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COMMUNITYCALENDAR FRIDAY, AUG. 21
Acoustic Happy Hour — music takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 7648818. Christian Contemporary Music — takes place from 6:33 to 8:13 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220. Michael LuBeck Live! — takes place beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-9100. Plant City Social Dance Club — takes place beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at the Florida National Guard Armory, 4004 Airport Road. Buddy Canova will play. $6 for members; $8 for nonmembers. For more information call Ken Miller at (863) 409-7714. Restless Soul — music takes place beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.
SATURDAY, AUG. 22 Patrick Gibson — music takes
place beginning at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill, 106 E. State Road 60. (813) 7374444. The Peacemakers — music takes place beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 7648818. Skip Fry Live! — takes place beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-9100. Young Adult Nite — takes place from 7:33 to 10:33 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Enjoy live music from local artists. (813) 7521220.
MONDAY, AUG. 24 City Commission Meeting — takes place beginning at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at City Hall, 302 W. Reynolds St. Plant City Area Democratic Club Meeting — takes place beginning at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at 2707 Spring Meadow Drive, Plant City. This event includes a summer social and pot luck dinner. Bring a dish to share.
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: ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com. Photos are welcome. Deadline is noon Thursday.
Drinks and paper goods will be provided. The event will include an opportunity for attendees to discuss what’s important to them about being a Democrat, how to get others involved and their issues of concern about the 2016 elections. A representative of Floridians for Fair Democracy will attend to update the club on the Voter Rights Restoration petition and ballot initiative.
BEST BET Back to School — starts at 7:30 a.m. for high schools, 8 a.m. for elementary schools and 9 a.m. for middle schools Tuesday, Aug. 25. The times listed are correct for most Hillsborough County schools, although there are a few that vary. Call your schools to confirm the bell schedule.
TUESDAY, AUG. 25 GriefShare — takes place beginning at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Hope Lutheran Baptist Church, 2001 N. Park Road. Each GriefShare session includes a video seminar and group discussion to help cope with the death of a loved one. (813) 752-4622. The Recovery for Life — takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the Lorena Jaeb Rainbow House, 504 N. Palm Drive. It is a 12-step Bible-based program to help free individuals from all forms of addiction. Debbie Ray, (813) 763-1562. YMCA Strong Leader Dinner — takes place beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the John R. Trinkle Center, 2206 E. Cherry St. Celebrate
2015 Strong Leader Award winner Joe Sedita and raise money for the Plant City YMCA.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 26 Open Mic Night — takes place beginning at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Social Security Assistance — takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at
Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Representatives from the Social Security office will be at the library to present “My Social Security.” Representatives will help you create your free personal “My Social Security” online account. Your online account allows access to view benefits including: keeping track of your earnings, estimate of your future benefits, manage your benefits, change your address, get a replacement Medicare card and more. Free and open
to the public. Library staff may be reached at (813) 7579215. Questions about the program may be directed toward Adult Services Librarian Lisa Kreutter.
THURSDAY, AUG. 27 Cornhole Thursday — takes place beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-9100.
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By Emily Topper | Staff Writer
FEEL GOOD FOOD by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Sollenberger resigns from WLCA board
WLCA Vice President Dave Sollenberger will be moving to North Carolina in October with his family.
Amber Jurgensen
John Belcher, Michael Ambrosino and Leon Fisher would like to bring more action stations to Alexander’s Cafe and their catering events, including a pickyour-own veggie sauté.
Q&A JOHN BELCHER Favorite dish to make? French cuisine — veal, cream-based, herbs. If you were a food, which would you be? Probably a dessert — tiramisu. It’s so intricate but so delicious. Favorite food? Pasta. MIKE AMBROSINO Favorite dish to make? Pan-seared salmon with a chipotle glaze. If you were a food, which would you be? A piece of filet mignon because I’m tender. I have compassion for my workers. I give them the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes I need to be tough, like cheap steak. Favorite food? Pasta. It’s so darn good. LEON FISHER What is your favorite dish from John and from Michael? Mike — I like his salmon. John — prime rib. He has to cook it. If you were a food, which would you be? Filet mignon. It’s pretty tasty. Favorite food? Pasta.
9-1-YUM Alexander’s Cafe and 911 catering have come a long way since John Belcher took over in 2001, and he and his team aren’t done innovating for the palate yet.
You have to be quick to snag one of the new fusion waters from the shelf at Alexander’s Cafe in South Florida Baptist Hospital. Food and Nutrition Services goes through two cases a day. Fragrant fruit floats in filtered water in an ice-cold mason jar. Each one is designed for a specific purpose: boosting the immune system, detoxing, losing weight, increasing energy. It’s the latest creation to come out of the hospital’s kitchen, which is well known around the community for its fantastic buffet line at Alexander’s Cafe, patient meals and 911 Catering, a branch that serves the biggest fundraisers and parties from St. Petersburg to Orlando. John Belcher, the manger of food and nutrition, is the brains behind the new beverage. Since he started at South Florida Baptist Hospital in 2001 Belcher has brought many fresh ideas to the table. His Martini Salad Bar has all the ingredients of a gourmet salad that are mixed in a shaker, much like a martini. His morning doughnuts aren’t the type you can pick up on your way to work: they’re flambé glazed with brandy and served over coffee ice cream. He was even the one to come up with the concept and branding for Alexander’s Cafe. And he isn’t stopping with the innovation yet. After rolling out patient room service in February, he has plans to add action stations, such as a quesadilla bar, pick-your-own veggie sauté or upscale grilled
ICE COLD In addition to food, John Belcher also creates many of the ice sculptures seen at the events 911 Catering serves. He keeps the picks to pick up the 300-pound blocks of ice in a cabinet in his office. Depending on the design, he can chip a work of art in 45 minutes. He does most of the sculptures outside, where he has to temper the ice by putting it in a trash bag first. If he doesn’t temper the ice, it will shatter while he’s working. His favorite thing to create is swans.
cheese bar, to the cafe and 911 Catering. He also wants to purchase an ambulance for 911 Catering to travel in instead of the vans they use. “I always look for new ideas and ways to present things,” Belcher said. His knack comes from his desire to “showcase” food and create an experience for his patrons, but not everyone was onboard at first. He used to do the weekly menu 13 years ago, fusing the entrees with an upscale twist. “People were looking at the wording on the menu like, ‘What is that?’” Belcher said. Originally Belcher is from Boston. He wasn’t used to the homestyle cooking that is pop-
ular in Plant City. “It was a learning curve,” Belcher said. “I had to learn how to make grits, fried green tomatoes, hominy, greens … I went back to Boston recently looking for grits with my breakfast.” Belcher is one third of the team that brings the Winter Strawberry Capital of theWorld some of the best in dining. Executive Chef Michael Ambrosino came on the scene after an invitation from Belcher. “John’s always challenges me and always teaching me,” Ambrosino said. The Staten Island native got his start washing dishes, cleaning mussels and deveining shrimp at mom-and-pop restaurants in New York. He carried his love for seafood with him throughout his career, which included owning his own Greek restaurant in Pennsylvania and working for a variety of hotels. “I like seafood,” Ambrosino said. “(Most of our patrons) like comfort food. I can experiment with the doctors. They’ll try anything.” One of the most interesting parts of his job is creating dishes that are culturally friendly to the doctors’ religions, such as a kosher diet. For what Belcher and Ambrosino have in flavor, Leon Fisher has in customer service. Fisher, the food and nutrition coordinator, can be seen at
many galas, fundraisers and parties, including the hospital’s Diamonds and Denim dinner, Rotary Club social events and inductions, and the Celebrity Chef Dinner for the United Food Bank. Fisher started at the hospital in 2003. Before that he worked at a variety of hotels in Nashville, Atlanta and Florida. He didn’t want to leave Florida’s warm climate when he visited over 30 years ago, and he’s been here ever since. “I treat (911 Catering) as my own,” Fisher said. “I want it done right.” 911 Catering has distinguished itself as a go-to for events in Plant City. All three have worked on private parties of eight to banquets of 800. The basic staff that works for the catering branch is made up of five employees. For bigger events, Belcher contracts out more. “The thing I love about catering is that it’s our community,” Ambrosino said. “The community supports the hospital, and we support the community.” Catering for the hospital and the culinary scene in general has cooked up some interesting opportunities for all three. They’ve met celebrities like Queen Latifah, Lil’ Kim and LL Cool J, and a slew of Lightning and Buccaneers athletes. “We’ve just done a lot,” Belcher said.
