1.17.19 PLCO by Plant City Observer

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VOLUME 6, NO. 29

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Meet the 2019 Strawberry Festival Queen Contestants SEE PAGE 6 THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

PCPD WARNS OF RISKY DRIVERS For the past several years PCPD has been working to tackle the ideology of its community in hopes of reducing the risky driving throughout town. SEE PAGE 3

2019 JUNIOR ROYALTY PAGEANT

Courtesy of the Florida Strawberry Festival

Rowen Ashford Morgan, Kennedy Duncan, Lylah Anne Linares and Avery Surrency became Florida Strawberry Festival royalty on Jan. 12. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The new Baroness, Duchess, Princess and Queen were crowned the evening of Jan. 12.

Rowen Ashford Morgan, Kennedy Duncan, Lylah Anne Linares and Avery Surrency became Florida Strawberry Festival royalty on Jan. 12. The girls were crowned Baroness, Duchess, Princess and Queen, respec-

tively, in the 2019 Junior Royalty Pageant. This year’s pageant was held at the Charlie Grimes Family Agricultural Center at the Florida Strawberry Festival grounds and 106 girls competed in the four age groups. Each contestant

also shared their thoughts on why the Florida Strawberry Festival has been so successful in its 84 years of existence.

SEE PAGE 7

State Road 39

EYED FOR UTILITY EXPANSION

City commissioners have taken the first step toward extending utilities along State Road 39 to encourage future development in the area. SEE PAGE 5

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

NEWS BRIEFS

Courtesy photos

GFWC announces 2019 board members

Photo Archives opens contest

Ultimate Frisbee tourney on tap

The GFWC Plant City Junior Woman's Club held its annual installation ceremony on Jan 10 and named nine members to its board of directors. The 2019 board is led by president Alex Rae Rhoades and includes Brittney Maddalena, Lindsay Adkinson, Jamie Sammons, Maribel Sandoval, Jordon Burk, Samantha Blahnik, Briel Maddalena, and Jillian Wilder. The club also celebrated its five-year and 15-year members as well as the 11 provisional members who moved over into full-member status. Yearly awards were also announced including Celia Ramirez named Provisional of the Year, Jessica Worthen receiving the President's Award and Sammons named Junior of the Year. Visit www.gfwcplantcityjuniors.com for more information about the club and its annual events, which include the Baby Parade, Little Miss Plant City, Reindeer Run 5k and the Shoe Project.

The Plant City Photo Archives & History Center and the Arts Council of Plant City have opened the Sculptures Exhibit Photo Contest beginning Jan. 15 with a deadline for submission set for Feb. 14. The contest focuses on fun and creativity with the sculptures exhibit. Each entry must include an original 8x10 or 8.5x11 photograph of one of the sculptures with one or more persons included. The photos may be in color or in black and white and must be accompanied with an official entry form when submitted. Entry forms are available at the Photo Archives at 106 S. Evers St. or contestants can email info@plantcityphotoarchives.org to get one. Entries can be turned in at the Photo Archives from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. More than one entry per person is permitted. The first, second and third place winners will be announced and honored at the Awards Reception at the Photo Archives at 5:15 p.m. on Feb. 21. For more information, call 813.754.1578.

Plant City will host the Tampa Bay Ultimate – 2019 Janus XXXVI Tournament this weekend. The ultimate frisbee tournament will have games played from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday at Ellis-Methvin Park and the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex, both located on East Cherry Street next to Hillsborough Community College. For more information about the tournament, visit www.tbultimate.org/ events/2019-janus/.

wellness visits, behavioral health, illness management and more, plus dental, optometry and pharmacy services. Adults can also participate in financial counseling, health education programs and more with a bilingual staff. The facility is open six days a week. Its hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding Tuesdays (7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. with limited medical services after 5 p.m.), and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. The appointment line is 813-6536100. Walk-ins and same-day appointments are accepted. For more information, call 813349-7600 or visit suncoast-chc.org/ locations#PCFamily.

