The Plant City Recreation and Parks Department is preparing for adult softball to go all-in. Registration for the 2017 Adult Fall Softball League is open through Aug. 31, with men’s and co-ed divisions available to join. Co-ed games are held Monday nights and men’s recreational games are held Thursday nights, each at a cost of $310 per team for a 10-game season. Men’s doubleheaders are held Tuesday nights and cost $500 per team for an 18-game season. League play will start as early as Sept. 11. Teams must provide their own softballs. Men’s division teams must bring .52/275 or .52/300 core compression balls but co-ed does not have a regulation. Game times will be available after Oct. 18 by calling (813) 659-4255 or visiting TeamSideline. com/PlantCity. The department is also accepting registrations for the annual Women’s Softball Halloween All-Night Classic, an overnight slow-pitch tournament inviting players to don their best costumes and have fun on the Plant City Stadium and Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex fields. There are 28 camping spots with basic electricity, 26 30-amp spots for mid-size campers and several non-electric spots available. The cost to register is $300 per team and the deadline to sign up is Oct. 13. Registration forms are available online at TeamSideline.com/PlantCity and checks may be made payable and mailed to the City of Plant City Recreation and Parks Department, 1904 S. Park Road, Plant City, FL 33563. Credit card payments may be made in person at the Rec and Parks Department office. For more information, call the department at (813) 659-4255 or go online at TeamSideline.com/PlantCity.

llie Shouse grew up a Tampa Bay Lightning fan, but the Lightning Girls caught her attention as much as the on-ice action did. She had long thought about trying out for the group as soon as she could and got the chance in late July. Several days later, Shouse got what she had been waiting for. She was named to the 14-woman squad July 28, after a two-round tryout at Amalie Arena that required learning the Lightning’s preferred dance style on the same day. “It was amazing,” she says. “It was absolutely amazing … I’ve worked so hard for this, so I was really happy that all that hard work paid off.” Shouse, 18, will be the only active Lightning Girl representing the Plant City area. The team’s coach, Crystal Brown, is also a Plant City resident and got her start as a Lightning Girl in 2008. Brown later became a team captain before transitioning into her coaching role with the team. Shouse decided to try out this year. Supported by friends and family — especially her mother, Kim Shouse — she drew upon previous dance and cheerleading experience for the July 23 auditions. First came a July 19 prep class to get auditioning women ready for the real deal. Though the audition dance itself wasn’t taught, the Lightning gave Shouse and the other women an eight-count routine in the same style. “Style-wise, it’s more of a cheerdance type thing,” she says. “Sharp moves, some rhythm. But mainly, they look for personality in your dances.” The first round of the July 23 audition had the women perform a different eight-count dance and simultaneously make their personalities come through. Those who made the cut for the second round were asked to do a longer routine, Shouse says, with “four to six eight-counts.” Shouse says the team looks for visible enthusiasm in addition to good dancing, and that there is a particular “look” sought after. “You had to come ‘Lightning ready,’” Shouse says. “That’s what they call it. Hair, makeup, the whole nine yards.” Shouse’s friends did her makeup and hair before the audition to help

File photo

Ellie Shouse is excited to join the Lightning Girls for the upcoming 2017-18 NHL season.

SEE SHOUSE PAGE 13

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND? JUSTIN KLINE

GAME OF THE WEEK

Blake at Durant

Florida high school sports I would advocate for

The Durant Cougars are looking to set a good tone for the upcoming regular season. SEE PAGE 14

Justin Kline wouldn’t mind seeing certain sports get bigger in state schools.

File photo

The Durant Cougars are looking to get back to the playoffs in 2017.

always like to kick off the month of April with an April Fool’s Day story about local high school sports. From what I’ve heard in my travels around town, this year’s joke about Strawberry Crest High School getting a horse racing team fooled many more people than last year’s story about a golden retriever becoming Durant track and field’s breakout star. I knew I must have done something right when, in May, a reader called our office asking for my help in contacting Crest administrators to help with the team. I thought the disclaimer in that week’s paper would have prevented that from SEE KLINE PAGE 13

PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

her de-stress. She says some women took the dress code — a half-top, shorts and tights — and ran with it, bedazzling their outfits with sparkly materials. By looking “as happy as possible” and nailing the routines, Shouse became one of three 18-year-olds added to the roster. The Lightning Girls aren’t just expected to show up at games and dance. The schedule is demanding enough that Shouse likens it to having a job. She and her teammates

practice twice a week leading up to the preseason, then once a week following that. Game nights would make up for the loss of one practice per week, as the Bolts will play as many as three home games in some weeks. There are also “boot camps” on Saturdays to help the dancers stay physically fit. The Lightning Girls are also active around the Tampa Bay area, which is another factor that made Shouse want to join. They frequently attend fundraisers and events throughout the community to help out and spread Lightning team spirit where they can. “It’s very interactive, which I love,”

Shouse says. “It’s all about the fans’ experience and the community’s. Not just ours.” Shouse will now balance her schedule as a Lightning Girl with her schedule as a college student. She is attending Hillsborough Community College and plans to major in criminal justice, then enter a career in law enforcement. Her schedule may be loaded but, for the chance to be one of the dancers she grew up watching, Shouse believes the experience will be worth it. “It was a dream come true,” she says.