The Walden Lake Community Association board has a new vacancy. At the Monday, Aug. 17, meeting, WLCA Vice President Dave Sollenberger announced his resignation. The former city manager is moving to Charlotte, North Carolina in October to be closer to his family. “I have really enjoyed working with each and every one of you,” Sollenberger said. “I just feel honored that I was elected to serve on this board. It’s been 10 years since we’ve lived near any of our living relatives … we’re looking forward to that.” Sollenberger was elected to the WLCA board in April. “Dave has been a significant contributor to the board,” WLCA President Bob Hunter said, noting Sollenberger’s vast experience in organization and broad perspective on a variety of subjects. “We wish him well on his move with his family.” In his final meeting on the board, Sollenberger proposed a motion that would endWLCA meetings at 10 p.m., unless another board member made a motion to extend the meeting. The vote was approved. The WLCA board will be accepting resumes through the end of the month to fill the open vacancy, which will be a board appointment. The vice president position has two and one half years left in the term, and the board hopes to make a decision in early September.
POLICIES
Previously, the WLCA board was unable to find any record of a policy of paid time off for Walden Lake’s three employees: Marlene Merrin, community administrator for over 10 years; Bette Guarino, administrative assistant for 7 years; and Larry Truman, maintenance technician for over 10 years. After much discussion, the board approved 18 days paid time off for employees who had worked for Walden Lake for 10 years or more, which includes sick leave and annual leave. Employees who have worked for less than 10 years will be given 12 days paid time off. The board voted to include Guarino into the paid time off policy for employees over 10 years. If a new employee is hired, they will be given the standard 12 days paid time off. All employees were also given one half day off on Christmas Eve Day, as well as the day after Thanksgiving. The board also created a contract with Greenacre Properties Inc. Greenacre has been doing Walden Lake’s payroll since January, but no written clause existed. The board created a clause that allowed either party to terminate the agreement with 60 days notice.
VICE PRESIDENT VACANCY Resumes can be dropped off at the Walden Lake office or emailed to WLCA President Bob Hunter. Office: 3035 Griffin Boulevard Email: bobhunter@wlcaboard. com
IN OTHER NEWS • Construction will begin on the entrance of Walden Lake at Timberlane Road and Alexander Street at the end of the month. A turn lane will be added from Timberlane Road to Alexander Street. The project is expected to be completed by the beginning of December. • The WLCA website is continuing its renovation, and will be completed in the middle of September. The 900 existing registered users for the old website will be transferred to the new server. • Approximately 43 homes in the Walden Lake community are behind on their dues.
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3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP STARR / PAGE 1 one of the first pen portraits that Starr had done.
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Around the time he first drew the Christopher Walken portrait, the idea of creating such detailed pieces with a ballpoint pen wasn’t widespread. Starr was laughed at when he went to an art store and asked an employee what pens were best to draw with. But it was that sense of impossibility that may have been what caused him to begin using pens in the first place. “It wasn’t really anywhere,” he said. “I like taking things that you wouldn’t normally be able to produce and doing it.” The Christopher Walken piece took about 70 hours, which Starr completed while he worked full-time and owned his own business. He went through seven pens while working on the portrait. “It took forever,” Starr said. “I was determined. I was going to do this. You can’t screw up, you can’t erase.” As he was entering the final stretch of the drawing, his ballpoint pen exploded. He had to take an X-ACTO knife to rub off a layer of paper so that he could fix and finish the portrait. Later, he sold it in an eBay auction. “I don’t try to sell them really,” he said. “I should try to do more shows. Everything I do is kind of under the radar. I don’t care if people know about it.” Although the amount of work involved in completing one piece can seem daunting, Starr doesn’t rush his creative process. He said his mood has a lot to do with his projects, and that many things have to align for him to shift into his creative zone. “There’s coffee involved,” he said. “Music can help, as long as there’s a beat that gets me in the mood.”
Starr lives off a main road in Plant City, so filtering out noise and the sounds of traffic is a necessity. He often listens to NOFX or Radiohead when working, and enjoys dubstep. “There’s a certain flow in certain songs that kind of help,” he said. Mostly, it’s the roadblocks that he faces during the artistic process that truly serve as his motivation. He describes himself as an impatient person, but finds the limiting, tedious details — such as making the tiniest of pen marks on paper — almost cathartic.
INNOVATOR
The ballpoint pen drawings are mostly done as Starr’s artistic hobby. He says that 90% of his work comes from doing freelance graphic design in Plant City. He has done design work for vehicle wraps, including a boat wrap for Shaquille O’Neal, and he created the upcoming football guide cover for the Plant City Times & Observer. He has also designed a number of book and album covers, and logos for businesses. Starr doesn’t restrict himself to the 2-D world. He purchased his own 3-D printer and other cutting edge equipment, which he uses to design monster trucks. After the trucks are designed using computer software, he prints the prototype pieces out and builds them out of styrofoam. “It’s very tedious and technical and very hard, but for some reason I like doing it,” Starr said. He hopes that the monster truck designs will soon become one of his main projects. “All of that is going to eventually help me in the future,” he said of the technology he owns. “Most of the projects I do … people have this weird idea, and I have to figure out how to do it. It’s really hard
Courtesy
Jesse Starr designed an album cover for Plant City musician Ed Verner.
CONTACT JESSE STARR Website: JesseStarr.com Email: jessestarrart@ gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/ JesseStarrArt Instagram: @JesseStarrArt to find people who are likeminded in this department. I meet them every now and then, but it’s few and far between.” Starr is currently looking for other innovators and designers to work with, as well as new clients. His ultimate dream is to have a studio where he can produce any item that a client may need. The facility would double as a location where those interested in the field can come and teach themselves new technology. Starr prides himself on being self taught and calls himself a computer super nerd.
VANDALISM / PAGE 1
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October as students begin to get settled back into their normal school routine. It’s not just graffiti, as some might expect. Most vandalism cases in Plant City typically consist of damage to personal property, such as a scratched car or a broken window. Vandalism can also occur subsequent to other crimes, such as breaking and entering. “More often than not, incidents occur on private residences,” Van Duyne said. “It can happen at any time of the day. We try to stop things before they occur.” Van Duyne said that vandalism is not exclusively juveniles but also can stem from domestic issues, especially between couples. “It’s not consistent, but it’s generally an even split,” he said.
MISDEMEANOR PROCEDURES
If a vandalism case does involve a minor, officers will first speak with the victim to de-
EAKINS / PAGE 1
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culture across the district, which develops from having great teachers who model great character, and a behavioral support plan and classroom procedures that have an equal balance between rules, consequences and rewards. Eakins said that a teacher’s professional growth should be completely supported, but that their evaluation process — such as for district positions — begins in the classroom. “Your interview has already started,” he said. At the Aug. 17 meeting, Eakins reminded faculty and staff that they were all focused on
The only training he’s ever had was from his high school art classes — which he failed — and College for Kids during the summer, at Hillsborough Community College’s Plant City campus. “I failed every art class I ever took,” he said. In high school, Starr didn’t do his homework and instead chose to go home and design rotating logos that were used in the school’s morning announcements. He believes that any aspiring artists should take time to learn on their own and become self-taught. “The more people that know how to do it, the more people will want to do it,” Starr said. “I’ve touched on a lot of different things that are off the wall and different, and made a good living. I want to be able to make enough money and keep doing what I want to do, and create things.” Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver. com.