New Suncoast health center open The new Suncoast Community Health Center facility at 801 E. Baker St. has been completed and is now serving the community. The Plant City Family Care facility offers medical services including immunizations,

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

PCPD WARNS OF RISKY DRIVERS For the past several years PCPD has been working to tackle the ideology of its community in hopes of reducing the risky driving throughout town.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Driving in Plant City may not have the bumper to bumper traffic found in Tampa or Orlando, but it is far from a rural oasis. Roads are congested, basic traffic laws are routinely violated and it has become common to pass at least one accident on the way to work. Plant City Police are changing the way they tackle rogue drivers in hopes of beginning to alter the mindset of those getting behind the wheel each day. “In 2017 there were 1,703 total crashes, in 2018 we were able to reduce that to 1,670,” Sgt. Al Van Duyne, PCPD spokesman, said. “We’ve switched our focus a little too with regard to tickets and warnings. Chief (Duncan) shared with us that he is a big proponent of educating divers, but not necessarily through enforcement. For many years that was our motto. By and large most officers buy into chief’s motto.” If it is someone’s first time being stopped odds are they’re going to get away with a warning and a road safety lecture. It saves the driver hundreds of dollars and the hope is it helps foster trust with local law enforcement. That trust could be pivotal later on if someone observers dangerous drivers or is involved in an accident as PCPD wants people to be comfortable calling and keeping them in the loop. “Your ideology of police departments might not be that good,” Van Duyne said. “Across the country satisfaction with police departments is at an all-time low. We don’t want that here. That’s why we’re trying to show we care about people’s safety, not tickets.” He said PCPD doesn’t have a quota for number of tickets to be issued, the officers simply have to prove they are working. A

warning registers a stop as much as a ticket does, so many are trying to use the stop as a means to educate the driver on the importance of safe driving. After all, they’re the ones that respond to crashes day in and day out. The number one crash scenario in Plant City is due to careless driving, Van Duyne said. Drivers tend to get into incidents most frequently around intersections. They fail to see slowing or stopped vehicles and get into a collision. He said eight out of 10 of the crashes they head out to are fender benders or collisions at stoplights. Though Plant City’s population rests around 40,000 residents, its roads are used as thoroughfares for a large number of people heading to work, school or to play. Texting and driving is one of the fastest growing issues in the nation. However, in Florida it is nearly impossible to enforce. Without a warrant, police can’t take and check your cellphone so if a driver claims they didn’t do it there is no way to prove they did. “Another cause is failure to yield,” Van Duyne said. “We see that a lot near HCC on Park Road. If you’re going south and turn left into HCC and someone is going northbound on Park you’re now in the middle of flowing traffic.” An issue rather unique to Plant City is the number of wrong way drivers throughout the town. Police are constantly being diverted to the Wendy’s on Baker Street. Someone decided they are in the mood for a burger and they just turn in, not realizing the street it lies on is for one-way traffic. Van Duyne got a complaint from a woman near Franklin who complained about a stream of wrong-way drivers. He set up a wireless traffic box and had it record traffic for a week. Approximately 40,000 cars drove through in that span and of those at least 80 were headed the wrong direction.

Reynolds Street is another haven for wrong-way drivers. City Manager Bill McDaniel said he frequently sees people pulling out at the intersection at City Hall and entering the wrong direction onto Reynolds. Despite the fact that there are giant signs saying “Wrong Way” up and down the street the drivers rarely seem to realize they’re making a mistake until a line of cars comes barreling toward them. A small fraction of those making the mistake are impaired drivers who are leaving local bars and heading back to town. Their judgement is impaired and they blow by the signs. Many others are outof-towners who are not familiar with the area. Regardless, it’s a dangerous mistake. PCPD often has nightshift keep their eyes peeled when in the area to help reduce the potentially deadly traffic. Outside of traffic violations, one of the major issues PCPD has with vehicles throughout Plant City is the increasing number of illegal window tints. State statues require windows allow more than 28 percent of light in on the side windows. Back side windows and rear windows must allow more than 15 percent of light in. It’s as much a safety issue for officers as it is for those on the road. As an officer pulls a vehicle over they have to walk up to the vehicle passing the back windows before leaning over the side window. If the windows are so dark they can’t see through them Van Duyne said that becomes a major safety concern. Officers can’t see if there are people in the backseat or if they’re armed if the tint is out of regulation. At night especially it becomes a major concern. Even to other commuters tint can be deadly. The regulations are in place for a reason and Van Duyne said having something darker can prevent the driver from properly seeing

