PLANT CITY TIMES &
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VOLUME 5, NO. 8
FREE
Crest football: will the streak end with Spoto?
SEE PAGE 12. •
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
HS football kicks off Get the inside scoop on area teams with the new Football Guide. INSIDE
YOUR TOWN SENIOR OF THE MONTH
Walking her way
Plant City YMCA has a new app The Plant City YMCA just released a new mobile app. Type ‘Tampa YMCA’ in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to download. Some features are still being worked out and suggestions and feedback can be sent directly to the ‘Y’ at appfeedback@tampaymca.org. The app allows users to check out the schedules at the ‘Y’ as well as check who the instructors are for each class. You can do class reservations and membership check-ins from the app as well. Location, pool and Jr. Kid Zone/ Zeno Zone hours can also all be accessed from the app.
Margie Gonzalez spends her 87th birthday raising money for Operation Smiles by walking a mile for each year of her life. SEE PAGE 7
Daniel Figueroa IV
Turkey Creek School receives new marker On Aug. 19 Turkey Creek High School received an official marker detailing the history of the school. The plaque was sponsored by the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council and the Turkey Creek High School Alumni. The school operated under the “Strawberry School” concept, which allowed students to attend school from March until December so their annual vacation would fall during strawberry season. Many of the students would use that vacation to work in the fields or packing houses.
Zoom zoom
Highly-attended Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-In. SEE PAGE 9.
Breanne Williams
Margie walks around her neighborhood in Walden Lake each week to reach her 87-mile goal.
C.W. Roberts opens asphalt plant in Plant City The company’s newest site went operational Aug. 16. DANIEL FIGUEROA IV STAFF WRITER
Nearly ten years and a few million dollars after purchasing 43 acres of land on Jim Johnson Road, C.W. Roberts opened its fifth asphalt plant Aug. 16. in Plant City. C.W. Roberts kicked off its opening with a tour of the facility led by company president Bob Flowers. The plant creates hot mix asphalt, one of the strongest, most flexible forms of the compound and the most commonly used asphalt type in the United States, often used for road projects. The plant currently uses two silos, each holding about 200 tons of asphalt and taking an hour each to fill. The plant, Flowers said, is capable of producing 1,000 tons of asphalt per day and 200,000 tons per year. It’s also capable of running around the clock, he said. “When we have customers and it’s not broken down, we run it. We expect this plant to serve about 60 to
Daniel Figueroa IV
70% outside customers where some of our plants are 90% internal.” Flowers said being an environmentally friendly facility is a priority. The plant is currently using diesel and burner fuel to heat its
mixture, but will be switching over to natural gas in the coming weeks. “We hope to switch over to natural gas. It’s not cheaper, but it’s SEE ASPHALT PAGE 5
City commissioners Nate Kilton and Mike Sparkman, C.W. Roberts President Bob Flower, Plant City EDC CEO Jake Austin and Mayor Rick Lott
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
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“But I didn’t realize until about 2:30, 2:40 in the morning, I’m sitting in here watching film and I started doing the math. The last time Strawberry Crest won a home game was before anybody at this school, student-wise, was at this school.”
Mystery Dinner Theater The annual Friends of the Bruton Memorial Library’s Mystery Dinner Theater is Friday night. Tickets are on sale at the Bruton Memorial Library, Regions Bank, Holiday Inn Express and the Walden Lake Car Wash for $45, which includes dinner, beer and wine. The cast has been preparing for months and the ending will not be rehearsed until the night of the show in order to ensure the murder remains a mystery. Guests are encouraged to bring cash to purchase clues prior to the final act. The show is at the Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Dodie White at (813) 927-0595 or dodiewhite@msn. com. Proceeds will be donated toward the Bruton Memorial Library to fund many of the programs put on for the community.
— Ron Hawn, Strawberry Crest head football coach. SEE PAGE 12
Eyes on the Skies M
onday's total solar eclipse was the first in almost 100 years to be Courtesy of Luke Kristina Miller
visible from one end of the United States to the other. When Plant City got the chance to check it out, readers didn't pass it up. We asked our Facebook fans to share their best solar eclipse viewing pictures with us and they delivered. —JUSTIN KLINE
Courtesy of Sabra Kent Kirby
Plant City High School’s Leo Club hosting shoe drive Plant City High’s Leo Club is hosting a shoe drive to collect shoes for the Shoe for a Child campaign. The collected shoes will be sent to children in Africa. The club asks that donators take a picture and post it on social media with the tag #ShoeForAChild to get the drive trending. The Plant City Lions Club is partnering with the event to support the high school’s Leo Club. The collection began Aug. 1 and will continue until Dec. 15. Students at Plant City High can drop off shoes at Mr. Baucom’s room, M09, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Non-students can drop off shoes at the Community Care Center, Walden Lake Car Wash, Tony Lee/State Farm Insurance and Wells Memorial & Event Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"We are ready at Durant High School." — James "Mr. Smitty" Smith
"My kids trying to see the eclipse." — Cynthia Ramirez
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Fry, McClure speak at GOP women’s club
CUTEST CRITTER Do you want Plant City to see how cute your favorite pets are? Send your pictures to Staff Writer Breanne Williams at bwilliams@plantcityobserver. com to be featured.
The two republican candidates and political consultant Andrew Taylor spoke to Plant City voters during the club’s Aug. 17 meeting. DANIEL FIGUEROA IV STAFF WRITER
THIS LITTLE PIGGY: Nicole Villa says that her pot bellied piglet, Stella, loves food and cries so loud that the neighbors know when it’s suppertime
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The Plant City Republican Women Federated club received two late additions to its August meeting following the announcement of a special election to fill the vacant district 58 seat in the Florida House. GOP candidates Lawrence McClure and Yvonne Fry joined political consultant Andrew Taylor Aug. 17 to speak to club members and guests. Former district 58 representative Dan Raulerson resigned from his seat Aug. 15 to focus on health and his business as a certified public accountant in Plant City. Raulerson announced his resignation July 25 and Fry filed to run July 26. McClure filed his paperwork Aug. 1, the same day Gov. Rick Scott announced a special election to replace Raulerson would be held Dec. 19. Fry and McClure will face off in a primary on Oct. 19. Qualifying for the race ended Aug. 16, locking Fry and McClure in as the only two GOP candidates. Tampa resident Ahmad Hussam Saadaldin is running with no party affiliation, as is democrat Jose Vazquez of Tampa and Libertarian Bryan Zemina of Temple Terrace. The two republican candidates, despite both having roots in Plant City agriculture, had never met before deciding to run for the a seat in Tallahassee, but said they’d run into each CFC037149 other a handful of times since filing. Both candidates said they’ve hit the ground running, something Taylor said is important on their short-run to Tallahassee. Usually, Taylor said, prospective candidates would begin planning a race a year or more out. “We’re in a unique situation with the race you’re all here for tonight because all this I’m talking about, the prep work and the pre work a year