termine if they want to press charges. If they do, an arrest affidavit will be filled out, which a parent of the minor must sign. The parent must also accompany a minor to a juvenile court hearing before a judge. There, the minor is often assigned community service. “Most people in the city are
forgiving,” Van Duyne said. “We will write a report, but the victim might just want an apology.” Even if the victim is willing to overlook the offense, Van Duyne and other PCPD officers want to ensure that the incident will not happen again. Officers explain to minors that
their actions not only have negative consequences for themselves but also for their parents and the police department. When these incidents are reported, the police department loses time that they could be dedicating to more pressing issues in the city, Van Duyne said. “One of the things we try to convey is that they are putting the parents in an embarrassing situation,” he said. “There are more one-time offenders. We do try to be proactive and thwart those types of things before they happen.” Currently, the PCPD has a five-minute response time. However, officers still rely on citizens to be the eyes and ears of the city. “The city is growing and we’re only going to be as effective as the personnel we have,” Van Duyne said. “When the sun goes down, a lot of things happen that a lot of people don’t know about. We rely on our citizens.” Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver. com.
the same goal: to help kids succeed. “It doesn’t matter what your role is, we’re all in it for the same reason,” he said. “We exist in this profession to serve kids.” This year, the school district has a new vision of preparing students for life. For the last 10 years, the goal of the school district has been to have Hillsborough County schools be in the top 1% of schools in the nation. However, Eakins does not want to start off the school year focused on data. “That’s not where it has to start,” Eakins said. “It has to start with people caring about
kids. Notice life does not just mean academics.” In his speech, Eakins explained the importance of establishing relationships with students and giving them a path for the future. The goal, he said, was not just to get them across the stage by the time of their high school graduation, but to give them a direction and a plan for their life after that. “We sold ourselves short if students after graduation have no direction,” Eakins said. The desire to help kids succeed in life can not just come from teachers, Eakins said. He noted the importance of clerical workers, custodial staff, bus
drivers and guidance counselors as leaders in the life of a student. “We are all interconnected,” he said. “Every person must be an advocate for children.” At the end of his speech, Eakins reminded teachers that they are molding students to be persistent about not giving up — and that they need someone who won’t give up on them. “You are the person who can help them … start overcoming barriers,” Eakins said. “You will change lives this year, I know you will.” Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver. com.
Emily Topper
Sgt. Alfred Van Duyne has seen a spike in vandalism rates in July, but expects that the numbers will decrease as students begin to return to school.
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COPS CORNER PLANT CITY
The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Plant City Police Department.
AUGUST 2
SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
1700 block of Hughes Drive. Auto theft/recovered. Officers responded to a residence in reference to a reported stolen vehicle. Complainant stated that, while she was out of the country, she left her Chevrolet Aveo in her mother’s care. The mother let her son borrow the vehicle July 25. The son then loaned the car to a man for two hours, but the man then loaned the car to a female. When the complainant returned home, she noticed that the car was missing and attempted to locate it. The man refused to answer phone calls or talk about the woman to whom he loaned the Aveo, and the car was then registered as a stolen vehicle. It was later found on Jerry Smith Road by the complainant, who did not pursue charges and signed a waiver of prosecution.
JULY 31
FREELOADER FILING
1700 block of Oakwood Estates Drive. Fraud. Officers responded to a residence in reference to a reported tax fraud. Complainant stated that, using her social security number, unknown suspect(s) filed taxes and received a federal return. The complainant had filed her 2014 taxes this February but did not get a return and learned of the fraud when the IRS contacted her. There were no leads, and the complainant signed a waiver of prosecution.
responded to a residence in reference to a reported vehicle burglary. Complainant stated that unknown suspect(s) entered her Toyota Yaris. Although nothing was reported missing, the vehicle was ransacked. She had left the car unlocked. Complainant did not request further investigation and signed a waiver of prosecution.
PLAYING WITH FIRE
1500 block of North Wheeler St. Criminal mischief. A report was taken after unknown suspect(s) damaged the window and door of a patrol car.
AUGUST 2
STOP THAT SUZUKI
BAD SALESMEN
900 block of West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Theft. Officers responded to a business in reference to a reported theft. Complainant stated that unknown suspect(s) had stolen a green Suzuki ATV, two batteries, a generator and a pressure washer.
1700 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Information report. Officers at a business were approached by two complainants, who stated that two suspects entered vehicles near McCall Park in the evening, stole an iPhone from one of the vehicles and then attempted to sell it to the complainants. Officers located the suspects, one of whom was a juvenile, at the intersection of North
AUGUST 1
LOCK IT UP
3900 block of Creek Woods Drive. Vehicle burglary. Officers
Collins Street and East Reynolds Street. The adult denied involvement with the burglaries and requested to leave. No vehicle burglary incidents were reported during the shift.
KEEP THE KEYS
4300 block of Reynolds Knoll. Auto theft. Officers responded to a residence in reference to a reported vehicle burglary and auto theft. Complainant stated that unknown suspect(s) entered his Chevrolet vehicle and stole the keys to his place of work, as well as the keys to his blue 2007 Volkswagen Passat. The Passat was then stolen.
NICE TRY
2300 block of North Park Road. Counterfeit bill. Officers responded to a business in reference to a customer attempting to pay for a meal with a counterfeit $100 bill.
CUTESTCRITTER
O
tto is the most fashionable pup in Plant City. Turkey Creek Animal Hospital and Animal Wellness Center have partnered to present a weekly Cutest Critter Contest. Entering is simple: Just submit a highresolution photo (200 dpi or better) and a sentence or two about why your pet is the cutest. Include your name and contact information. Winners will be showcased in the Plant City Times & Observer and will receive a free bag of dental chews to be picked up at Turkey Creek Animal Hospital and Animal Wellness Center. Submit your entries to Managing Editor Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@ plantcityobserver.com; subject line: Cutest Critter.
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We want to hear from you. Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements. To contact us, send your information via: Email: Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com. Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563
CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Fridays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City. The Plant City Times & Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A. If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.
Plant City Times &
Observer
Publisher / Karen Berry, kdberry@inthefieldmagazine.com General Manager/Executive Editor / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com General Manager/Advertising / Stacey Hudson, shudson@tampabay.com Managing Editor / Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writers / Justin Kline, jkline@PlantCityObserver.com; Emily Topper, etopper@ PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Executive / Nikki McAlpine, nmcalpine@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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LEADERSHIP by Jose Lozoya | Staff Intern
P.C. YMCA to honor Sedita with Strong Leader Award
Joe Sedita will accept the award at a dinner hosted by the YMCA. For the past 12 years, the Plant City YMCA has hosted a Strong Leader Dinner. The dinner is held in honor of the recipient of the YMCA’s Strong Leader Award, who is handpicked by the YMCA and its staff. This year, the YMCA chose Joe Sedita as the honoree for the 13th annual dinner. Sedita, 67, is the founder of the accounting and financial management firms Sedita Kilton & Company and Sedita Kilton Life & Wealth Management. Among his accomplishments include being honored as Plant City’s 2013 Outstanding Citizen of the Year for making a significant, positive impact on Plant City. He is a disaster recovery team member for the First United Methodist Church of Plant City. The team helped clean up after a tornado ravaged a town last year in Alabama. He is also a member of the Plant City Toastmasters, which he helped establish in 1985; a Boy Scout Cubmaster; assistant Scoutmaster; PTA officer; and Sunday school teacher and tutor. Sedita has had various leadership roles in the Plant City Boys & Girls Club and Plant City Chamber of Commerce. “My mission is to find and use my God-given gifts to make a positive difference in the world, to live adventurously, and to help and encourage the people and organizations I work with to face their fears and live their dreams” Sedita said. Sedita’s journey in Plant City started in 1971. Sedita and his wife, Paula Sedita, found a sense of belonging when they first moved to Plant City and decided to establish themselves in the Winter Straw-
Courtesy photo
STRONG LEADER AWARD DINNER HONORING JOE SEDITA When: Tuesday, Aug 25 Cocktails: 6:30 p.m. Dinner: 7 p.m. Program: 8 p.m. Where: John R. Trinkle Center at HCC campus in Plant City, 1206 N. Park Road berry Captial of the World after realizing that it was a great place to raise children and start a business. Shortly after starting his business, Sedita became involved in the Plant City community and continued to grow as a businessman and a role model. “I was already an adult when we got here, but this is where I grew up,” Sedita said. Sedita remembers one of his bravest moments in his career. It was in 1997, when Sedita was invited to speak to Plant City High School’s 1997 senior class. “I stood in front of 500 high school seniors, spoke to them for a little more than 20 min-
utes and lived to tell about it,” Sedita said. “I hope they got something out of what I said.” Working with children in the Boy Scouts and the Boys & Girls Club helped fulfill his mission to encourage and make a positive change in the world. “I think what gave me the greatest sense of satisfaction and accomplishment over the years was working with kids,” Sedita said. “I don’t think there is anything more important that we can do than lift up kids, to encourage them and serve as a role model for them.” In addition to his professional and community work, Sedita’s favorite hobbies are spending time with his family, traveling, public speaking and kayaking. Sedita retired from his CPA firm in 2014 and has since been spending some time in Tennessee with Paula Sedita. He expects to return to Plant City for the dinner and enjoy time with friends he hasn’t seen in a while. “Being the honoree at this year’s dinner is humbling, of course, and scary, too, in some sense,” Sedita said. Scary because Sedita is sometimes uncomfortable being in the spotlight. Regardless, it doesn’t take away from how grateful he feels about the honor, and he is looking forward to the night . “I think we will laugh a lot at the dinner,” Sedita said. “I’ll probably do some squirming, there may be a tear or two, but most of all, I hope we raise a significant amount of money for the Y.” All proceeds from the dinner benefit children and families in Plant City through YMCA programs and services.