adjoining lanes. They may believe the road is clear and switch lanes or pull out just to collide with another car. “We routinely get people with tint lower than 10 percent,” Van Duyne said. “We technically have the authority to issue violations for each window violation, for example if you drive a Tahoe you can get a ticket for the front windows, the passenger back windows and the windows in the very back not to mention the windshield if that’s tinted. We generally try not to beat people up and we’ll give a warning or just one ticket.” Van Duyne said there are even a couple of company vehicles from one business in town that all sport illegal tints. They were pulled over and given warnings, but when nothing changed Van Duyne said the next stops featured tickets. The business owner was less than a happy camper, but Van Duyne said it’s the law and that he would “run out of money before they ran out of tickets.” There are a few medical conditions that provide exceptions and those who have documentation should carry it in their vehicle. Another major issue includes improper child seat regulations with drivers. Frequently when cars are stopped for DUI’s or routine traffic stops Van Duyne said they find a child not properly restrained in the vehicle. It’s something that never fails to catch officers off guard, Van Duyne said, and one they take very seriously. “So much of what we see are simple, avoidable issues,” Van Duyne said. “It’s time people start paying attention behind the wheel. This can get deadly if you aren’t careful.”

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

‘HELLO OPERATOR’

Calling city hall is a brand new experience thanks to the creation of the Customer Engagement Center.

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PLANT CITY

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BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Plant City is stepping back in time with its new Customer Engagement Center. Taking a page out of the books of history, the city has created a two-man unit to act as a live customer service one-touch center for residents calling into city hall. In the past anyone wishing to get in touch with a specific department had to listen to an automated response and hit the corresponding buttons to transfer them where they needed to go. Now when they pick up the phone they will be greeted by a real person who will track the answer down to nearly any question. “This has been one of our core strategies, one of the things I’ve wanted to do since I first stepped into this job,” City Manager Bill McDaniel said. “We’re created an entire onetouch customer service center. When you call you’re going to be talking to a real person, not a machine.” The two operators are available during business hours and the city will transition back to its automated response after the work-day has ended. The center officially opened Monday and the two operators took 267 calls during their

shift. The average answer time was only 18 seconds. McDaniel said the operators act as ambassadors for the city and rather than have callers play leap-frog among all the departments repeating their stories and requests over and over until they reach the right person the operator will take the call and find the answer for them. “They were answering a lot of questions about, ‘How do I access this service?’” McDaniel said. “We actually had reports of dead animals in the streets and we handled those with our new event management system so solid waste would know where those incidents were and be able to deal with them. We even answered one question, someone called into city hall and asked, ‘How do I get married?’ And we were able to provide that answer to that citizen.” The one-stop-shop means if someone calls about a pothole the staff member will take the information and send a work request into the roads department. They will ask the caller if they wish to be updated and if so will keep them in the loop on how things are progressing. It’s a way to further strengthen the bond of the city and its residents, McDaniel said, and

the hope is soon people will feel more comfortable reaching out to have any lingering questions answered. Community engagement is a key part of the city’s growth and as the center continues to flourish residents will be able to create a relationship with the city if they so desire. Soon McDaniel said the center will also have a working email address so those who don’t want to pick up the phone can email their questions or requests to the center and one of the two assigned staff members will be able to promptly respond with everything they need. Social media may also soon be a major part of the center with guests being able to use sites like Facebook to interact with the city, but that is still up in the air. For now, the center will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. If both operators are on the line an estimated wait time will be repeated to the caller to let them know how long they have to wait. Most calls are completed within a minute or two and waits so far are minimal.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