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out, didn’t happen,” Taylor said. “All of a sudden everything’s happening at once.” Both campaigns, he said, did a great job qualifying with petitions on barely a week’s notice. Each has also pushed full-steam ahead, actively campaigning every night, sometimes making multiple appearances in a single day. Three weeks into a race that will only last about 12, Taylor said the work of both candidates has been impressive. Fry, 45, a mother of two and one of Plant City’s most civilly active citizens, was the first candidate to speak. In her nearly 20-minute address, she spoke proudly of her children’s accomplishments and traced her fascination with politics to watching the results come in for a school board election when she was about seven or eight years old. Fry outlined her experience working with the business and education communities in Plant City. Fry is the current chair of the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on the board for Main Street Plant City and is a founding member of the Plant City Economic Development Corporation. She has also started or has been an integral component in founding or supporting programs at local schools including the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Academy at Tomlin Middle School and the future fair and career academy at Plant City High School. Fry said her focus in Tallahassee would be smart and sustainable growth for Plant City’s business community and making sure Plant City’s children are ready for job opportunities in Plant City following high school. “We want to create community, opportunity and something better for our kids,” Fry said. “Everything I do is for my kids.” McClure, 30, is a partner in environmental consulting firm Streamline Environmental. He spoke for about five minutes, expressing his passion for deregulating government interference with small businesses and farmers to remove the burden of timely government redundancies. Through his company, McClure said he works with the legislature on a daily basis to help small businesses and farmers. He said he can use his knowledge of how government works to help the Plant City business community grow and flourish. Win or lose, McClure said he plans to be in Tallahassee at the start of the House’s next session. “I’ll be in Tallahassee regardless,” McClure said. “I told Yvonne if it’s not me, I’ll need some calendar time.” The candidates only fielded a few questions from the audience, including how they would vote if the removal of confederate monuments
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RISE PLANT CITY BOARD MEMBERS WHO’VE ENDORSED FRY Christy Lyle: Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Eli Lilly Tom Pollock: Market Executive for Pilot Bank Emily Topper: Reporter, Lakeland Ledger Trent Lott: Owner, College Hunks Hauling Junk Mark Rothman: Financial Planner at Wealth Solutions of Central Florida Brittney Keys: Accountant/ QuickBooks Pro Advisor, Sedita Kilton & Co., CPAs Stephanie Eisenbach: Realtor, Blue Sun Realty William Thomas: Aetna, WC specialist Victoria Saunders: CT Technologist, Social Media Marketing Manager Randon Trowbridge: Owner Blue Thumb, LLC Jake Austin: President/CEO Plant City EDC Jesse Larson: Art Producer, Publix Super Markets Taylor Clark: Financial Representative for Northwestern Mutual Source: Rise Plant City
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD MEMBERS WHO’VE ENDORSED MCCLURE Will Womack : Landscape Buddy Coleman : Cattle Michelle Williamson : Strawberries Dennis Carlton Jr. : Cattle Marty Tanner : Aquaculture Jim Frankowiak : Equine Jake Raburn : Citrus Vincent Tort : Trees Melissa Grimes : Strawberries Carl Bauman : Phosphate Chip Hinton : Ag consultant Tony Lopez : Ag lending Carson Futch : Cattle Jacob Cremer : Enviro Law/ Forestry Kenneth Parker : Cattle/Citrus/Fertilizer John Joyner : Phosphate Tiffany Dale : Strawberry/YFR Source: Hillsborough County Farm Bureau
was proposed. “I would vote no,” McClure said. “For me, our history is our history,” Fry said. “And good, bad and indifferent, the things that have come before have shaped us, and molded us, and hopefully grown us. And to me, the challenge is what are we gonna make our history now to define who we are and how we behave. What we’re creating, are we being constructive? Those are the things. I think about the time and energy that’s put into this and the major pressing issues that we could be doing something about. To me, that grieves me. I know that there’s hurt and I get that, but I’d like us to be constructive about a lot of other things right now.” While both candidates have similar goals and views, their approaches to the campaign have been markedly different. Fry has been operating a social media-heavy campaign including video and photo endorsements from a number of prominent community members and organizations including Florida Strawberry Festival Chair Sandee Sytsma, County Commissioner Al Higginbotham, Carl and Dee Dee Grooms of Fancy Farms and the board of Rise Plant City. According to Tom Piccolo, a consultant working with McClure, McClure has only received an official endorsement form the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau. The McClure campaign, Piccolo said, is more focused on reaching out to constituents on a personal level. “It’s a more personal, door-todoor approach,” Piccolo said,” We’re making sure every citizen in every corner of the county has a chance get to know Lawrence. We hope it allows people to be more comfortable talking about issues that are important to them without the pressure of a camera, allowing them to be more candid. It’s about what issues they want to see in the next session.”
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Photos by Daniel Figueroa IV
C.W. Roberts’ fifth asphalt plant recently opened on 43 acres of property along Jim Johnson Road.
ALL MIXED UP FROM ASPHALT PAGE 1
cleaner,” Flowers said. “From a maintenance standpoint we like it better.” According to Florida Public Utilities, the plant should have natural gas connected within the next few weeks. The plant is also capable of using up to 45% recycled material in its mixture. When resurfacing a road, Flowers said, the company reuses the milled road in new mixtures. C.W. Roberts also has plants in Tallahassee, Freeport, Panama City and Wildwood. The company produces asphalt for sale, and uses it in its own paving and road construction products. On day one, the Plant City location already had its first customer: the City of Plant City. C.W. Roberts in late June was awarded a contract for resurfacing 7.8 miles of citymaintained roads as part of the city’s ongoing efforts to improve roadways. Michelle Davis, communications for C.W. Roberts, said Plant City was chosen because of its location between Tampa and Orlando and the proximity to Interstate 4. Davis said the company expects its Plant City operation to serve all their customers within a 50 to 100 mile radius as it grows. While there are currently two silos on the property, the plant can hold up to six, with a third to be added within two years. “This plant could fill six silos and we have two,” Flowers said. “We could see this thing having six silos in 10 years.” While the plant could be operating at its peak in 10 years, it was nearly 10 years ago that the idea for a Plant City operation was almost lost. C.W. Roberts originally purchased the land in 2009, but with the economic downturn, plans to build on the site were abandoned and the land was put up for sale. Flowers, who has been president of C.W. Roberts since
The control tower of the asphalt plant uses state-of-the-art technology to monitor the mixture of its hot mix asphalt. The facility is capable of producing 200,000 tons of asphalt per year and can run 24 hours a day if production requires it.
“We hope to switch over to natural gas. It’s not cheaper, but it’s cleaner. From a maintenance standpoint we like it better.” — Bob Flowers, president of C.W. Roberts
2013, said he saw the site’s potential and took it off the market in 2014. His company has since invested about $3 million in the site. Flowers said the Plant City Economic Development Corporation was an essential component in getting the plant operational so quickly. A project of its size could normally take at least 12 months he said. Thanks to the Plant City EDC, they were able to be up and running six months after finally breaking ground.
These piles of material will soon be mixed to create the asphalt that will cover nearly eight miles of Plant City roads.
The early relationship with the EDC, Davis said, has also facilitated the company’s community involvement. The company is now a partner in the EDC and making more efforts to be involved civically. “It’s a full investment in the community,” Davis said. “We’re really excited to be here. We’ll be working more closely getting involved with the chamber of commerce and looking for more organizations we can associate with.”