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HAPPY RETIREMENT by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
College and career counselor retires after 15 years at PCHS
Now retired, Sherrie Mueller will focus on volunteerism after a career of helping students achieve success. From freshman year to graduation, life after high school is one of the most important subjects on students’ minds. For the last 15 years, Sherrie Mueller has been helping students achieve their post-graduate goals as Plant City High School’s college and career counselor. Now it is Mueller’s time to move on to the next stage in her life. She retired Aug. 1, but teachers and students won’t forget the contributions that she made to the school during her career. Seven years prior to becoming the college and career counselor, Mueller, who has a degree in accounting from the University of Florida, worked as a volunteer while her children attended PCHS. After they went to college, she was called mid-year to fill the open position, which she gladly accepted. From the start, Mueller’s goal was to increase the number of students who had postgraduate plans at the end of high school. When she started as the college and career counselor, only 60% of students had plans in place, which included pursuing higher education, joining the military or getting a job. By the time of her retirement, over 90% of students knew what they wanted to pursue after graduation. Mueller said part of the reason for this increase was because students were given more options and encouraged to pursue their goals. “We wanted kids to say, ‘I can do that,’ Mueller said. “It evolved into more than a job for me. It was more of a passion.”
Mueller also sat down individually with students and went over their college applications with them. She encouraged students not to rush through the application process and taught them how to create a proper resume. “It’s helping them establish themselves,” she said. “It makes them so proud.”
FUTURE PLANS
Emily Topper
Sherrie Mueller was the college and career counselor at PCHS for 15 years and helped the scholarship program grow.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Scholarships were especially helpful to students who did not have money for college. The scholarship program at Plant City High School grew from a few thousand dollars each year to over 70 donors presenting scholarships at the school’s award night, held every April. Two weeks after the awards night is the honor banquet for graduating seniors who have maintained a 4.0 grade point average. The event is held at the John R. Trinkle Center, and is a prestigious event complete with crystal, china and candlelight. Mueller had to raise $10,000 to put on the event. This past year, about 170 graduates were honored with dinner and personalized gifts, such as monogrammed beach towels. “I couldn’t pull this off by myself,” Mueller said. “Because of the scope of the job, I relied on a lot of parent volunteers. The parents are very helpful.”
Mueller said that the prestige of the banquet has encouraged other students to work harder to maintain the perfect grade point average. Parents are also invited to the event, where they can take pictures with their honor student and the principal. Mueller also made sure that students and their parents were aware of essay contests and other opportunities that would allow them to earn money for college. She put the information in the school’s monthly newsletter, which was available online and emailed to parents. Mueller had a file system for scholarships. She made copies of each application and created a scholarship board in her office of the scholarship’s requirements, deadline and award amount. Each Thursday, she donned a college shirt and went on the morning announcements to discuss opportunities with students. She gave seminars, conducted night programs and encouraged parents to fill out necessary forms, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The more students knew about possibilities the more they could take advantage of them, Mueller said. “Anytime any of the students won, I won too,” she said. “The best part was seeing their achievements. It’s satisfying to see them reach milestones.”
Now that she is officially retired, Mueller is looking forward to traveling, doing zumba and spending time with her friends and family. Currently, Mueller attends First Baptist Church of Plant City and is one of the Library Board’s newest members. “I’m taking what I know and applying it to a different avenue,” she said. “I do know my area. I feel like I know it well.” Mueller plans to continue to be involved with Interact, formerly Civinettes, which she co-sponsored with Jo Beth Newsome. Each month, members of the club feed the homeless. Mueller is also a former Florida Strawberry Festival queen and helps staff the festival’s information booths. She has two trips planned so far, one to Jackson Hole in Wyoming and one to Greece. The best rates for travel, she said, are during school days. In the past, it has been hard for her to fit all of her travel into one summer. Mueller will also see her family more, especially her six grandchildren who are based in Tampa and Plant City. She is looking forward to attending their schoolrelated events and eventually helping them with their college applications. Like her and her two sons, she hopes that her grandchildren will also attend the University of Florida. She still continues to answer emails from students. “Most of them know how to contact me because I’m very active in town,” Mueller said. “I love hearing from them and just knowing they did it. I gave it everything I had. It was rewarding.” Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver. com.
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BANDMATES by the Times & Observer staff
Daniela Negron practiced her tuba.
Music Makers The Strawberry Crest band students practiced long hours to ensure success.
As the school year is set to start Tuesday, Aug. 25, members of area high school bands prepare with day-long practices in the weeks leading up to the first day. There was sweet music to the ears in the Strawberry Crest High School courtyard last week. Students in the band attended the annual summer band camp in the sun. On Saturday, Aug. 15, Durant High School band
members performed the drills they learned in band camp for their friends and family. Parents were invited on the field to learn a few basic marching steps, followed by a BBQ for all in attendance. Plant City High School band got on the field the week of Aug. 17 to make sure its drills and formations hit a high note. This year, the band is under the direction of Joshua Blair.
A clarinet player demonstrated the proper technique.
Brianna Kurtz Anthony Campbell
Band members performed the drills that they had learned during band camp for friends and family members.
O
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OBSERVER
OBITUARIES Richard R. Adicks Jr.
Dr. Richard R. Adicks Jr. died Aug. 15, 2015 at Florida Presbyterian Homes in Lakeland. A sixth-generation Floridian, Adicks was born in Lake City, Florida Aug. 19, 1932 to parents Inez Duncan Adicks and Richard R. Adicks Sr. He attended Lake City Schools and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He was awarded a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in English from the University of Florida. He served two years in the United States Army, including a year in Germany. He taught English and United States history in high schools in Plant City and St. Petersburg and was an instructor of English at Rollins College. His graduate studies took him to University of North Carolina and University of Virginia before he completed his Ph.D. at Tulane University. After teaching three years in the English department at Georgia Tech, he joined the charter faculty of University of Central Florida in 1968. At UCF, he taught more than 30 courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels from Victorian Literature to the Homeric epics and the Bible as literature. He taught in the FSU Study Center in Florence, Italy and was a Fulbright lecturer in 1997-98 at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. In 1992, he was presented with the UCF Excellence in Teaching Award and was honored as the 2006 Distinguished Colleague by the Florida College English Association for his significant and sustained contributions to teaching, scholarship and service. He retired
from UCF in 1999 as Professor Emeritus. In addition to articles on literature, Mr. Adicks is the author of “A Court for Owls,” a novel about Lewis (Paine) Powell’s role in the Lincoln assassination. He co-authored “Oviedo: Biography of a Town” and was one of 10 co-authors of “The Book Lover’s Guide to Florida.” Through his diligent and tireless genealogical research, he was awarded the certificate as a Florida Pioneer Descendant by the Florida State Genealogical Society. During his 43 year in Oviedo, he held many offices at the First United Methodist Church of Oviedo, served as a troop committee member for Boy Scout Troop 608, served as a member of the Seminole County Historical Society Commission and as president of Florida College English Association. He was one of the original organizers of the Oviedo Historical Society and served as its president. He was active in the American Legion Post 243 in Oviedo. Recently at Florida Presbyterian Homes, he served as president of the residents association. He had a deep appreciation for the performing arts, and enjoyed travel and exploring nature. He was passionate in mentoring his students and grandchildren as well as nieces and nephews. He will be missed by the many he has influenced across the world. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mildred Carlton Adicks; daughter Jennifer Harnage (Terry); grandchildren Melissa and David Harnage; and sister Joanna Adicks Wallace. Visitation will be from 1 to 2
p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at First United Methodist Church of Oviedo, 263 King Street, Oviedo, with memorial service to follow at 2 p.m. A memorial service will also be held at Florida Presbyterian Homes Chapel in Lakeland Saturday, Aug. 29, at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donation to Bread for the World, United Methodist Committee on Relief, United Methodist Children’s Home or your favorite charity.