SR 39 EYED FOR UTILITY EXPANSION City commissioners have taken the first step toward extending utilities along State Road 39 to encourage future development in the area. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Plant City is one step closer to expanding utilities to State Road 39. A report using Total Impact, a model developed by Impact DataSource which was used to analyze development potential on County Line Road, broke down the risks and potential benefits of expanding to three different locations on SR 39 for city commissioners Monday evening. The study estimates ensuing with the utility work could result in the development of 700,00 square feet of new commercial space along SR 39. The current projections show commercial, office, retail and light industrial space utilizing the future development, but anything is up in the air. “We’re doing the best we can to project what the appetite will be,” Commissioner Nate Kilton said. “If we don’t do this the development won’t happen for a much longer time. It will come, but the question now is when? If

you ask anyone on County Line Road they’ll say it wouldn’t have happened without the utilities already being in place.” Commissioners were told if they wished to pursue the extension of utilities there were three options: Go to Trapnell Road — 0.75 miles — for $1,285,000, go to Kilgore Road — 1.25 miles — for $1,817,000 or go to Colson Road — 1.71 miles — for $2,520,000. Commissioner Bill Dodson said the process reminded him of where the city sat not to many years ago when they were deciding where to extend utilities to beckon development to Plant City. Four years ago they decided County Line Road was the best first phase, but even then SR 39 had been on the table. The analysis showed there was a potential of 2,273 direct, indirect and induced jobs to be created with the potential development. Including the survey land acquisition, construction, lift station and a 20% contingency the project is estimated to cost

the city $3,020,000. The money will come from the water and sewer development fees and utilities revenue. The city is expected to get it’s return on the investment in approximately seven years if everything goes according to plan. After a brief discussion at the dais commissioners agreed to look into development for the full 1.71 miles out to Colson Road. The approval from commissioners is simply for McDaniel to continue with a preliminary design and survey for the area. Once everything is finalized the city will have to approve the design costs and then open the door to construction bids. Monday evening commissioners approved in concept the extension of utilities, but much is yet to come before this becomes a reality. Some already identified issues include the fact that extending the utilities will result in a dead end line until the infrastructure can be looped back to the distri-

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.

Chris Black’s cat, Teddy, is as curious as he is cute. Teddy likes to hang out with his mom when she’s using the computer and see what she’s up to.

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bution system, which frequently results in poor water quality. The plan is to have fire hydrants installed throughout the area to help flush the water until looping can be installed. Small lift stations will also need to be added to any connection. The extension of utilities alone, however, may not be enough to turn on the green light and let business know the land is primed and ready for development. Mayor Rick Lott said by the time the full study and design comes back before commissioners they all needed to be ready to discuss land usage for the corresponding area. Amendments may need to be changed to help the process along. McDaniel compared guessing the future of the area as looking into a crystal ball. At the moment the city sees commercial, office and light industrial finding a forever home on SR 39. The reality is the future is too difficult to fully predict. Things change, the market changes and the city is ready

to let development drive itself down its organic and natural path. It simply wants to be ready for whatever decides to come its way. “This ensures we are prepared,” McDaniel said. “The development is going to happen and if you don’t get everything ready we may miss out on it happening for a long time. We’ve done this before. Look at South Frontage Road. We did the groundwork and now that’s ready for any development that wants to come. Look at what happened on County Line Road. The demand is there, we just have to be ready for it.” Now that the city has approved the first step it will take up to eight weeks for the consultant selection, 24 weeks for the design and permitting, eight weeks for the selection of a contractor and 30 weeks for constructions. All in all the project could be completed in approximately 70 weeks.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

Who will be the next

Strawberry Queen? Thirty-one girls will compete this saturday, Jan. 20, for the crown of the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen. Five will leave the pageant as the 2019 Queen, First Maid and court members. The Plant City Lions Club sponsors the scholarship pageant, held annually in January. The 2019 Florida Strawberry Festival will run from February 28 through March 10, though the 2019 Queen and her court will represent Plant City all year long.