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When dozens of community members sat down with law enforcement to talk about creating a better bond between officers and residents, one sentiment was expressed from nearly every person in attendance: We need to improve communication. Hillsborough Speaks, presented by Safe and Sound Hillsborough, is the second of four interactive workshops that encourages the creation of a dialogue between residents and law enforcement. Residents age 15 and above and officers discussed some of the events that shaped their views on law enforcement, shared moments they had felt stereotyped against and brainstormed ways to open the line of communication between police departments and their community in hopes of creating a safe environment for all those who call Plant City home. “The event absolutely succeeded in its aim,” William Thomas, president of the Improvement League of Plant City, said. “I think it was a really good relationship forming platform for the community and law enforcement to get together and make sure we’re all in accord. Everyone wants to be safe, everyone wants to be protected and the officers I think feel the same way.” The Improvement League of Plant City aims to “foster equitable opportunities for residents, regardless of age, sex, race or religion throughout Plant City.” Many of its members were in attendance, though Thomas said the driving force behind the success of the event came from a dedicated group of residents outside of his group that had made it a goal to meet with police for nearly a year. “When Safe and Sound came up with Hillsborough Speaks we told them there was already an effort going on. Rather than starting a brand new deal, let’s plug in because you don’t want to disconnect from something we’ve already started,” Thomas said. “I think that’s the reason why this Hillsborough Speaks turned out so well because there was already an underground effort underway.” Sgt. Al Van Duyne, spokesman for the Plant City Police Department, said he thought the event had a decent turnout and was looking forward to seeing it gain momentum for future events. Van Duyne shared a story of
some of the biases he faced growing up in New York in the mid 80s as a young African-American man. “People may have had preconceived notions about me as a person or as a police officer but I hope my actions and demeanor helped to change that and that was kind of what I shared with the group and I told them that the officers that I work with and that work with me, I try to get them to adopt that same mindset,” Van Duyne said. “We want to do the best we can to change those perceptions.” He said it was interesting to hear the experiences of other people, like a woman at his table who shared a negative encounter she had with a highway patrolman. She told him about how she was made to feel degraded and that her rights were violated. However, as the years went by she realized that not every officer was the same. Van Duyne said one of the major sentiments he heard across the board that evening was that communicative efforts had to improve between officers and citizens. Residents told the law enforcement at their table stories of growing up with a police officer who took time out of his day to throw a football with them during lunch and stories of being stopped for a random check and feeling as if they were being treated as “less than” because of their skin color. Officers shared the struggle they face of fixing the damage caused by those select few who wear a badge and abuse their power. They shared stories of getting to know members in their community and how forming those relationships has made their job worthwhile. As the evening progressed the mood shifted. Laughter softly rang out from multiple tables while others cheered or clapped at the memories
being shared across the room. Reggie Anderson, a student from Plant City High School, stood up and pointed at the officer sitting at his table, saying he felt like he truly had gotten to know him and that he had “real love for this man and loves what he does.” The officer followed suit and said he has always had a goal to engage with the citizens he comes into contact with to get to know them and learn their needs, a mindset he hopes others in the force hold as well. Another officer in attendance, Mark Dunnam, said his goal was to break down officer biases. Dunnam said police were human too and were there to help. “Everyone at this table I told that I’m just a guy doing his job,” Dunnam said. “They have no reason to fear me at all and I told them that when I’m driving in my personal vehicle and I see an officer behind me I get anxiety too, it’s normal.” PCPD has plans to continue to engage in a collaborative effort with Safe and Sound Hillsborough and when the events have finished the department will take a look at the entire experience and decide from there how best to continue actively communicating with the residents of Plant City. “I think that officers have an obligation to help to strengthen the lines of communications in their respective jurisdictions,” Van Duyne said. “There are things that have happened all over the country involving police use of force, alleged corruption and things of that nature, even here in Plant City, obviously. The communication helps to ensure that whatever is going on in other areas of the country is not going to affect us to a negative extent.”
AUG. 11
nience store.
was made with the vehicle’s owner and the boyfriend of the owner. The boyfriend did not know who shot the car or why it would have been shot at and the owner signed a waiver of prosecution.
CLOSE CALL 1320 block of East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Attempted vehicle burglary: Complainant stated an unknown suspect caused damage to her vehicle while attempting to burglarize it overnight. The suspect was unable to enter the vehicle or steal anything. SCREEN FIEND 2000 block of South Willow Drive. Residential burglary: Complainant stated unknown suspect(s) stole two Vizio televisions from her home. The televisions, one at 42 inches and one at 32 inches, were valued together at $650.
AUG. 12
863-940-2087 James C. Andersen, MD
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BOOZE BLUES 1720 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Retail theft: A male subject was arrested for stealing beer, valued at $4.29, from a gas station conve-
Residents met with law enforcement from Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Plant City Police Department and Temple Terrace Police Department.
POACHED AT THE PARK, PT. 1 1700 block of North Park Road. Vehicle burglary: Complainant stated unknown suspect(s) stole two Michael Kors purses, which contained miscellaneous items, from a vehicle while she was at a park. The items were valued together at $500. POACHED AT THE PARK, PT. 2 2400 block of East Cherry Street. Vehicle burglary: Complainant stated unknown suspect(s) broke a window on his vehicle and stole his wife’s pink leather purse, which contained $300 in cash. DRIVE-BY 1310 block of Tennessee Street. Shooting unoccupied vehicle: Officers responded to a report of gunshots fired and found a black Ford Mustang had been shot multiple times. Shell casings and other ballistics were found at the scene. Contact
AUG. 13
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE 1900 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Trespass after warning: Three subjects were arrested at a gas station after violating a trespass warning they were all issued on Aug. 11. NO STONE UNTURNED North Nancy Terrace Avenue. Vehicle burglaries: Complainants reported their unlocked vehicles had been burglarized overnight. During a police investigation, a neighbor reported his vehicle had also been broken into around the same time.
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Gonzalez wakes early to beat the heat and counts her miles via tally marks on a small notepad.
of the appointment was a blur and Wolff said while she doesn’t remember paying attention to a single thing the doctor said, she does recall being overcome with a sense of pride at the young woman’s accomplishments. “I never forgot about her,” Wolff said. “When I came to the United States and saw Operation Smile I always remembered her. I don’t know who paid for her surgery, I don’t know if she got help from an organization or if her parents were wealthy enough to do everything, but I thought if more kids have the surgery then more kids can become doctors or whatever they want to be and they won’t have to die before they turn 18, because most kids with cleft palates don’t make it to 18 years old.” Under her tutelage, Gonzalez began to be heavily involved with the committee, helping organize fundraising dinners and aiding Wolff whenever there was an event. When Gonzalez began to plan for her birthday, she realized there was a golden opportunity ahead of her. She spoke to Wolff and told her that rather than have a party where everyone brought her gifts and fawned over her, she was going to make a difference in someone else’s life. She vowed to walk 87 miles and raise money for the organization. She refused to be put off by the Florida heat and would head out each week with the rising sun, greeting encour-
aging neighbors as she went out of her subdivision and down the street at a brisk walk. The odometer strapped to her waist kept count as she marched her way toward providing 20 surgeries for those in need. A week before the grand finale, Gonzalez had successfully raised nearly $4,000. Her goal was $4,800 and she has contributions from people both locally and as far away as Canada. Though the fundraiser is over, she said she plans to continue to remain active and wants to further her involvement with the International Outreach Committee and Operation Smile. Prior to the walk, the International Outreach Committee had already paid for 14 surgeries. Each surgery costs approximately $240, according to Operation Smile’s website. Wolff, along with several other members of the club, promised to gather at Gonzalez’s house Friday morning to walk with her for the 87th mile. The women plan to have a finish line draped across the road for her to break through in celebration of not only the completion of such a physical feat, but also to commemorate the many lives that will be forever changed thanks to Gonzalez’s benevolence. “Whenever I would wake up and just be too tired to go walk or was considering stopping, I would just think of the faces of the children who have successfully had the surgery and suddenly I was ready to go,” Gonzalez said. “It’s as simple as that. I’m doing this for them. They’re my inspiration.”
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As the sun began to rise on the horizon of Walden Lake, Margie Gonzalez waved at a passing car as she briskly walked over a tree lined path, past an overgrown golf course and toward her goal of providing 20 surgeries for those in need. Gonzalez, a member of Plant City’s General Federation of Women’s Clubs, is raising money for Operation Smile by walking 87 miles, a mile for every year she’s been alive, by her 87th birthday on Aug. 25. “I’ve been so lucky,” Gonzalez said. “Everything I’ve done has been for me. I’ve had parties, played golf two or three times a week and I just thought, ‘At your age you really need to do something for someone else.’” When Margie Gonzalez first heard of the Women’s Club she assumed it was a group of ladies who played bridge and had fashion shows. Despite her hesitations, she showed up to a meeting and realized how wrong she had been. Rather than gossiping about the latest town scandal, these woman spent the entire meeting updating the group on the multiple charities, causes and projects they were working on throughout the city. Woman after woman spoke about the change they were making in society through their committees and Gonzalez was hooked. One woman in particular, Patricia Wolff, head of the International Outreach Committee for the club, captured Gonzalez’s attention. Wolff had adopted Operation Smile, a nonprofit medical organization that provides hundreds of thousands of free surgeries to children and young adults in developing countries with facial deformities, as her committee’s platform. Gonzalez said Wolff’s passion for the organization is a large part of why she originally became involved. She said the woman’s fervor was contagious and without her encouragement, none of this would have been able to happen. Wolff said her love of Operation Smile began when she lived in Mexico. She had once been treated by a doctor at a local clinic who, upon closer inspection, she realized was a survivor of a cleft palate surgery. The rest
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“Whenever I would wake up and just be too tired to go walk or was considering stopping, I would just think of the faces of the children who have successfully had the surgery and suddenly I was ready to go. It’s as simple as that. I’m doing this for them. They’re my inspiration.”