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Understanding the new FHSAA football playoff points system

NEW HOPE FREEWILL

BAPTIST CHURCH

COME VISIT US! File photo

Durant was the only football program in the area to make the FHSAA regional tournament in 2016.

BLUEGRASS GOSPEL SING Featuring: Sawgrass Band

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Florida High School Athletic Association’s new playoff rules, announced in November 2016, are about to go into effect. For those who don’t know what that means, things are about to get more complicated than they were. Under the rules used in 2016 and previous years, the district champion would advance to regionals as a high seed and host games while the runners-up would claim playoff spots and travel as the lower seeds. While the district champions still make the cut, everything afterward is going to be determined by a wins-based wild card point system. Team wins are going to be divided into four categories based on their opponents’ win percentages. Total of games played will be divided by the total of points earned to determine final scores, though teams must play at least eight regular-season games to qualify for the playoffs. Out-ofstate teams are also factored into the equation based on their own regularseason outcomes. The best outcome your team can hope for falls into Category 1, where the opponent has won at least 80% of their games. A win would net your team 50 points and a loss would net 30. Behind that is Category 2, which awards 45 or 25 points against a team

that’s won 60-79% of its games. Category 3 awards 40 or 20 points against teams that have won 40-59% of their games and Category 4, covering teams with winning percentages under 39%, awards 35 or 15 points. If an opponent only played nine games, your team will not be penalized and the points total would still be based on the percentages. Teams that forfeit receive points as if they lost the game. Three extra points are awarded for opponents that made the playoffs in either 2015 or 2016, so any teams that have scheduled Durant or Plant City will get the bonus. A playoff appearance in 2017 grants a team the same two-year bonus point privilege. The points system does not use win quality as a factor. For example, Durant would get the same amount of points from a 38-3 win over East Bay as Strawberry Crest would from an 8-3 win over East Bay. The playoff field of 32 includes eight qualifiers per region, consisting of four district winners and four wild card teams, dubbed “at-large qualifiers.” This creates the possibility of three teams from the same district making the cut. Wild card points will be used in the playoffs to determine host schools when needed. In the case of a two-team tie, the team that won the regular-season match between the two wins. If the two teams did not play each other, the best performer against Category 1 teams during the season wins. In the case of a three-way tie, Category 1 and Category 2 team wins are considered if there is still a tie after the Category 1 wins are counted. Should that not solve the tiebreaker, Category 3 wins

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

This Sunday August 20th - 6:00pm

BREAKING IT DOWN Category 1: Opponent win percentage 80% and above — 50 points (W)/30 points (L) Category 2: Opponent win percentage 60% to 79%— 45 points (W)/25 points (L) Category 3: Opponent win percentage 40% to 59% — 40 points (W)/20 points (L) Category 4: Opponent win percentage 39% and below — 35 points (W)/15 points (L) A bonus three points come against teams with 2015 and/ or 2016 playoff appearance. The total games played divided by total points earned equals your team’s wild card number.

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The new playoff system will take effect this season and carry over into 2018.

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “Stanley (Kubrick) didn’t shy away from true humanity or from the ugliness that all people are capable of.” – Matthew Modine Puzzle Two Solution: “You’ve always got to work with the best if you can ... The best are the best because they’re different.” – Malcolm McDowell

This week’s Sudoku answers are counted with categories 1 and 2. If all three teams are somehow still tied after all that, the playoff selection is determined by a series of coin flips. The first school in alphabetical order calls a flip against the second school. The winner then faces the third school, which calls that flip. The winner of the coin flip advances, but a tie would create one more coin flip with the first alphabetical school calling and the winner moving to the playoffs. For more information on the rule changes, visit ow.ly/EwhK30ercbv.