OLIVIA FRAZIER Senior at Seffner Christian Academy Dual enrolled at Southeastern University

PARENTS

Brett E. Frazier and Angela Frazier

TARYN STORTER

RACHEL STEVENS

Junior at Plant City High School

Senior at Plant City High School

Senior at Durant High School

Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENTS

The late Mike Storter and Laura Storter

KYLA VARNUM Senior at Plant City High School Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENTS

Gary Varnum and Stephanie Douglas

EMILY SUAZO Senior at Strawberry Crest High School

PARENTS

Guilermo and Evelyn Suazo

LILY BATLEY Senior at Plant City High School Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENTS

Jeff and Susan Batley

Michael and Jessica Stevens

KENDALL GAUDENS Senior at Plant City High School Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENTS

Henry and Melissa Gaudens

FAITH JOHNSON

PARENTS

Steven and Ginger Bradley

JADA BROWN

ALLEE NORIEGA Senior at Durant High School

PARENTS

John and Ellany Noriega

EMMA POOLE

Junior at Strawberry Crest High School

Junior at Durant High School

Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENTS

Frederick Brown and Tonya Rochele Brewer

PARENTS

Freddie and Gwen Poole

KIERSTEN STRUTH

JESSICA JOHNSON

KENNEDY CULLINS

Senior at Durant High School

Senior at Seffner Christian Academy

Senior at Plant City High School

PARENTS

Ken Struth and Jason and Kim Thompson

LAUREN LAMOUTTE Junior at Academy of the Holy Names

PARENTS

Carlos and Ana Lamoutte

Robby and Laurie Johnson

Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENTS

David Cullins and Erin Jackson

REAGAN MESSICK

HALEY CHANCEY

Freshman at Hillsborough Community College

Freshman at University of South Florida

PARENTS

Gregory and Kelli Messick

PARENT

The late Rick Chancey and Paula Chancey

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

AUTUMN MILLER

JADEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;A BROOME

Junior at Strawberry Crest High School

Senior at Plant City High School

Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENTS

John and Julie Broome

Roger and Trina Miller

REAGAN TEARS

BRENDA DIXON

Senior at Plant City High School

Sophomore at the University of South Florida

Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENTS

Shawn and Michelle Tears

KATHERINE RUPPERT Senior at Plant City High School

PARENTS

David and Debbie Dixon

FAITH NAGY Senior at Lakeland Christian School Dual enrolled at Southeastern University

PARENT

Elizabeth Ruppert

JORDAN BRAMLEY Senior at Durant High School

PARENTS

Bobby and Tina Nagy

EMMA MILLER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

MADILYN CONRAD

Junior at Plant City High School Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

Senior at Plant City High School Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENTS

Les and Christine Miller

SHAKIRA JARAMILLO Senior at Plant City High School

PARENTS

Jason and Stephanie Conrad

JESSICA TILLIS Hillsborough Community College

Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

PARENT

Maribel Sandoval

PARENTS

Roy and Carmen Tillis

KAMILLE LONG

MEGHAN WHITE

Junior at Durant High School

PARENTS

Don and Brigitta Long

PARENTS

Stacy and Barbie White

ERIN GRAHAM Senior at Bloomingdale High School Dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College

Doug and Karen Bramley

PARENTS

Floyd and Felicia Graham

Plant City Observer BEST OF LUCK TO ALL THE CONTESTANTS!

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

PASSING THE GAVEL Jason Jones’s year as chairman of the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce was highlighted by education. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jason Jones is ready to pass the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce chairman’s gavel to Karen Kerr next week, knowing he accomplished what he set out to do. Jones, who owns Advantage Restoration and Contracting, calls the year spent leading the Chamber one of the “best experiences” of his life. “My love of Plant City and being able to give back to my community, that’s what I looked forward to and that’s what I’ve enjoyed doing,” Jones said. “It also made it easy having a great board and staff at the Chamber, some really strong local businesses and leaders in town I was able to work with throughout the year.” Since taking over last January, Jones stressed the importance of education for business owners and brought back the Chamber’s Lunch and Learn series the same month. Covering topics from tax laws to active shooter preparedness training, the luncheons are meant to give business owners easy access to educational resources they’ll need to be successful. “That’s something I really wanted to get done and it’s been a huge success,” Jones said. Being able to bring employers and employees in and teach them was great.”