Margie Gonzalez is raising money for Operation Smiles by walking 87 miles by her 87th birthday.
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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.
1507 S. Alexander St., Suite 103 Plant City, FL 33563 (813) 704-6850 www.PlantCityObserver.com ©Copyright Plant City Media LLC 2014 All Rights Reserved
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.
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“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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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
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WE’RE PUTTING SCIENCE TO WORK FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
At Mosaic, we’re putting science to work right here in the community. From serving as docents at the Coastal Education Center to volunteering in robotics labs, our scientists and engineers work closely with Tampa Bay area schools to provide students with innovative learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Mosaic ecologist Michelle helps students explore the plants and wildlife found at the Coastal Education Center, located at the mouth of the Alafia River.
To learn more about Mosaic’s support of STEM education, visit Science.MosaicCo.com.
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AUGUST 25, 2017
YOUR NEIGHBORS
Photos by Breanne Williams
The Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-In is a monthly event that has been a staple for over 20 years. Each month car owners display their classic vehicles in downtown Plant City.
Cruise-In T
he Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-In is still a highly attended event, 20 years after highly envied vehicles began to show off their assets on the streets of Historic Downtown. Soon, the event, hosted by the Plant City Chamber of Commerce, will add swap meets to the itinerary. The first swap meet will be Sept. 16. The monthly event has free bounce houses, kids entertainment, a DJ, food trucks and a 50/50 raffle. Local shops and restaurants stay open for the event as well for those who wish to escape the heat. This month, the show featured trucks from the year 1992 or prior. The car show is on the third Saturday every month, rain or shine. Upcoming shows will be Sept. 16, Oct. 21, Nov. 18, Dec. 16 and Jan. 20. Registration and attendance are both free of charge.
This month, the show featured trucks from the year 1992 or before.
Bill Fisher and David Neal with a Willys Station Wagon 4X4.
Many of the cars are located next to food trucks and a DJ truck.
The show is located on the streets of Historic Downtown.
— BREANNE WILLIAMS
We asked: What is an event you would like to see come to Plant City?
P
lant City hosts monthly events like the Main Street Food Truck Rally and the Strawberry Classic Car Show. We asked: What is an event you would like to see come to Plant City?
“I’d want a craft show. We do crafts. I repurpose old train carts and all kinds of stuff, like furniture.” — Bill Fisher, 54
“Maybe a holiday event? I’m sure (downtown) is decorated so there could be decorations and vendors. You could come do your holiday shopping.” — Bonnie Argenti, 60
“An arts and crafts fair would be good. I run B&M Creations so we could set up at the event. We do soaps, baskets, diaper cakes, wreaths, everything.” — Marissa Argenti, 33
“A bar crawl. St. Pete has one and Tampa has one and we have enough small business bars that if you were to take advantage of that it could help a lot of the bar tenders and go a long way.” — Ryan Cook, 23
“I was born and raised in this town and I think they should add the 4X4 trucks to the car show. The huge trucks that are different than what they have now. Maybe have a different weekend just for them.” — James Thomas, 60
HOPEWELL FUNERAL HOME & MEMORIAL GARDENS HAS PARTNERED TO SPONSOR AROUND TOWN.
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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
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PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
Reba B. Hutchinson
Shirley Ann Parker
Reba B. Hutchinson, 91 of Plant City passed away August 21, 2017. Born in Plant City, FL. Funeral services will be at 11am, Monday August 28, 2017, Haught Funeral Home, 708 W Dr MLK Jr Blvd, Plant City, with visitation one hour prior to services. She will be interred in Memorial Park Cemetery, Plant City. Online condolence may be left for the family at www.haughtfuneralhome.com.
Shirley Ann Parker, 86, of Plant City, passed away August 9, 2017. Her family will be having private services. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haughtfuneralhome.com.
Robert Leroy ‘Bobby’ Wiggins, Sr
IT’S READ EVERYWHERE
Robert Leroy "Bobby" Wiggins, Sr., 66, of Riverview, born in 1951 in Tampa, entered into eternal rest on August 16. Expressions of condolence at www. HopewellFuneral.com.
HOPEWELL FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS
www.HopewellFuneraI.com HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM
HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
Victor Manuel Sandoval-Rivera
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Peggy Sue Glenn Peggy Sue Glenn, 71, of Tampa, Florida, born in Smithville, Arkansas on September 29, 1945, entered into eternal rest on August 17. Expressions of condolence at www. HopewellFuneral.com.
Victor Manuel Sandoval-Rivera, 44, of Plant City, Florida, born in Mexico on December 26, 1972, entered into eternal rest on August 16. Expressions of condolence at www. HopewellFuneral.com.
Louise S. Yarborough
Taking care of each other is what
Louise S. Yarborough, 99, of Tampa, born on February 20, 1918, entered into eternal rest on August 13, 2017. Expressions of condolence at www. HopewellFuneral.com.
HOPEWELL
community
HOPEWELL
FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS
FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS
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HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM
HOPEWELL is all about.
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
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Headed on a great trip? Did you take the Observer with you on vacation? Send your pictures to Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com to be featured.
www.HopewellFuneraI.com HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
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Robert Millidge Brown
we’re dedicated to helping families createMillidge a O S E RV E our community Robert Brown, 85, of Plant unique and meaningful memorial thatPassed truly away August 14, 2017 at mpassionate care since 1896. City, the life it represents. his present residence in Midwest City, emorial® professionals, Virginiacelebrates Cannon
Oklahoma. Harrison Service Guarantee > National Plan Transferability ement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline®Robert is survived by spouse Gloria
Virginia Cannon Harrison, 72, of Plant City died Aug. 20, 2017. Funeral is at Bethany Baptist Aug. 26th 11am, visitation 1 roudly supportingChurch the Plant City Strawberry Festival. hour prior.
R
Brown, sons Timothy and Steven Brown, step daughter Diana Logan. He is preceded in death by daughter Teresa Brown Abbott. Robert retired from CSX railroad in 1980.
Robert Niles Bashaw Robert Niles Bashaw, age 82, of Tampa, Florida, went to be with the Lord at 4:40 PM, Friday, August 18, 2017. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 25, at the First Presbyterian Church in Seffner. Visitation with the family will be at 9:00 AM at the church. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haughtfuneralhome.com. WHAT A VIEW: Andy and Patti Giangreco wanted a great view of Monday’s solar eclipse, so they drove 700 miles to Franklin, N.C., to watch with friends. They brought a copy of the Observer for reading material.
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New beginnings
New beginnings for widows and widowers
for New widows beginningsand widowers.
for widows and widowers.
LIFT ® is a social support program that helps widows and widowers adjust to the loss of a spouse by providing hope to reinforce a sense of wholeness and purpose in those who may be feeling lost or isolated.
We invite you to join us at our next Dignity Memorial LIFT even Plant City Dignity Memorial LIFT Program The 3rd Monday of Every Month Wells Memorial and Event Center, The Tranquility Room 1903 West Reynolds Street, Plant City, Florida 33563
Please RSVP to: Wells Memorial 813-752-1111
® 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.
LIFT program is are bothonly educational and entertaining. areornopersonal fees or dues to participat responsible for their ownThere meals Dignity Memorial LIFT members are only responsible for their own meals or personal expen expenses. Participation is not restricted to those who have Participation is not restricted to those who have been served by Dignity Memorial providers been served by Dignity Memorial providers.
We invite youWe to join us at ourtonext Memorial LIFT event. invite you joinDignity us at our next Dignity Memorial LIFT event. Plant City Dignity Memorial LIFT Program Plant City Dignity Memorial LIFT Program The 3rd Monday of Every Month
The 3rd Monday of Every Month
Wells Memorial and Event Center, The Tranquility Room
Wells Memorial and Event Center, The Tranquility WellsRoom Memorial and Event Center
1903 West Reynolds Street, Plant City, Florida 33563
1903 West Reynolds Street, Plant City, Florida 33563 Please RSVP to: Wells Memorial 813-752-1111 LIFT is Open to All Widows and Widowers
Please RSVP to: Wells Memorial 813-752-1111
LIFT iscremation Open to and All Widows Widowers Sponsored by the Dignity Memorial network of funeral, cemetery and providers, the LIFT program is both educational and entertaining. There are no fees or dues to participate. Dignity Memorial LIFT members are only responsible for their own meals or personal expenses.