Georgia Ballard
Georgia Ballard, 82, of Plant City, died Aug. 14, 2015. Mrs. Ballard is survived by her children, Alan Ballard (Kay) and Charles “Randy” Ballard (Sharon); daughter-in-law, Cindy Ballard; grandchildren, Tara Krasnichan, Amy Haney, J.B., Charles and Daniel Ballard; great-grandchildren, T.J. Krasnichan, Ryan Haney and Isabella “Bella” Garcia; and sister, Betty Anderson. She was preceded in death by her husband, J.B. Ballard; and son, Timothy Ballard. The family received friends Wednesday, Aug. 19, at Hopewell Funeral Home. A celebration of life was held Thursday, Aug. 20, at Sydney Baptist Church. A committal followed at Salem Cemetery in Dover. Online condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral. com.
Samuel H. Barbee
Samuel H. Barbee, 75, of Plant City, died Aug. 11, 2015. Mr. Barbee was of the Baptist faith and he enjoyed fishing. He and his wife, Amanda, visited SeaWorld every year since the park opened. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Amanda Barbee; son,
Samuel Barbee Jr.; daughters, Margaret Birt (Randall) and Sue Sands; seven grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brothers, David and Edgar George Barbee. A graveside service was held Friday, Aug. 14 at Memorial Park Cemetery in Plant City. Online condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.
Orton Barnhart Jr.
Orton Barnhart Jr., 90, of Lakeland, died Aug. 10, 2015. Mr. Barnhart was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Faye. He is survived by his children, Linda Kaye Coleman (Bill), Dennis Barnhart and Joye Reagan (Bill); grandchildren, Samantha, Kevin, Dewayne and Kristi; and greatgrandchildren, Breanna, Karis, Caden, Katie, Mady, Mason, Maddox and Miles. A celebration of life was held Friday, Aug. 14, at Hopewell Funeral Home. A committal followed at Hopewell Memorial Gardens in Plant City. Online condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
Charles William Capps
Charles William “Billy” Capps, 85, of Balm, Florida, died Aug. 9, 2015. Mr. Capps is survived by his wife of 65 years, Peggy; daughters, Brenda Hayden (Jack), Karen Stanaland (Ricky), and Charla Kerwin (Mitch); grandchildren, Jonathan Hayden, Jacqueline Hayden, Suzanne Raburn, Kalyn Parrish, Brentley Kerwin and Riley Kerwin; six great-grandchildren; sister, Barbara Miller (Eldridge); niece, Melissa Taylor and her daughter, Victoria; and many loving family and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, William Henry and Cora Davis Capps; and brother, Joel Capps. A celebration of life was held Thursday, Aug. 13, at Welcome Baptist Church in Lithia. A committal followed at Fellowship Cemetery in Wimauma. Online condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral. com.
Mary Francis Exum
Mary Francis Exum died Aug. 10, 2015 in Plant City. Ms. Exum was born July 17, 1943 in Omega, Georgia. She was raised by her grandparents, Evertt and Ettie Mae Fambro. She is survived by her sisters, Shirley Hobbs and Linda Simmons (Donnie); brother, Donald Exum (Melba); and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her father, Irivin G. Exum, and mother, Ruby L. Freeman. The family would like to thank the caring people at Pleasant Manor. Visitation with family and friends was held Thursday, Aug. 13, at Wells Memorial and Event Center, followed by a funeral service. Online condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.
Albert Hall
Albert “Al” Hall, 62, of Riverview, died Aug. 13, 2015. Mr. Hall was a mechanic at Rogers Park Golf Course in Tampa for over 30 years. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Beverly; children, James W. Hall (Crystal) and Christina Brown (JT); grandchildren, Tyler, Wyatt and Aiden; and siblings, Faye Davisson, Billy Ray Hall (Marsha), Betty Maher (Jimmy), Linda Acosta and Nora Martinez (Ron). The family received friends Tuesday, Aug. 18, at Hopewell Funeral Home in Plant City. A graveside service was held Wednesday, Aug. 18, at Bethlehem Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral. com.
Doris Jane Headen
Doris Jane (Kimsey) Headen died Aug. 11, 2015. Mrs. Headen was born on Dec. 18, 1942 and was delivered by her grandmother at home in Ducktown, Tennessee. She is the eldest daughter of George Edward Kimsey and Helen Marie Mason, of Cherokee and Cree Indian descent. She was married to Ernest Franklin Headen for 55 years. The two met on Valentine’s Day and were married three
months later. Mrs. Headen traveled the world and the United States, living in many places she visited. Her favorite foreign country was Saudi Arabia, where she lived twice for a total of about four years. Mrs. Headen was a professionally trained waitress in the 1960s and interior designer. She also sold time shares in Bronson, Missouri. Mrs. Headen had four children, Ernest Miles, Cheryl Lynne Headen, David Allan Headen and Jackie Eugene Kimsey. She was “the Momma” and was completely devoted to her husband and children. Mrs. Headen is survived by siblings, Loretta Howell, Regina Lou Fox, Theda Jannie Woodyard and Chandler Kimsey. The family received friends Tuesday, Aug. 18, at Wells Memorial and Event Center. A funeral service and burial followed at Florida National Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.
Alvin Guthrie
Alvin “Bud” Guthrie, 95, of Lithia, died Aug. 11, 2015. Mr. Guthrie was born in Tampa and was a veteran of the United States Army, having served during WWII in New Guinea. He is survived by his children, Dale Guthrie, Sharon Campbell (Jim), Gerry Bako (Ron) and Jan Morin; grandchildren, Dale Hatmaker Jr., Jim Campbell, Jason Guthrie, Angel Guthrie and Melissa Hatmaker; brother, E.J. Guthrie (Clara); and many great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Jo Rae; parents, Lindsey and Daisy Guthrie; and brother, Louis, Ralph, Rudy and Kenneth Guthrie. A celebration of life was held Monday, Aug. 17, at Crossroads Baptist Church. A committal followed at Alderman Pelote Cemetery in Lithia. Online condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral. com.
Sports
YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Nicholas Strickler takes first in golf tourney. 14 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
SIDELINES
Do you have a good Sports scoop for us? Email Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver. com, or Tweet us at @ PCTOSports.
FISHING
+ Strawberry Crest students compete
Strawberry Crest students Colten Smith, Rafet White, Russell Butler Jr. and Jonathan North competed in the Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship from July 22 to 25. In the tournament, held on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee, the tandem of Smith and White placed 52nd, and the tandem of Butler-North placed 67th in the field of 134 duos. It was the last high school tournament for White, who graduated this spring. Smith, Butler and North are all incoming sophomores.
FOOTBALL by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? CHAD SCOTT Former Plant City High running back Chad Scott is entering his third year as a coach with his alma mater, the University of Kentucky. He’s hoping that a strong run game can make the Wildcats football-relevant.
Longtime Plant City Raiders fans will remember 1998, when the football team went undefeated throughout the regular season under head coach Todd Long. That team was loaded with talent, such as then-junior running back Chad Scott. These days, Scott is still heavily involved with football’s ground game and couldn’t be happier with the way things have turned out. He’s about to enter his third season coaching running backs at the University of Kentucky, where he played college football, and will be coordinating the running game for the second year. Scott’s expecta-
tions for his group are higher than they may have ever been, but he believes the players are up to the task. “We had a pretty decent year running last year, but we’re much more talented with the group I have now than last year,” Scott says. “Potentially, the best group I’ve ever had as a coach.”