The return of the luncheons is a personal point of pride for Jones because he credits the Lunch and Learns of the early 2000s with helping him find his footing as a new business owner. “It’s what got my business going. I got a lot of ideas out of it,” Jones said. “As a business owner, it’s one of the greatest events I went to. I learned a lot from it.” The Chamber also got the ball rolling on its Java and Jeans networking events, a casual Friday event bringing members together on Friday mornings to get connected and sip some coffee. The events are hosted at a different business each month and the owners of the location get to highlight their work in the community. “It’s a great event to get out and network before you get to work on Friday,” Jones said. The Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee got more active with a Capitol Coffee event on March 21 that gave residents the chance to connect with local elected officials and took things a step further with the Aug. 21 Plant City Candidate Forum to let residents speak to candidates running in the recent election cycle. “We had a great turnout (at the candidate forum) and we look forward to doing that

again in the future and having a stronger presence,” Jones said. “Being able to have an event like that where residents can come out and ask our candidates questions, that was important.” The programs implemented during Jones’s tenure are set to continue after Kerr takes over next week. Though his time leading the Chamber is coming to an end,

Jones doesn’t plan to be any less active in town after the gavel is passed. “I’m going to continue giving back to my community,” he said.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CORK OUTDOOR CLASSROOM Tampa Bay Farm2School Network is building an outdoor garden classroom at Cork Elementary Saturday and is welcoming any volunteers to assist in the project. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Students at Cork Elementary School are going to have a new hands-on educational outlet thanks to the efforts of the Tampa Bay Farm2School Network. The group was created five years ago by Elizabeth Leib, who was passionate about ensuring local youth have access to handson agricultural experiences. At 9 a.m. this Saturday, a group of approximately 50 volunteers will go to Cork to build an outdoor garden classroom for the young students. “Children, there’s a lot of research that points to the fact when they have a chance for hands on learning, they retain the information,” Leib said. “Outdoor classrooms provide opportunities for science, math, really every type of learning. What we’re interested in doing is setting up the physical spaces as well as helping an ongoing coach to bring in volunteers, people to do presentations, to help this space be utilized. We’re really interested in helping the teachers to use the garden.” The group also recently established a cooking program that teaches children how

to harvest and eat the produce they’ve been meticulously growing in their gardens. Leib said they’ve found when children are involved in the entire process of growing and preparing their own food they are more likely to at least try the vegetables and fruit before dismissing it. The mobile pop-up kitchen comes with tables and hot plates and the children are able to learn all about nutrition and how to prepare fresh food all while enjoying delicious meals. The volunteers on Saturday will begin the first phase of constructing the garden. Leib said approximately 70 percent of the work will be completed with volunteers constructing the garden frame, mixing garden soil, building picnic tables for students to sit on and digging out and mulching paths from the sidewalk to the garden. “We really want to develop a group of volunteers that live in the Plant City community to come out and support this project,” Leib said. “We have a longstanding relationship with USF, but it’s a little bit of

a distance for students at USF to come up to Plant City. If the community could step in this could really take off.” Volunteer groups already signed up to participate are Tomlin FFA/Robert Wilder, USF School Public Health, USF Patel College of Global Sustainability, Bethany Baptist Church, USF Morsani College of Medicine, USF Stampede of Service students, Tampa International Airport, Environmental Club of USF/Ben Carr, U.S. Green Building Council-Suncoast Chapter, Tampa Bay Farm 2 Schools & Cork garden team and Tampa Bay Kid’s Kitchen. This is the first phase of the partnership with the Cork garden team. Next year Leib said she hopes to complete phase two with the support of Plant City businesses, educational organizations and possibly a Home Depot grant to build an outdoor structure (pergola) for kids to sit under in the shade during their lessons. This is the only Plant City school the group currently works with. Leib said the group wants to “go deep” with all of its

schools so it keeps the number it works with limited. “Too many school gardens get built and then they don’t last because schools need ongoing support,” Leib said. “Next year we will be continuing this process with the school. We’re going to help in any way we can to ensure the students continue to learn from the garden, that they’re getting the best experience they can out of the classroom.”