FROM KLINE PAGE 12

happening but, lo and behold, I found myself explaining none of the people she called the school looking for were real and I had come up with the idea in the shower the morning I wrote the story. While I didn’t want to help convince the school that it really does need a horse racing team — there is no way that would ever happen, given the nature of the sport — the call did get me thinking several months later. Some schools in Florida offer sports that others, including ours, do not. Could they work if they were offered here? The FHSAA does sanction several sports that aren’t offered at our schools. I’m looking at boys volleyball and girls weightlifting, specifically, and I see a couple of opportunities that could be taken advantage of. Boys volleyball could become a popular spring sport, as the game

is fun to play and can be practiced pretty much year-round in Florida. It’s often played at the college level (my alma mater, Florida Gulf Coast University, has a ton of sand courts, for example) and does have professional circuits and Olympic presence. A good weightlifting program can be beneficial to athletes in many ways, from improving their health to improving their ability to perform in other sports (which is why many male weightlifters also play football, for example). I think it’s beneficial for kids to learn proper lifting forms as soon as possible because, even if you never compete in a weightlifting event after high school, using proper form is the most important step one can take to avoid injury when exercising. Penn State running back Saquon Barkley may be athletically gifted enough to power clean 405 pounds with bad form, but that doesn’t mean most people could get away with that with their muscles or

ligaments intact. Bowling may not be the most traditional sport but it is FHSAA-sanctioned. I know that a lot of kids like to bowl for fun anyway, like my high school friends and I used to do at the Eagle Ridge Mall, so I can see how it would attract some interest around a campus. Rolling a perfect game may be one of the most satisfying accomplishments one can have in a sport that, like golf, can be played by just about anyone for a long time. I’m not sure if or when we’ll see these activities offered locally at the FHSAA-sanctioned high school level, but you won’t hear any complaints from this writer should that happen. Justin Kline is the Sports Editor at the Plant City Times & Observer. Email: jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

This week’s Crossword answers

2017

PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

Cougars looking to set the tone THE OTHER GUYS PLANT CITY The Raiders will travel to Riverview to take on a Spoto team that posted a 2-8 (0-4 district) record in 2016. Plant City is hoping for a good start to the James Booth era and a win over the Spartans would help. Plant City’s new quarterbacks will have plenty of targets to throw to between Xavier King, Jordan Wiggins, Tyler Hood, Austin Eldridge and more as the offense adjusts to life without Corey King. The offense recently lost running back Treshaun Ward, who emerged in 2016 with 1,082 rushing yards and 13 scores, when he decided to transfer to Tampa Bay Tech. Spoto did the majority of its offensive work on the ground last season, totaling 1,706 yards on 358 carries. The two leading rushers, senior Derrick Curtis and junior Kobe Smith, combined for six of the team’s eight rushing touchdowns. Both have returned for the 2017 season. STRAWBERRY CREST The Chargers are looking to get a much-needed win over Seminole, which ended 2016 with a 1-8 (0-4 district) record. Coach Ron Hawn is optimistic about the season and expects to see good things from a “much better” squad, starting with new quarterback Jarrett Rappe under center. The team hopes hosting the Warhawks will both shed some light in that area and lead to a win on the scoreboard for the first time since the school’s seniors were freshmen. Seminole’s listed leading rusher, Austin Henkel, gained 321 yards and scored twice on the ground in three games in 2016. The Warhawks did not publish further stats on MaxPreps.com, though the FHSAA now encourages programs to do so after entering a five-year partnership with the site beginning this season.

The preseason matchup with Blake should give the Durant Cougars an idea of what they could be capable of in the 2017 season. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

It may be early in the school year, let alone football season, but there’s only one word on the minds of head coach Mike Gottman and the Durant Cougars football team these days: “playoffs.” After getting a taste of the postseason last year, earning a berth after a second-place finish in the district, the Cougars are hungry for more in 2017 and will look to start on a good foot in the preseason matchup with Blake. “That’s a goal that we have,” Gottman says. “We want to not just get to the playoffs, but we want to win. We want to win some playoff games. So, to do that, you’ve got to play well and you’ve got to be a good, solid team. That’s what we’re striving for.” The buzz around the team’s field house and practice areas is strong. The team’s veterans talk of the program being underrated, thanks to a mass graduation that hit the defense especially hard. There’s confidence among the players that, despite losing players such as Jake Ross, Jaden Garrett, Chris Gay and Xavier Lyas to graduation, people are “sleeping on” a strong team. The thought for this week’s game is that Blake will test the Cougars in several key areas. As always, Gottman — as much a stickler for fundamentals as there is — is looking for ball security, disciplined play and proper tackling. But the offense and defense are looking at questions on the opposite ends of the spectrum. There’s a good reason talking about the offense puts a big smile on quarterback Carlton Potter’s face. Though the unit lost top wideout Brandon Myers and athletic running back Jake Harris, Potter will get to work with highly-recruited back Cam Myers, versatile fullback David Tabakovic and what all three players call Durant’s