CARRYING FOR THE ‘CATS
Scott graduated from Plant City High in 2000, enrolling at Kentucky in the fall and playing for the Wildcats for two years. His 611-yard performance as a freshman earned him All-SEC Freshman honors, as well as
third-team All-America Freshman honors, but those aren’t the accomplishments he’ll reflect on first. “It was the first game that I rushed for 100 yards,” Scott says. “Second game of the season we played South Florida. I was thrown into the fire. I rushed for 106 yards on 14 carries. I remember it like it was yesterday.” After dealing with an injury in his second year, Scott transferred to North Carolina in 2002 for his final two years of eligibility. His best campaign was his 2004 senior season, when Scott ran for 796 yards and eight touchdowns — good
Courtesy of UK Athletics
Chad Scott is in his third year at Kentucky, and is going on his second year as the running game coordinator.
for seventh among all ACC running backs. Scott spent some time with the Pittsburgh Steelers (not to
Why you should be excited to go back to school
+ Chase returns to PCHS
REC & PARKS
+ Flag football holding sign-ups
Those who wish to have their children participate in the 49th Plant City Recreation & Parks Department/Optimist Youth Flag Football Program season can sign up now. The program is open to all kids 4 to 15, as of Nov. 1, 2015. The season runs from Sept. 26 through Nov. 14. Registration must be completed by Wednesday, Sept. 9. For more information, call (813) 659-4255 or visit PlantCityGov.com.
SEE SCOTT / PAGE 14
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
WAKEBOARDING by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
FOOTBALL
As if Plant City High football fans didn’t already have enough to be excited about this year, here’s some more good news for the program: four-star wide receiver Tavares “T.J.” Chase is back on the roster. Chase, who transferred to Bradenton-IMG Academy for his junior season, led the Ascenders in 2014 with 25 receptions and 521 yards — good for a 20.8 yards per catch average. His five touchdowns were the second-most among receivers. IMG posted a 10-1 overall record under head coach Chris Weinke, who has since left the program. The 6-foot-2 wideout, who plans to play football at Clemson next fall, says that he decided to come back because he wishes to finish his senior year where he started. “I just wanted to come back, spend my senior year back at home with my family,” Chase says. “I missed it.” While the team did get good production from Antoine Thompson in 2014, Chase is a lock to be moved to the top of the depth chart. The two should form a reliable receiving corps for junior quarterback Corey King, who now has some of the best weapons in the county at his disposal. “I’m looking forward to making plays and putting Plant City on the map,” Chase says.
be confused with former cornerback Chad Scott), New York Giants and Cleveland Browns before joining Kentucky’s staff as a video assistant in 2006. He joined the Troy Trojans in 2007 as an assistant running backs coach. In one year, he helped improve the rushing attack from 66th to 35th in the nation. In his final season, Troy boasted the third-best offense in the nation. In 2010, he moved on to Texas Tech and also improved their running game, going from 115th in 2009 to 75th in 2010. The Red Raiders improved each year he was there, and Scott ended his time there with a win over Minnesota in the 2012 Meineke Car Care Bowl. Scott then joined the Ken-
The World is
AWAKE
Chandler Powell, a recent Strawberry Crest graduate, moonlights as one of the top young wakeboarders in the world.
but since McCormick’s is right next to my house I was going every day. I pretty much had no excuse not to.”
This spring, Chandler Powell graduated from Strawberry Crest’s IB program and wrapped up a high school career marked by hard work. He’s now getting ready for business school at the University of Central Florida. But Chandler Powell’s road to graduation wasn’t as simple as that of his classmates, nor is he likely to be defined by what showed up on his report cards. He managed to juggle all the responsibilities of an IB student with all the responsibilities of a professional wakeboarder, and he’s managed to excel at both. Not bad, for a teenager.
In the summer, Chandler Powell’s parents would drop him off at the park in the morning and pick him up in the evening. Once he got the hang of riding, the McCormick’s staff would give him a list of tricks to work on every day. It wasn’t long before simple grabs and 180s turned into flips and other advanced tricks, and Chandler Powell caught the competition bug. He calls it a “funny coincidence,” but Chandler Powell’s father’s kneeboarding ties then came back into play. Like his father, Chandler Powell became sponsored by Redmond and Liquid Force, with which Redmond is still affiliated. At age 15, Chandler Powell started entering professional competitions. He didn’t do so well that year, never finishing higher than fifth place, but he started making podiums at 16.
ROOTS IN THE WATER
Chandler Powell’s father, Chris Powell, was a professional kneeboarder in the 1980s. When Chris Powell was still active, Liquid Force co-founder Jimmy Redmond was putting sandal straps onto small surfboards in his garage and call-
ing them “ski boards.” They were the precursors to today’s wakeboards. Chris Powell was one of the first to ride, as well as one of the first to enter a ski board competition. After Chandler Powell had a brief amateur career in skateboarding from age 4 to 7, sponsored by the Cove Skate and Surf in Brandon, he gave it up to play soccer and focus on other things. “When I was 7, I just started getting into 7-year-old things,” he says. But at age 12, Chandler Powell was introduced to wakeboarding. He and his family live next to McCormick’s Cable Park, in Seffner, and it wasn’t long before he grew to love the sport. “I started right before my 13th birthday and got sponsored at the end of 2010, so I was 14 at the time,” Chandler Powell says. “It’s pretty quick,
A NATURAL
SEE POWELL / PAGE 14
Courtesy photo
Chandler Powell, 18, has traveled the world in his brief, yet successful, pro wakeboarding career.
BIG IN AUSTRALIA One of Chandler Powell’s favorite places to compete and visit is Australia. He’s made many friends from his time spent down under, and recently filmed with one of his Aussie friends at McCormick’s Cable Park. In 2013 he went to the Australia Zoo and befriended Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve “the Crocodile Hunter” Irwin. “I was in Australia and got to meet her at the zoo,” Powell says. “We stayed in touch and became really close friends, and it just built into something special.” The two are now dating and attended Strawberry Crest’s 2015 prom together. The Australian media has brought a lot of attention to the couple and, while it’s good for getting Powell’s name out there, he enjoys the paparazzi about as much as any other television celebrity. “The attention gets a little old,” he says.
If you’re currently in grade school, please don’t be scared off by that headline. I’m not here to preach about the joys of homework and FCAT and everything else that you hate. The school year is my favorite time of year, as a sports writer, because there’s so much going on from day to day. While it is a grind, it more than makes up for every summer’s JUSTIN slow pace. KLINE I know many of you also can’t wait to get back into sports, whether you’ll be suiting up to take the field or cheering your teams on from the bleachers. We all have something to look forward to. With that in mind, here are a few things I can think of that should make any local sports fan jazzed for the season. Football’s back! And it’s going to have a new look, as our district underwent a few changes for this season. We’re now considered 7A-District 9 schools, rather than 7A-8, so you can all say goodbye to Brandon as a district rival. Joining us (and East Bay) in Brandon’s place will be Bloomingdale, Lennard and Tampa Bay Tech. I wish we had drawn Newsome, as it’s closer than Lennard and always plays great games with Durant, but I’m not complaining about replacing one team with three that won eight or more games in 2014. This will be a great test for our teams, but I’ll save the in-depth discussion for the 2015 Football Guide (which, by the way, comes out next Friday).
PLANT CITY
Plant City High fans have much to be excited for this year. Between the football, flag football, golf, softball and soccer teams, the potential for at least one of these squads to win the school’s first state title right now is real. There are some teams, such as baseball and volleyball, who showed much promise last year and could end up delivering in 2015.