SUPPORT NEEDED: - Tree company to donate mulch once or twice a year (ongoing) - Lumber for the outdoor garden classroom - pergola (one-time donation) - Garden supplies, seeds, tools, gloves (ongoing) - Seeds and vegetable plants (ongoing) - Local volunteer groups to help with maintenance of the garden such as HCC, FFA groups, Garden Clubs, IFAS Extension (ongoing)

OMG IT’S WEDNESDAY! PLANT CITY FARM AND FLEA MARKET Highway 39 North at Sam Allen Road—1 mi. N. of I-4 Exit 21

For more information Visit tampabayfarm2school.com Contact Elizabeth Leib at ttfarm2school@gmail.com or 813-892-5704.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

Saying goodbye

to the Plant City Family YMCA Zach Hilferding is joining the YMCA of the Cayman Islands after nearly three years as the executive director of the Plant City Family YMCA. He will begin his next chapter in early February.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

When Zach Hilferding became executive director of the Plant City Family YMCA in 2016, his goal was to help build it into a “strong, community-driven leader” in the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA community. He’ll leave for the Cayman Islands next month knowing he did just that. Hilferding will join the YMCA of the Cayman Islands as its new operations executive, a role he said he was specifically recruited for. He’s looking to keep the same energy he brought to Plant City in July 2016. “I’m really proud of the fact that we have established ourselves as a community-driven non-

profit,” Hilferding said. “We’ve tried to identify the needs and wants of community members… we’ve been able to partner with some great nonprofits like Unity, the Chamber of Commerce and Hope Lutheran Church. We’ve really been able to partner with a lot of organizations in the community that make an impact.” The YMCA of the Cayman Islands and many others outside the United States, Hilferding said, are more “faith-based” organizations in that they usually don’t have the same full-fledged facilities American YMCAs do, if they have any at all. YMCA International organizations work out of churches and camps and, in the case of the Cayman Islands, offer summer and specialty camps and afterschool care programs. Hilferding will be tasked with helping

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the five-year-old YMCA develop its sports programs now that it’s merging with Cayman Islands Little League and its programs and facilities. He hopes to see the YMCA grow over time to a point where it could one day have its own facility not unlike Plant City’s and where it could really expand its suite of offerings for the kids and community at large. His last day at the Plant City Y will be Feb. 1 and he’ll start his new position three days later. The rest of his family will join him in the summer so his children can finish the school year at Walden Lake Elementary. He said he’s sad to leave a town he and his family love living in and hopes Plant Citians traveling to the islands will look him up at his office on Seven Mile Beach. Hilferding’s replacement in Plant City has not yet been deter-

mined, but he said the YMCA’s national search should wrap up sometime in February. “I think this has become a desirable position within the Tampa YMCA association,” Hilferding said. “It’s very important to the Tampa COO and CEO to have the right fit to start a positive next chapter. They’ve grown to love Plant City.” Since Hilferding took over in Plant City, the YMCA underwent numerous quality of life improvements and put a stronger focus on its youth sports offerings. Swimming finally returned to the Y in the form of the developmental swim team for kids and the Y also dabbled with latenight sports options for kids during the summer. The Y offered new and improved programs like the Special Night Out events

for special needs adults and strengthened its partnerships with community organizations like Unity in the Community, the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce and Hope Lutheran Church. Most of all, Hilferding is proud to say the culture at the Plant City Y is strong and can be felt the minute a member walks into the facility. “I think the Y is in a better place moving forward,” Hilferding said. “I love our staff here. We’ve really built a strong, community-driven Y here that’s a leader in the Tampa association. That was my goal here. It’s been a great ride.”