813-752-1111
Plant City
Light refreshments will be served www.wellsmemorial.com
Sponsored by the Dignity Memorial network of funeral, cremation and cemetery providers, the
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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, AUG. 25
MONDAY, AUG. 28
File photo
TUESDAY, AUG. 29
2017 PLANT CITY YMCA STRONG LEADER AWARD DINNER 6:30 to 9 p.m. The Strong Leader Award Dinner will be held at the John R. Trinkle Center. Cocktails are at 6:30 p.m., dinner is at 7 p.m. and the program will begin at 8 p.m. The dinner will be honoring Bill and Silvia Dodson. For more information contact Zach Hilferding at 813-7576677.
ONGOING GRIEF SHARE CLASS 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Hope Lutheran Church, 2001 N.
Park Road, is hosting a grief share class series. 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. DIABETES PREVENTION CLASS 16 WEEK SERIES 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the United Food Bank of Plant City, 702 E Alsobrook St # H. UFB is hosting a diabetes prevention class, which will be taught by registered
dietitians and health educators. It is free to the public. Registration is required. Contact (813) 307-8015 Ext. 7111.
O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. 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.
PAINTING WITH BETTY FAIRBANKS AT THE CLASSROOM GALLERY Takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. Fridays at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. The cost is $20 per class. Bring own supplies and references to learn about color theory, design and different techniques. Call (813) 986-3632.
KEEL AND CURLEY LIVE MUSIC 6:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-9100. KRAZY KUP LIVE MUSIC 8:33 to 10:33 p.m. Saturdays, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220.
ACOUSTIC HAPPY HOUR 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays, at
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PLANT CITY AREA DEMOCRATIC CLUB 6 p.m. The Plant City Area Democratic Club is holding its monthly meeting at the Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. The meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month. The gathering will begin at 6 p.m. and the business meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. All area Democrats and anyone interested are welcome.
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2018 RELAY FOR LIFE KICKOFF EVENT 5:30 to 7 p.m. Relay for Life 2018 will kick off at Turkey Creek First Baptist Church in the Fellowship Hall. Come find out what Plant City’s Relay for Life season will look like. There will be food, fun, prizes, information on the calendar and more. If you’d like to participate on any level as a team member, captain, volunteer or participant come join the team. To keep up with relay news follow the Facebook page: facebook.com/plantcityrelay. For more information contact Liz Evans with the American Cancer Society at elizabeth.evans@ cancer.org.
SATURDAY, AUG. 26
MONDAY, AUG. 28
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
BEST BET
PLANT CITY MAIN STREET FOOD TRUCK RALLY 5 to 9 p.m. The monthly food truck rally is held in downtown historic Plant City at the corner of Drane St. and N. Palmer St. The following trucks will be on site: Boom Boom Box, Craving Donuts, Rolling with my Hoagies Food Truck, In the Middle Food Truck, Mr. C’s Grilled Cheese, Pho Truck- Tampa Bay, Tallulah’s Table by the Sea, CJ Traveling Pizzeria and the Kitchen by Devin Davis. For more information contact Karen Thomas at (813) 210-9236. TURKEY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ANNUAL GET-TOGETHER 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Turkey Creek High School Alumni is hosting its annual get together on Aug. 26 at the Expo Hall at the Strawberry Festival Grounds. There will be a special display to honor veterans, including TCHS Alumni who have served. There will also be collected memorabilia from TCHS Alumni that will be held in the TCHS Archives. For more information about registration contact Pat Gibson Ballard at (813) 659-1240.
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SPORTS GAME OF THE WEEK Do you have a good sports scoop for us? Email Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.
N.C. State players disciplined Tuesday Five North Carolina State University football players faced disciplinary action this week after further investigation into a July 21 party. Two have ties to the Plant City area. The university announced Tuesday that freshman Antoine Thompson was one of two players dismissed from the team and that freshman Xavier Lyas was one of three handed suspensions, according to a CBS North Carolina report. Thompson graduated from Plant City High School and Lyas graduated from Durant High School. Kevince Brown, formerly of Winter Park High School, was also dismissed from the team. Former Armwood running back Erin Collins and Chesterfield, Va. native Isaiah Moore were suspended. Action was taken after an investigation into sexual assault allegations made by three women who attended the party, which was reported to have been hosted by a player, though Athletic Director Debbie Yow said in a statement that the punishments “are not regarding allegations of sexual assault.” According to a Raleigh News & Observer report, none of the players are facing criminal charges but the investigation is ongoing. Alcohol and marijuana were present at the party, according to campus police, and there were around a dozen people reported to have been there. The five players were found to be in violation of N.C. State’s Student-Athlete Code of Conduct, which requires athletes to follow the state’s alcohol laws. All of the players are under age 21. “We had five freshmen, two of whom have been dismissed, who made poor decisions that don’t align with the values of our program and each has been handled accordingly,” head coach Dave Doeren said in a statement. “Although I’ve disciplined these players for violations of the Student Athlete Code of Conduct, I want to make it clear that I respect due process in the University and legal proceedings. Our players understand that I’m going be firm, but fair when it comes to discipline.”
Tri-Star Punt, Pass, Kick Also coming soon to the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex is the annual Optimist Football Tri-Star Punt, Pass and Kick Competition. The PPK event, to be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sept. 30, is free and open to all children age 6 through 15 as of Sept. 30. Boys and girls compete separately and those in the flag football program may compete after their 8:30 a.m. game or before their 9:45/11 a.m. game. Registration may be done on site before the start of the competition. All participants must wear sneakers. Cleats, open-toed shoes, sandals and bare feet are not allowed. Competition winners will be announced at 11 a.m.
Football frenzy If you haven’t noticed, today is the first regular-season week of high school football action. That also means the 2017 Football Guide has hit the streets. Every year, the guide is the Plant City area’s most comprehensive look at Durant, Plant City and Strawberry Crest’s football programs. This year’s is no different. Check it out to learn everything you need to know about your favorite teams for the upcoming 2017 season. For even more high school football coverage, look no further than PlantCityObserver.com on Thursday afternoons — the Gridiron Report podcast, hosted by Sports/Associate Editor Justin Kline, is back to give fans a fresh perspective on each week’s Game of the Week and the rest of the slate.
Spoto at Strawberry Crest
The Chargers are looking to snap their regular-season losing streak against the Spartans tonight.
THE OTHER GUYS DURANT The Cougars will head to Tampa for one of their most difficult games of the season. Jesuit proved in its 41-7 preseason win over Gaither that it could work around the loss of Malik Davis, Hillsborough County’s all-time leading rusher. The Tigers are expected to use a more balanced attack in 2017 and, loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, could be just as dangerous as they were with a marquee running back leading the way. Durant put up a similar score in a 44-6 preseason win over Blake and looked solid on both offense and defense.
JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
After his Strawberry Crest Chargers defeated Seminole, 13-7, Ron Hawn was a happy man. It seemed the wave of students spilling onto the field felt the same way, if not more elated. But Crest’s head coach wasn’t quite sure why a preseason win, however rare wins may be for the Chargers, would inspire anyone to rush the field. “This is awesome, but act like you’ve been there before,” Hawn said he thought at the time. Several hours later, poring over game film, something about that moment clicked for the coach. “It’s hard to win a game,” Hawn said. “It just is. But I didn’t realize until about 2:30, 2:40 in the morning, I’m sitting in here watching film and I started doing the math. The last time Strawberry Crest won a home game was before anybody at this school, student-wise, was at this school.” That last home win was Oct. 18, 2013. The reason no one could bring themselves to act like they had “been there before” is because none of the students had ever been there before. It was the first time Strawberry Crest won a home game since the school’s current seniors were in the eighth grade. “I got kind of emotional, a little teary-eyed, because it’s like a big change coming from losing, losing, losing,” senior defensive lineman Kisean Ruth said. “Even though it’s a preseason game, that feeling of winning — it’s a good feeling.” Hawn said the Chargers played faster than he’d ever seen the team play before. Crest was able to limit mistakes, avoid penalties and, most importantly, win the battle for field position thanks to punter Dylan Rogers. Though the Chargers gave up a touchdown in the second half, Crest was immediately able to punch back. On the first play from scrimmage after receiving possession, senior wideout Jamar Hart put the home team on the scoreboard with a 60-yard play. The defense was able to keep the Warhawks’ offense out of the end zone for the rest of the game and give the offense the chance to score once again, setting the 13-7 final. Though Spoto only won one more game (two) in 2016 than Seminole (one), the Spartans look to increase
Justin Kline
Strawberry Crest is determined to snap one more losing streak against Spoto.
the difficulty heading into tonight’s game through its speed and ability to work with broken plays. “If they get you in space they can make a back yard play as good as anybody,” Hawn said. “Kind of reminds me of back when I was in Pinellas County and playing Gibbs … they fumble the ball and there’s a good chance they’re going to pick it up and go do something weird with it because it gets everybody out of position. Spoto isn’t quite like that but they definitely have some kids that can scoot. They’re scary in that regard.” But the Chargers are now more confident in themselves than they’ve been in years. This week’s matchup presents the opportunity to work on two of their biggest goals. First there’s the matter of getting the support of their fellow students, which appears doable through winning.
“It’s starting to change a little bit,” Ruth said. “Now they’re opening their eyes like, ‘OK, our team’s actually trying to do something good. Maybe we should start trying to support them more.’ It’s getting up there. It’s still not where I’d like it to be, but it’s changing.” Last, but not least, there’s the matter of ending the team’s other losing streak — the one that matters most. No one in the program has forgotten that the team hasn’t won a regularseason game since Sept. 19, 2014. Winning a preseason game is good for the Chargers’ self-esteem but, in the grand scheme of the season, it’s otherwise meaningless. Winning a regular-season game would allow the Chargers to finally put the past behind them. “My expectations are to come out with a win … to really, officially, break our streak,” Ruth said.
PLANT CITY The Raiders are set to host Jefferson in a matchup that was robbed from area fans last year, thanks to bad weather. The Dragons picked up a 28-17 preseason win over Newsome on Aug. 18, marked by a back-and-forth performance. Jefferson blew a 14-0 lead after the second quarter, allowing the Wolves to score all 17 of their points and pull ahead. But Jefferson was able to claw its way back into the game thanks in large part to Dontavius Smith, whose athleticism should help the Dragons make up for Tyrese Spain’s transfer to Hillsborough. Meanwhile, Plant City faced no such problems in a 21-0 win over Spoto. There were several flags that erased some Plant City scores — including two Tyreke Harrison punt returns — but, otherwise, the offense executed its gameplan as well as it could have hoped to. The defense recorded four sacks and an interception.
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND? JUSTIN KLINE
FOOTBALL
Durant 44, Blake 6
Friday Night Notes: Blake at Durant
The Cougars cruised to an Aug. 18 preseason win over the Yellow Jackets. SEE PAGE 14
The Cougars’ offense and defense gave fans plenty to be excited about for the 2017 football season.
W
Justin Kline
Durant’s cheerleaders were fired up for the new season.
eather aside, I don’t think Durant fans could have asked for a better start to the football team’s 2017 campaign. The Cougars showed everybody in the stands that they’re ready to roll with a 44-6 win over a Blake team that, despite a lack of scoring, put a thousand-yard running back out there in the backfield. I think this game featured a lot to like coming from Durant in the near — and distant — future. I have to start with the hottest topic of the night, based on the chatter I heard at Cougar Path: Agiye Hall. When I visited Durant to get the scoop on the team for the 2017 Football Guide, I heard a lot of hype about the freshman wideout from SEE KLINE PAGE 13
PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
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FOCUS ON FITNESS
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
JENNIFER E. CLOSSHEY, PH.D.
Walking with style — your style
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WALKING AND MEDITATION
Numerous research studies at the University of Massachusetts confirm meditation to have calming benefits that reduce high blood pressure, depression and anxiety, as well as improve insomnia. Meditating while walking has the double benefit of improving circulation and muscle tone. To get started, simply focus inwardly on your breath as you walk. Feel the expansion of your ribcage with each inhalation. During exhalation, connect to the movement of the body’s core as muscles push the used air out. This inward focus relaxes the body and reduces stress. CREATIVE TIME
Several writers I know use walking as a source of creativity. As they stroll with a slow to medium-paced walk, their minds sift through ideas and facts to connect all the dots for new projects. Regular walking is not new to the creatives as many writers, painters and sculptors around the world attest to walking benefits for inspi-
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ration. As a business person, I have used walking as a tool to find new ideas for ventures and better ways to get things done. POWER WALKING
Charging ahead, the power walker walks fast and with purpose. Nothing gets in their way including other walkers, obstacles or random surprises on the path. The rapid pace provides exercise but the intensity can disrupt integration of mind and body. This walker might be just as stressed, or even more so, at the end of their walk as when they started. Power walking can be more effective if a mind/body connection is deliberately incorporated. Count 20 steps by the right foot and switch to count 20 more on the left foot. Continue alternating the step count until subtle relaxation occurs. Then, end the exercise with power walking for 50 steps and slow walking for 50, letting the step count keep the mind busy.
with strangers that share your interest in health and wellness. Walking groups have been shown to reduce cholesterol, lower resting heart rate and keep body weight under control. Regular walking improves brain function and reduces memory problems in the elderly. WALKING IN PLANT CITY
Your own neighborhood may offer safe streets with the side benefit of getting a neighborhood walking group together. Try the Plant City park facilities at both the Dr. Hal and Lynn Brewer Park and Marie B. Ellis Park. Some walk the paved pathway at Courier Field at the Veterans Memorial Park. Walking and hiking can be enjoyed at Medard Park, located on Turkey Creek Road south of Highway 60. Treadmills at the gym work, too. Just walk with style — your style. Jennifer E. Closshey, Ph.D., is a doctor of integrative health based out of Plant City. Contact her at JenniferClosshey@gmail.com.
SOCIALIZE WHILE WALKING
Walking with friends is a great way to exercise and build human bonds. Make new friends around the path
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
JUSTIN KLINE
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Puzzle One Solution: “The wussiest thing a guy can do is drive a clean truck. Dents, scratches and mud – that’s manly.” – Blake Shelton Puzzle Two Solution: “The challenge, whenever you create anything, is to persevere and push away the negative voices.” – Anne Bancroft
FROM KLINE PAGE 12
head coach Mike Gottman and several players on the offense. Now I understand why, after Hall made a spectacular debut against the Yellow Jackets. He’s already built like a senior and has some of the biggest hands on the team, and he made life miserable for Blake’s defensive backs whether he was using his burst to streak down the field uncovered or his athletic ability to make a difficult catch over a defender playing him tightly. He may be a little raw, like virtually all freshmen, but Hall can ball. The rushing attack looked as good as I expected it to. Cameron Myers broke out that smooth running style and made many of his touches look easy. He made an impressive run to the end zone in the third quarter that, unfortunately for Durant, was called back on a holding penalty. David Tabakovic showed he can rumble and scored a couple of touchdowns. Tyrhon Brooks was productive when he got his turns, also scoring on a 15-yard run. Once the defense found its rhythm after the lightning delay, I thought the unit looked pretty good. It’s a good sign that it kept Omarion Coleman and Blake’s offense in check until one drive in the fourth quarter. Durant’s biggest weakness was on special teams, as nobody managed to kick a PAT or convert a two-point attempt until there were just over three minutes left in the third quarter and backup kicker Kelly Kash made the kick after Hall caught a touchdown pass. The only other successful point-after came with 2:37 left in the game, Tabakovic’s last touchdown, to set the 44-6 final score. As good for the team as it is that the offense is in good form, not finishing the job after those touchdowns will hurt the Cougars against tougher competition than Blake. I don’t know if this game got Kash any closer to the starting job or if she’ll continue to be the backup, but kicking appears to be the number one thing Durant needs to work on heading into the regular season. The Cougars are going to Jesuit this week to get one of the toughest games on the schedule out of the
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ur family started walking at the Bryan Elementary School track many years ago. My daughter, Charleene, worked hard to try to keep up with her dad and, in doing so, developed his style of running and walking. To this day I can watch them walk together and see that same expression of their shared purpose and commitment for exercise. Today we live on a major trail in Plant City where I observe many different approaches to walking. The important message is to move in your own way and just keep regular. Fun with family No matter how the family interacts, everyone can have fun while getting their exercise. Make it your own with good memories that last forever. The whole group can break into laughter at the antics of little Johnny, or even at Mom when she’s scared by a lizard. Some make this a discovery time, too, looking for hidden prizes in nature as they walk the trail. The big debate might be around whether family members should hold hands as they walk. There’s usually one who wants to run ahead and back like the scout in the old western TV shows. Children can use their tricycles to help them keep pace with the rest of the crew.