“best o-line ever.” Jory Cole, who filled in for an injured Steven Witchoskey for part of 2016, will once again line up at tight end. Besides that, Gottman and the coaching staff are curious to see who will step up at wide receiver. Throwing on Blake’s defense could help make that clearer. On the other hand, there isn’t nearly as much experience on the defensive side. Senior linebacker Tanner Jurnigan was tapped to fill Ross’s role from 2016 as both the mike and a leader of the unit, and Gottman expects him to help the “new faces” adjust to live game action and get comfortable with their assignments. Gottman specifically says he’s curious to see how the secondary will perform. Demarcus Governor has moved to cornerback from free safety, where C.J. Barnes will now play, and

Grover Wills will line up on the other side of Governor. Gottman says he’s looking to see “good communication” throughout the secondary. “We’ve got a lot of new faces and I’m really curious to see how the new faces — the new people, inexperienced people — what they have to offer this football team Friday night,” Gottman says. The Yellow Jackets are coming off of a 5-4 (1-4 district) 2016 season that saw the team stay competitive with Brandon, Hillsborough and Chamberlain in losing efforts, plus a 40-0 rout at the hands of the Armwood Hawks. Sophomore running back Omarion Coleman was the team’s bright spot, rushing for 1,089 yards and seven touchdowns with 165 receiving yards and three touchdowns as a freshman.

File photo

Carlton Potter prepares to throw a pass in the red zone against Plant City in 2016. The Cougars would go on to win the Redman Cup game.

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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER

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I LOVE PLANT CITY

FORECAST

Do you have a photo that speaks to the heart of Plant City? Send it to Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@PlantCityObserver.com

SUNRISE / SUNSET

FRIDAY, AUG. 18

High: 91 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 50%

Friday, Aug. 18

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

Sunrise Sunset

MOON PHASES

High: 90 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 60%

Aug. 21 New

Sept. 15 Last

Aug. 26 First

Sept. 5 Full

MONDAY, AUG. 21 High: 90 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 50%

RAINFALL

OKRA Shipping point: Orlando $14.35 to $14.85 Some of Dan Hooyman’s favorite neighbors in CountryWood are ducks, which have been swimming and hanging out around his house for at least a month. Hooyman wins this week’s I Love Plant City photo contest.

ONLINE

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Follow us on social media: @PCTObserver on Instgram, @PlantObserver on Twitter and Plant City Times & Observer on Facebook.

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YEAR TO DATE:

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2017 30.36 in.

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2016 27.12 in.

2016 5.24 in.

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on any detailing service over $39.99

HENRY IS A PUN GUY by Timothy B. Parker

31 Cause to stumble 32 Ritually embellish with 1 Startled inhale gold 5 At full gallop 33 Some tall outback 10 Verbal tap on the shoulder creatures 14 Mirror’s output 34 Kids connect them 19 Imitator 35 Silent greeting 20 Steadfast in allegiance 36 Kilmer wrote only God 21 Change the decor entirely can make one 22 Type of mushroom 37 Caustic drain-clearing 23 Bowling ball’s path chemical 24 Any grassy plain of the 40 Ancient Mexican Southwest 43 Take more than a nibble 25 “True ___” (John Wayne 44 Change direction sudclassic) denly 26 South African Dutch 45 Course requirement? 27 He changed a “Romeo 46 Attorney’s profession and Juliet” line to ...

47 Shot provider 52 Perjure oneself 53 Seeped 54 Post-exercise symptom, sometimes 55 Stadium or church music-maker 56 “What ___ the odds?” 57 Bird hunting at night 58 Dashing style 59 Spouses of mas 60 He is so acclaimed, emcees give him a ... 69 “___ So Shy” (Pointer Sisters hit) 70 Top-rated 71 Suffix for some ordinal

numbers 72 Expected to come in 73 Complete and total 76 Shakespeare, the Bard of ___ 77 St. ___ Girl (beer brand) 80 Consumed 81 Something hanging near a decorated 36-Across 85 “___ give you the shirt off his back!” 86 Remained prone 87 Like a used barbecue pit 88 Like the sky 89 Bad smells 91 Bank convenience, for short

FROM

3999

Good until 9/1/17

92 Low-voiced lady 93 Reduced-price event 94 Unadulterated 96 ___ gin fizz 97 Broadcasts 98 Type of cold pie 101 He likes the hit “25 or 6 to 4” on the album ... 108 Creator of famous fables 109 Little touches, as of paint 110 Bring to mind 111 “___ just have to do” 112 What’s the living end? 113 “Thanks ___ !” 114 Harder to collect 115 Became useless, as a battery 116 Twists about 117 Prefix with physical 118 Dog-powered vehicles 119 Concludes