SEE KLINE / PAGE 14
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FOCUS ON FITNESS
Exercise and stress management ercise, your mind is much clearer, and you’ve also taken up time with positive action to look back and reflect on your problem in a new light. Another positive stress reliever is music. Guess what pairs very well with music? Exercise! Music can take you from walking on the treadmill to jogging once your new favorite song comes on your playlist. From Zumba to BodyPump to RPM, all exercise classes are choreographed to music. The beat of a great song, mixed with the endorphins released during exercise, is a powerful
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combination. On another note, the soothing sound of a slow, relaxing song combined with stretches and meditation-like movements found in yoga can also offer stress relief in an entirely different way. You don’t have to be an athlete to do any of these types of exercises. All you need to do is show up, follow along and prepare to clear your mind. We all fall under stress at times. It’s human nature. But it’s how we react to that stress that determines the outcome of our daily lives. We can choose the easy way out by eating and sleep-
ing our worries away, but we’re still stuck in the same stressful situation at the end of the day. Or we can choose to take that walk or run (or that class with a friend) and deal with that stress in a positive manner. How will you handle your stress today? Someone once said, “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.” Heather Dykstra is an AFAA-certified personal trainer and has been a group fitness instructor for over 13 years. She is currently involved with the Plant City Family YMCA.
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Let’s face it: everyone gets stressed out now and again. Some more than others, depending on how we react individually to certain situations. There are many ways to help reduce stress, but they aren’t always good choices: binge eating, taking stress out on others, procrastinating, sleeping too much, withdrawing HEATHER from others DYKSTRA and more. However, there is one that is always a good choice: exercise. One of the greatest benefits of exercise is stress reduction. Sometimes, even a walk can take a load off of your shoulders. It’s similar to a meditation, by focusing on breathing, and can help clear your mind. No matter what type of exercise you choose to do in order to manage your stress, you will see that it’s an amazing transformation of your body and mind from before exercise to after. Bills pile up, job and family responsibilities are constantly on your mind, personal problems arise, and so on. The easiest thing to do is sit on the couch and dwell in it. But we all know that route doesn’t solve anything. When we exercise, endorphins are released. These are basically feel-good chemicals the body creates that are similar to painkillers. Just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise can trigger the release of endorphins. It can boost your mood instantly. The stress is therefore reduced or sometimes eliminated after exercise. Exercise serves as a positive distraction to your stressful situation and puts your mind in another place for a while. After you ex-
When we exercise, endorphins are released. These are basically feel-good chemicals the body creates that are similar to painkillers.
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POWELL / PAGE 12 By 17, he became a full-fledged professional — adding sponsors in Loosekid Industries and Fuse Lenses, and picking up some first-place wins. That was also when he began to travel outside the United States to compete and where things got tricky with school.
BALANCING ACT
Chandler Powell had competed around Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia and California before. He managed those trips without much difficulty. But leaving the country made things difficult, especially being in the IB program. “I would work with my teachers every year, say ‘Hey, this is my schedule. This is what I’ll be doing,’ in advance, so I don’t miss school,” Chandler Powell says. “I’d meet with them, get my assignments, take any tests, complete my work be-
CHAD SCOTT’S RESUME PLAYING CAREER: Plant City High (1996-99); University of Kentucky (2000-01); University of North Carolina (2003-04); Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns (2005-06) COACHING CAREER: University of Kentucky, video coordinator (2006-07); Troy University, assistant running backs coach (2007-10); Texas Tech University, running backs coach (2010-12); University of Kentucky, running backs coach (2012-present), running game coordinator (2013-present). COACHING NOTABLES: Three consecutive Sun Belt championships, two New Orleans Bowl appearances (Troy); TicketCity Bowl (2010) and Meineke Car Care Bowl (2012) wins (Texas Tech). Coached NFL players DuJuan Harris (Troy) and Baron Batch (Texas Tech).
fore. I’d work on airplanes and take tests after (events), when teachers could be with me.” Chandler Powell, who favored history and enjoyed math and science, graduated with a 6.2 GPA while traveling the world. His competitions have taken him to places like Abu Dhabi, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Brazil, London and China. “It’s let me see the world, which is really cool,” he says.
GOING FORWARD
Chandler Powell will attend UCF in the fall and has some idea of what he wants to do with his life after wakeboarding. There’s nothing concrete yet, but perhaps that makes him more like the average 18-year-old college freshman. For now, he knows that he wants to take his professional wakeboarding career as far as he can. The money, fame and sponsorship goodies are great. Still, there’s nothing that drives
SCOTT / PAGE 12 tucky staff in the same role and has built a group that he says is his best yet. Preseason All-SEC back Stanley “Boom” Williams and Mikel Horton, true sophomores, will work with 2013 rushing leader and DeLand native JoJo Kemp in the backfield to help erase the perceptions of Kentucky football. “That’s one of the biggest things we talk about — we’re not a typical Kentucky football team,” Scott says. “We’ve got talent offensively and defensively, and a great staff. It’s not the same team as in the past, even when I was a player here.”
AT PLANT CITY
Scott gets just as excited talking about the Wildcats’ potential as he does remembering his playing days at Plant City. This is, after all, a guy who knows a talented backfield when he sees one. From the 1996-97 to 19992000 seasons, Scott played with notable backs like Wayne Ward and Eric Washington, a fullback who rushed for around 1,000 yards in 1998. That year, the year of the undefeated regular
Chandler Powell more than the feeling he gets while out on the water. “I really like the freedom with it,” he says. “I love how you can be creative. You can make tricks your own with different grabs, and rails you can do whatever you want with. You can have your own style and separate yourself from everyone else.” He will compete in events throughout the rest of the year. After American competitions come to a close next month, Chandler Powell will start looking into international events for the rest of the year. He wants to improve on a pair of podium finishes at last year’s World Championships in Abu Dhabi, and to release a seasonedit compilation video at the end of the year for his fans and sponsors to enjoy. At the core of everything is the desire to grow. “I just want to keep improving,” he says. season, is Scott’s fondest memory as a Raider. “We had a great offensive line with Randall Derrick, Brett Mueller, Shane Strawn, Alvin Rupp and Brett Zaccor,” Scott says. “Those guys played with great chemistry. It was amazing. They’re the reason we went undefeated. It was unusual to have that kind of size and talent up front, but we had talent on both sides of the ball. Eric Washington had more rushing yards than I did that year.” Scott still keeps tabs on the Raiders’ program and is excited for what it may achieve this season. Since Scott’s primary recruiting area is Central Florida, it’s easy for him to come back to his hometown — which happens often — and see how things are going at PCHS, while also spending quality time with his family. In his opinion, things couldn’t be better right now. “I really am happy,” he says. “Absolutely. I couldn’t have dreamt to be in a better situation than I’m in right now. I never would have guessed that, 10 years later, the school I got a scholarship from would offer me a position as a coach.”
KLINE / PAGE 12 As a basketball lover, I’m looking forward to seeing what Billy Teeden and Wilt Wilkerson can do with their squads. I’d love to see more excitement for the sport as a whole around town.
DURANT
2015 should be business as usual for Durant fans, who can always count on at least a few sports to make deep postseason runs. Few coaches in the area are as consistent as baseball’s Butch Valdes and volleyball’s Brittany Wade in terms of putting a great product on the field and court, year after year. But there are certainly strides to be made in other
sports. Constance Wharton made many improvements with the girls basketball team in her second season, and I wouldn’t be surprised if her third season went even better. The lacrosse teams may have taken a few hits, but a surging interest in the sport (plus some freshmen coming in with lots of hype) should make the teams just as watchable this season.
STRAWBERRY CREST
Last, but not least, there are plenty of good things on the horizon for Strawberry Crest fans. The school won its first two state titles last year, thanks to the efforts of the cheerleading team and incoming sophomore wrestling star Cullen Telfer.