This week’s Sudoku answers
Justin Kline
Cameron Myers's jersey is stretched to its limit on a play.
way early on. I don’t think I need to tell many area fans about the Tigers, who are pretty much always excellent, so I’ll get into the positional matchup to watch: Hall against cornerback Kendrick Torain. Hall may have shined against Blake but it will be much harder for the freshman to work against Torain, a tall, three-star corner who recently committed to UCLA. Durant may not play against a better cornerback this year. I was asked a lot of questions at the game about Plant City’s offensive situation, mostly about two positions: quarterback and running back. It looks like both quarterbacks, starter Braxton Plunk and backup Ryan Overstreet, were able to do some good things against Spoto. There’s a lot of intrigue surrounding Overstreet, as expected — he did just transfer from head coach James Booth’s previous school, Manatee, to Plant City — but Booth has been clear about the quarterback situation. You can read more about that in the Football Guide.
It also looks like Eric Wilson performed well as the Raiders’ lead running back. I know Booth has high hopes for Wilson, who has big shoes to fill, so he’ll be another player I plan to get to know in the near future. Barring an unforeseen turn of events, I’ll be at the Hillsborough game to see what the deal is with these guys. Last, but not least, I have to give a shout-out to Strawberry Crest for its preseason win over Seminole. Seeing the win pop up in my Twitter feed was a pleasant surprise — a departure from the norm, as I’ve usually seen sad tweets from students. It’s also a great way to lead into this week’s game against Spoto, which I’ll be attending. Let’s see what the new and improved Strawberry Crest Chargers can do. Justin Kline is the Sports Editor at the Plant City Times & Observer. Email: jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
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This week’s Crossword answers
2017
PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
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PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
Durant dominates A 44-point performance from the Cougars’ offense highlighted their Aug. 18 preseason outing. JUSTIN KLINE
MEANWHILE... In other area action, Plant City’s offense was hot in a 21-0 win over Spoto and the Strawberry Crest Chargers tasted preseason victory with a 13-7 win over Seminole.
SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
T
hough streaks of lightning delayed Durant’s preseason game, the Cougars still rolled like thunder. Durant flexed its offensive and defensive muscles in a 44-6 win over the Blake Yellow Jackets, though the action didn’t pick up until after the weather forced the game to a halt. The Cougars finished the first quarter with a 6-0 lead thanks to Agiye Hall’s first of three touchdown grabs, this time making the catch well over a Blake defender’s head at the 8:45 mark, and the weather delay came into effect early in the second quarter. After the delay, Durant came out swinging. After a Blake fumble recovery touchdown was called back on a penalty, the Cougars forced a turnover on downs deep in their own territory and running back Cameron Myers found the end zone on a long play just over a minute later at the 4:28 mark. The Cougars were able to play the final drive of the half, which ended with a 78-yard touchdown pass from Carlton Potter to Hall as time expired. The score held at 18-0 as the point-after attempt was blocked. The Cougars pounced on a bad Blake snap for a fumble recovery at 10:17 in the third quarter and would
ONLINE
Photos by Justin Kline
Carlton Potter commands the Durant offense before the snap.
have had another Cam Myers rushing touchdown on the ensuing play if not for an offensive holding call. Three and a half minutes later, the Cougars’ drive found the end zone as fullback David Tabakovic punched in the first of his two touchdowns. Hall caught his final touchdown pass at the 3:04 mark, this time going for 33 yards, and it was on this drive that Durant nailed its first PAT kick of the night — backup kicker Kelly Kash stepped up for her first in-game kick as a Cougar and delivered, putting the score at 31-0. Blake opened the fourth quarter with its only successful drive of the game, working its way into Durant territory and scoring on a short touchdown pass at the 9:40 mark. Its own two-point conversion attempt failed, though, and the Yellow Jackets were stuck with six points. Durant picked up two more touchdowns on the ground before the game ended, with Tyrhon Brooks going for a 15-yard score with 4:31 to play and Tabakovic scoring on a 12-yard run with 2:37 to play. Tabakovic’s touchdown and the successful PAT brought about a 44-6 final score and a running clock.
Listen to the Gridiron Report podcast on Thursdays at PlantCityObserver.com
Above: Agiye Hall goes vertical for his first of three touchdown catches. Above Right: Demarcus Governor comes up with a pick. Right: Durant’s defense shut Blake down for much of the game.
Casey McClain Jr. The Turkey Creek Trojans JV team is playing hard with the hope of getting to the Tri-County Youth Football and Cheerleading Conference’s annual Superbowl championship game. One of the team’s most confident players is Casey McClain Jr., who plays multiple positions for the team. His father, Casey McClain Sr., has coached Trojans teams for several years. McClain Jr.’s parents say he is a team player who isn’t scared of facing opponents bigger than he is. Know someone who deserves an Athlete of the Week feature? Email Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com by the Friday before the next issue. How long have you been playing football? About seven years. What first got you into it? I don’t know. Since my dad brought me out here when I was 2, I started to like it. I was practicing with him, so I just always did it.
FAMILY MEDICAL SPECIALISTS OF FLORIDA
What position did you start at? Corner. That was kind of it. It was kind of rough, the first four years, then I started working my way up to running back.
Michael Paul Gimness, MD
Is running back your favorite position to play? Yes, sir.
Board certified in Family Medicine
What do you like about it? I like the running part and how I get the ball, and how I can help make plays.
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What’s the coolest thing you’ve done on the field? Juke somebody so bad their ankles broke … last week. That was kind of fun.
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Who’s your favorite football player? Kwon Alexander. I love his story, how his brother died and he just came back and attacked that whole Falcons game (Nov. 1, 2015). That really amps me up all the time.
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Are the Bucs your favorite team? Yes, sir.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about football? Be safe, and keep your mouthpiece in so you don’t be like a jack o’lantern and stuff like that. What advice would you give to a new football player? Be safe. Make sure you don’t hit somebody with the helmet because that would really break somebody’s neck. Help them out more and more. What’s it like when your dad is a coach? It’s fun, but it’s also frustrating because you always have your dad coaching you from the sidelines and you have the other coach coaching you at the same time. Is there any sport you’ve never played but want to? I want to try volleyball. I never tried it before and I always like to try new sports. I’m starting to play basketball for Turkey Creek. What’s the first thing you’d buy with an NFL contract? A Lamborghini. Come up with a brand new whip.
PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
SUNRISE / SUNSET
FRIDAY, AUG. 25
High: 90 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 90%
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MOON PHASES
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Sept. 20 New
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Aug. 26 First
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MONDAY, AUG. 28 High: 90 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 80%
RAINFALL
OKRA Shipping point: Orlando $14.35 to $14.85 Karen Berry spotted these hungry baby birds in her back yard and took a photo. Berry wins this week’s I Love Plant City photo contest.