DOWN

Mon. - Sat. 8am - 6pm Sunday 9am - 6pm

DETAILING SERVICES

1 Big fancy blowout 2 Already separated 3 Spanish mister 4 Lead, as a meeting 5 Except or almost 6 Some coral creatures 7 Nursemaid of India 8 Aid for the hobbled 9 Stretched out 10 Sock pattern of diamonds 11 Villainous biblical king 12 Perfect copy? 13 Baby talk 14 Permeate or impregnate 15 Planet satellites 16 Geometry finding 17 Type of cell or warfare 18 “All ___ being equal ...” 28 Distinctive historic period 29 It has a very wet mouth 30 Stuff on a board used for filing 35 Far’s partner 36 Type of synthesized music 37 Far from short 38 Exercises with a lot of bending 39 Utopia of Genesis 40 Muslim’s deity 41 Democratic Republic of the Congo’s former name 42 Twixt’s relative 43 Dickens pen name 44 ___ of Christ (one title for

OctopusCarWashFlorida.com the pope) 45 It’s 90 feet from home 48 Animal cries of distress 49 Type of pony or shirt 50 Ice cream treat popular in the 1950s 51 Urban house pest 57 Some court hearings 58 Phoenix-to-St. Louis dir. 59 Contribute, as to a poker pot 61 Cologne’s waterway, in Cologne 62 Southwestern Native American (var.) 63 Foolish or scatterbrained 64 Stopovers for the roadweary 65 Place to grab a quick lunch 66 Potato state 67 Far from inner 68 Requirements 73 Rival of USC 74 Not this 75 Neaten hedges 76 Capital of the Netherlands 77 Trend seekers 78 Missed ___ (ruined one’s stage entrance) 79 Little instrument of Hawaii 82 Eagle’s grasper 83 Lifts over ski slopes 84 Russian novelist Maxim 90 The killing of a being of divine nature 92 Hebrew alphabet openers 93 Nap in Spain 94 Ate like a chicken 95 Wedding helpers 96 One spelling for a young pig 97 Monks’ head 99 First canonical hour 100 Looked at bods on a beach 101 Very small amounts 102 Part of a bread loaf 103 Genesis twin 104 Certain Ivy League school 105 Shaped like a racetrack 106 Scream heard on a golf course 107 Cutlass maker no more

247586

B U L C

XPRESS WASH

CELEBRITY CIPHER

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“ECROTIK (XAFULYX) PLPO’C EGK RSRK DUJW CUAI GAWROLCK JU DUJW CGI ABTLOIEE CGRC RTT MIJMTI RUI YRMRFTI JD.” – WRCCGIS WJPLOI “WBV’UJ SFMSWY NBP PB MBER MKPC PCJ HJYP KZ WBV TSL ... PCJ HJYP SEJ PCJ HJYP HJTSVYJ PCJW’EJ AKZZJEJLP.” – OSFTBFO OTABMJFF

Puzzle Two Clue: R equals K

H S A W

0.61 in.

FREE Vacuum

1503 S. Collins Street 813-754-0777

ACROSS

Thursday, Aug. 10

d Unlimite

at only g n i t r a t S r month $ 17.95 pe

CROSSWORD

0.00

Puzzle One Clue: B equals G

Congratulations to this week’s I Love PC Winner. Stop in for your FREE Car Wash.

Wednesday, Aug. 9

SUDOKU

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

8-17-17

PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017

PLANT CITY’S COMMUNITY

BANK Hillsboro BANK

It all began in the summer of 1997; a small group of individuals and business leaders who envisioned what a bank should be, and who believed that Plant City could really benefit from a community bank, got together and started dreaming. They wanted a bank where customers would feel

known

understood

supported

They believed that developing a solid banking relationship was the key for individuals and businesses in our community to thrive, prosper and grow.

Personal Banking Business Banking Online Banking

Smart Banking at its BEST!

509 W. Alexander Street

1016 Bloomingdale Ave.

Plant City, FL 33563 (Main Office)

Valrico, FL 33596 (Brandon Office)

(813) 707- 6506

(813) 657-8989

DRIVE THRU: 8:00 - 5:30 Mon.-Thurs.

8:00 - 6:00 Fri.

8:00 - 6:00 Fri

LOBBY: 9:00 - 4:00 Mon. - Thurs.

9:00 - 6:00 Fri.

Discover what true relationship banking is all about, stop by and see us today!

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

hillsborobank.com

244550

249631

Friendly • Fast • Quality Service