The volleyball and softball squads came very close to winning district titles last season. With coaches like the Miltner sisters they are always in the playoff conversation. The basketball programs did make the playoffs last season, but the girls were the ones to win the district. Despite losing some key players to graduation, they could still realistically be penciled in to win the district again. Keep an eye out for the development of two-sport star Terra Brooks in her senior year — she’s one of the best athletes in the entire area, if not the entire Tampa Bay area, and looks to be the linchpin of the volleyball and girls basketball teams.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
NICHOLAS STRICKLER At the Central Florida Junior Golf Tour championships, Plant City golfer Nicholas Strickler went out and hoped for some good play. In the end, Strickler got the best possible outcome: he won first place in the 10 to 13 age group and also took home Player of the Year honors. You did pretty well at the Central Florida tourney, and your buddy (William McLeod) finished right behind you as runner-up. How did it feel for you guys to both take the top spots? It felt good. Really good. Tell me a little about that tournament. What was it like? We had to play good, pretty much. What was the course? Lone Palm Golf Club. How many tournaments have you competed in? I’ve competed in six so far. Is this your first first-place win? No. It was my third. The other two were over this summer. How long have you been golfing? A little over a year. What made you get into it? I just really have fun playing it. I started going with my dad. Do you play other sports? Sometimes, I play basketball. Is there any sport you’ve never played before that you’d like to try? Not really. What else do you like to do for fun? I like to fish. What do you like to fish for? Anything, really. What’s your biggest catch? I did catch two sharks and a stingray on the same day, in Boca Grande. Who’s your favorite golfer? Rickie Fowler. How old are you? I’m 12. Where do you go to school? Tomlin Middle.
What’s your favorite subject? Probably math. What’s your favorite golf course? Augusta is cool. What’s your favorite movie? Happy Gilmore. What’s your favorite food? Waffles. Where’s the best place to get good waffles in Plant City? At my house. Do you play any video games? I play “Call of Duty,” sometimes. But not very much. What’s your favorite thing on TV? Golf. I love golf. If you could hang out with Rickie Fowler for a day, what would you want to do? Play a round of golf. Let’s say you’re a pro golfer, and you make a billion dollars.What’s the first thing you’d buy? Probably a boat. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Flying. I would just like to go above and fly over everything. What’s your home course? River Hills. Let’s say you’re at River Hills, and a younger kid comes up to you. He’s just getting into golf for the first time and asks you for advice. What do you tell him about being a good golfer? To have fun but work hard. Is being a golf pro something you’re interested in, or do you want to do something else when you grow up? Yeah, that’s what I dream of. Being a pro.
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PLANT CITY
RAIN
(INCHES) Aug. 13
0.56
FRI.
TEMPERATURES
Aug. 14
0.00
SAT.
Friday, Aug. 21 Saturday, Aug. 22 Sunday, Aug. 23 Monday, Aug. 24 Tuesday, Aug. 25 Wednesday, Aug. 26 Thursday, Aug. 27
Aug. 15
0.00
SUN.
Aug. 16
1.56
MON.
HIGH 92 92 89 92 92 91 89
SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Aug. 17
0.03
SUNRISE Friday, Aug. 21 7:01 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 7:02 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23 7:02 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24 7:03 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25 7:03 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26 7:04 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27 7:04 a.m.
TUES.
Aug. 18
1.77
WED.
Aug. 19
0.00
Aug.
TO DATE
11.12 (2014: 2.70)
YEAR
SUNSET 8:02 p.m. 8:01 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 7:59 p.m. 7:58 p.m. 7:57 p.m. 7:56 p.m.
Buttons Butler took this picture “waiting for his ride” in Plant City’s Historic Downtown District.
Butler wins a Grimes Hardware Strawberry Town Cafe gift card. He can claim the card with an ID at Strawberry Town Cafe, 3161 Paul Buchman Highway.
MOON PHASES
Aug. 22
Do you have a picture that sums up the personality of Plant City? To enter the I Love Plant City photo contest, email your photo and a caption to Managing Editor Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@ plantcityobserver.com. Winners will have their picture featured and will receive a special gift.
SHIPPING POINT: Orlando
TO DATE 34.18 (2014: 30.54)
Sept. 5
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture
Each of the following cryptograms is a clue to the identity of a sports legend. Using the hints I=A and C=S, decipher the clues to name the athlete.
1. F J I D V X D Z I M H 2. C I E L D I E M O C M B 3. H I E C I C M O V P 4. G T Q 5. V Y X M I V M Y
This athlete was known as “The Comeback Kid”:
SUDOKU
Solve the puzzle by placing the numbers 1 through 9 in each row, column and box.
2 6 5 4
9
7
9
7 2
5
4
9 3
4
9
7
5
7
4
3
6
3
8
4 1
Sept. 12
CROSSWORD GO FOR IT by Gia Kilroy
CRYPTOQUIZ
8
LOW 76 76 76 75 75 75 74
Aug. 29
OKRA
$14 to 14.85
2
, 3&
WEATHER
THURS.
1 5
2
ACROSS 1 Uses as a target 8 Cowpoke’s rope 13 Called by loudspeaker 18 Features of attentive people 20 Mossy growth 21 Public square, in ancient Greece 22 Get recorded for posterity 24 Morocco’s capital 25 “It’s ___ state of affairs!” 26 It’s right on a map? 27 T. ___ (noted dinosaur) 28 Give a formal speech 29 Capone and Gore 31 Bug spray 34 Unagi, in a certain bar 36 Massachusetts’ Cape ___ 37 Double-check a sum 39 Garfield’s girlfriend 40 Quarterback maneuver 42 Kotter of “Welcome Back, Kotter” 43 “Yeah,” formally 44 Battle of nations 47 Indicate 50 Galena and iron 51 Four-poster, e.g. 52 Many a Middle Easterner 54 Some Monopoly props. 55 Compass dir., sometimes 56 Fury 57 One overdoing the praise 59 Giant hop 60 About 1.3 cubic yards 62 Ticket part 63 Red October, for one 64 “I take it back” 65 Be self-evident 69 Teetotaler’s vehicle? 72 “Amazing Grace” verse ender 73 Holiday tune 74 “You never know ...” 77 Prison disturbance 78 More smudged 80 Baseball player’s wear 81 “Go on ...” 83 Jewish month 84 ____ de corps (morale) 85 Ewe’s mate 86 Chorus member 87 Fence picket 89 Pig’s home 90 Jet effect 91 Hamilton’s dueling opponent 92 Offer one’s two cents 94 Congenitally attached 97 Climber of Mount Sinai 98 Kipling’s “Gunga ___” 100 Tues. preceder 101 A, B or O 103 Long Island iced ___ 104 ___ Allan Poe 106 Sick 108 Layer of a wedding cake 109 1980 Olympics host (Abbr.) 111 Not very familiar with 112 Take forever
©2015 Universal Uclick
117 “Let me reiterate ...” 118 Lead from the dugout 119 Sea god 120 Eyelid afflictions 121 Giant of wrestling 122 Money saved for a rainy day DOWN 1 Navigation hazard 2 It’s offered on Wall St. 3 Visibly embarrassed 4 Adam’s grandson 5 Alaska Purchase negotiator 6 “Biography” network, once 7 Prefix with “angle” 8 Lend an ear 9 Part of a play 10 Height-challenged 11 Like the Sahara 12 Translucent quartzes 13 Felon on provisional release 14 Ice cream thickener 15 Review 16 A Muse 17 Archaic 19 Looked like a villain 20 Fine, twisted thread
23 School walkways 29 A noble gas 30 Acquires knowledge 32 Cash recipient 33 Banister post 35 “Bitter” follower 38 ___ Moines 41 Comparison 45 One stockpiling 46 Ceremony 48 Kind of gas 49 Spot visually 51 Make beer or ale 52 Fraction of a whole 53 Unwanted name in “Roots” 56 A magnet attracts it 57 Where some are young 58 Batman and Robin are a “dynamic” one 61 Vacation for the vain? 62 Soaks, as a tea bag 64 Click the fingers 66 Doctrines, informally 67 Finger’s counterpart 68 Muslim holy man 69 Finish a shoot 70 Verdi classic
71 What some make a little do 75 Railing at the side of a staircase 76 Main order 78 Musical “repeat” sign 79 Qatar currency unit 80 Not forthright 82 Backs, anatomically 85 Dirty, run-down digs 86 Actress Olivia d’___ 88 Expert hunters 90 Bearing a heavy load 93 Riddle relative 95 Foolish affection 96 Ear pollutant 97 Bad situations 98 “Rescue Me” actor Leary 99 What i.e. means 101 Dull 102 Paramedics search for it 105 End in ___ (be deadlocked) 107 Homebuyer’s need, usually 110 Roasting skewer 113 Cigarette ingredient 114 Charged particle 115 Gear tooth 116 Chang’s twin
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