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture
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BUYING SPREE by Timothy B. Parker
28 “What a great discovery!” 29 “And while ___ the 1 “Ahem!” relative subject ...” 5 Reporter who travels with 30 Baby cradle? troops 31 Lively, agile and active 10 Already cut, as lumber 33 ___ step of the way 14 Kind of bar that serves 34 Causes to be bogged Asian delicacies down 19 “... and to ___ good night!” 35 Entirely, to Caesar 20 Gadget with which to 39 Mythical god of war point and click 40 Dusk, to poets of old 21 States of anger or bad 41 Hollow center? feelings 43 Two things bought in 22 “Crocodile Rock” singer boxes John 50 Spooky and uncanny 23 Five things you buy in cans 51 Offhand “Didn’t see you 27 “Shop ‘til you drop” there” episode 53 The O’Hara estate of
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YEAR TO DATE:
AUG. TO DATE:
2017 30.50 in.
2017
2016 27.13 in.
2016 5.25 in.
104 Word that ends a prayer 105 Deli creation 106 Theater backdrop 111 Four things bought in bags 115 A bundle of nerves 116 Participate in a hunger strike 117 Respond to a rooster’s crow 118 ___ vera 119 Nay follower 120 Skip town 121 Moisten, as grass 122 Definitely not straight
literature 54 Et ___ (and others) 55 Furry TV alien 56 “And ___ we go!” 57 Theologian and pastor R.C. 59 Fisher’s gadget 60 Completely fit to drive 62 Bangkok language 63 Ruin partner (var.) 64 Four things you buy in jars 71 “This is ___!” (crimebuster’s shout) 72 Apt name for a Dalmatian 73 Thing headed for a bull’s-eye 74 Big ___ (MLB great David Ortiz) 75 Aspen hills
78 ___ into (attacks verbally) 79 “... more, ___ merrier!” 82 Common Bartlett’s abbreviation 83 Author Morrison 84 Place for gold or coal 85 Goodbye in France 87 Two things you buy in buckets 91 Alternative to premium 93 Paid athlete 94 Varied mixture of this and that 95 Urban renewal target 96 Academy Award 99 Kind of metabolism 101 Garment for Caesar 103 On leave, for a sailor
1 Common thing for a quarterback to do 2 Feed the hogs or feed for hogs 3 Derogatory remark or drunkard’s remark 4 It’s broken at the finish line 5 Down Under fowl 6 Engine 7 Like some eyebrows or animal tails 8 Exxon before it was Exxon 9 God of Latin 10 Elegant cat 11 Tree-lined area 12 Teeny go-with 13 Grp. that monitors chatter 14 Troubadour’s six-stanza verse 15 Painful stomach problem 16 Shopper’s attraction 17 Falcon-headed Egyptian deity 18 Hotel relatives 24 Hershey competitor 25 Pearl seeker 26 2 or 3, e.g. 32 “The Raven” poet 33 “... ___ saw Elba” 35 “You got a better ___?” 36 Playwright Coward 37 Gangs protect theirs 38 Japanese kimono sash 39 Feeling sore in one’s muscles 40 Sandy shade 42 Home Depot rival 44 Impressive, airy hotel lobbies 45 “7 Faces of Dr. ___” 46 Peter of Peter, Paul and Mary 47 N.Y. city on the Allegheny River 48 Your brother’s daughter, to you
0.75 in.
o wneR
Fine Jewelry Sales Custom Designs Graduate Gemologist
DOWN
ACROSS
0.06
m o w ing -e d g ing -m u l ching -T R imming -s od s p R ink l e R R e pa i R -c l e a n u p s -T R e e w oRk p R e ssu R e w a shing -l a nd s c a p e d e sign
1701 S. Alexander Street • Suite 102 • Plant City, Florida 33566
(p) 813-250-0500 (f) 813-276-1600 criminaldefenseattorneytampa.com
©2017 Universal Uclick
Saturday, Aug. 12
T ony R amos
New owner with Joe Grimes still doing repairs
Sammis Law Firm, P.A., 1005 N. Marion Street, Tampa, Florida 33602
CROSSWORD
0.08
“Weekly or Monthly Payments”
249032
247606
• VOP • Drug Possession • All Misdemeanor and Felony Cases
Friday, Aug. 11
p.o. B ox 408 p lanT c iT y, Fl 33564
813-388-7575
T onys l awn m ainTenance @ yahoo . com
CELEBRITY CIPHER
49 Like a spider’s web 52 It’s not good to be in its By Luis Campos way Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from 56 Mr. Lincoln, informally 57 Chases off, as gnats quotations by famous people, past and present. 58 Written agreement Each letter in the cipher stands for another. between two sovereigns “WOA XPTTKATW WOKCZ J ZPU MJC 60 Activity done on two runners SH KT SVKYA J MBAJC WVPMG. 61 Quite ancient 62 Use a word processor 63 A question of identity SACWT, TMVJWMOAT JCS DPS – 64 Oblong yellow fruit (var.) 65 “Argo” film extra WOJW’T DJCBU.” 66 Fixed chicken? 67 Savory meat jelly – NBJGA TOABWHC 68 Indian bread 69 Alternative to a clothesline “LDY IDCAAYUSY, ZDYUYKYM RWV 70 Century divs. 75 How James Bond doesn’t like his martini IMYCLY CURLDNUS, NF LW 76 Cuckoo, south of the border XYMFYKYMY CUE XVFD CZCR LDY 77 ___-two punch 78 Chauffeured auto UYSCLNKY KWNIYF.” 79 Abrupt ending to a pinball game – CUUY JCUIMWHL 80 Feature of summer 81 Dollar, in many places ©2017 NEA, Inc. 84 Postal delivery 85 Shocked and horrorstricken 86 Payable now Complete the grid so that every row, column 88 Less populated and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 89 Prize ribbon’s top inclusively. 90 Distinctive styles 92 Breakfast staple 96 Actor Milo 97 Like a new penny 98 Woody thicket 99 Bland or trite 100 Provide laughs for 101 Fancy word for swollen 102 Not just overweight 103 Bible book after John 105 Sun-baked, as desert ground 107 Maryland seafood specialty 108 Rouse to anger 109 Computer desktop signpost 110 Get some face time with 112 No longer attached 113 Uber alternative 114 ___ and improved
Puzzle Two Clue: H equals F
• Seal and Expunge • DUI • DV Injunction
Jewelry & Watch Repair Insurance Appraisals Buying Gold & Diamonds
0.00
Puzzle One Clue: X equals W
Criminal Defense Attorneys for Plant City
Thursday, Aug. 10
TLM P ROPERT Y C ARE
WE BUY GOLD & SILVER!
Free consultation
0.00
247611
ONLINE
Wednesday, Aug. 9
SUDOKU
©2017 Andrews McMeel Syndicate
8-24-17
PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
|
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
“I had no second thoughts, I knew I wanted to use South Florida Baptist Hospital.” ~ Glenda R., a patient of South Florida Baptist Hospital
Emergency Care When You Need It When it comes to all the health care needs of Glenda and her family, South Florida Baptist Hospital has always been her first choice. From her emergency visits to endoscopies and a robotic surgery, Glenda has received a lifetime of care here. A member of the community since 1953, South Florida Baptist Hospital was built on quality, compassionate care. You’ll find a highly skilled and experienced team that works to make patients and visitors as comfortable as possible during their hospital experience. When you’re treated at South Florida Baptist Hospital, you’ll feel at home, close to home — all your health care needs are covered, without ever leaving Plant City. Let South Florida Baptist Hospital be your partner in getting you well and keeping you well. Fill out a health profile online at SouthFloridaBaptistCare.org and you’ll be sent a complimentary travel first aid kit.
Emergency Care Our modern Emergency Center treats a wide variety of medical and surgical conditions and is one of the largest and most technologically advanced emergency centers in eastern Hillsborough County. We treat adult and pediatric patients, and our fast and friendly service is provided by clinicians focused on delivering the best care to you.
BC1701958-0317
247603
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