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

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JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The new Baroness, Duchess, Princess and Queen were crowned the evening of Jan. 12.

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Top Five: Kennedy Duncan (winner), Amari Saniya Jackson (Runner-up), Analyse Garcia, Aubrey Ellis Duncan, Rylie Nicole Morris Rounding out the top 10: Rylie Jade Bodenweiser, Brylee Nicole Martinez, Rylee Nicole Smith, Jade Beveard, Demi Cheyenne Atkinson Other contestants: Piper Vittoe, Lila Marie Swindle, Brylynn Paige Newsome, Karley Sue Cox, Jenna Berlin Fearnow, Bailey Renae Keys, Jeweliann Clark, Avery Joy Palmer, Annslea Grace Woody, Carasyn Canfield, Kendall Avery Dross, Jessa Elizabeth Dunkin, Chloe Quintana, Sarah Leigh Cooper, Cayleigh Anne Stafford, Autumn Paige Brazil, Kaylei Anne Hardin, Jaylyn Elizabeth Barber

Top Five: Lylah Anne Linares (winner), Kendall Fallon Spencer (First Maid), SaraGrace Elizabeth Sparkman, Leah Nicole Gainer, Fe Jacquelyn Ramirez Rounding out the top 10: Milee Hasting, Taylor Myers, McKenna Davis, Lily Joelle Santos, Maya Leanne Howard Other contestants: Cadience Marie Mountain, Maya Sedena McDowell, Jenne Elizabeth Sheppard, Chesney Charlotte Stackhouse, Emerson Lee, Makayla Rynee Mahoney, Emmerson Alexia Givens, Hayven LeeAnn Harrell, Jayla Dawn Crumley, Jayla McKaden Baker, Lillie Alana Riner, August Rose Schill, Kacie Lynn Culbreth, Kendall Belle Wright, Rachel Moore, Abigail Louise Spivey, Summer Rain Schill, Brooke Sidnei Browning, Abigail Lee Mullis

Top Five: Avery Surrency (winner), Tori Marie Wegner (First Maid), Kate Daigle, Madison Mae Davis, Giselle Gutierrez Rounding out the top 10: Hannah Elizabeth Simmons, Bailey Ann Brock, Rylee Drew Woody, Kaylee Michelle Bowers, Lacie Lynn Collins Other contestants: Kendall Grace Long, Jacie Darlene Crabb, Abi Rippy, Hannah Grace Raburn, Madison Grace Kimbrough, Layesha Isabelle McDonald, Dayna Elise Gunn, Emily Faith Shrieves, Cameryn Grace Smith, Bianka Danielle Makeroff, Autumn Bodenweiser, Makayla Marie Makeroff, Kenley Gail Connell, Krissie Farris, Morgan Fisher, Kaylee Ann Kinchen

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

CITY PREPS TO PAVE 16 MORE MILES OF ROADS

More than 16 miles of roadways — many of which weave through local neighborhoods — are set to be paved in the current fiscal year. LIST OF STREETS FOR RESURFACING PROJECT FY 2018-19 PREPARED BY: MAS January 14, 2019

STREET NAME

FROM

LENGTH (miles)

ASTON AVENUE ASTON PLACE ASBURY COURT

BARRET AVENUE ASTON AVENUE ASTON AVENUE

BARRET AVENUE END OF CUL-DE-SAC END OF CUL-DE-SAC

BARRET AVENUE BARRET AVENUE EXECUTIVE CIRCLE FAIRLEA CIRCLE

THACKERY WAY GRIFFIN BOULEVARD BARRET AVENUE BARRET AVENUE

GRIFFIN BOULEVARD CLUBHOUSE DRIVE END OF CUL-DE-SAC END OF CUL-DE-SAC

0.70 0.60 0.03 0.03

CLUBHOUSE DRIVE N & S THACKERY WAY THACKERY COURT WEDGEWOOD DRIVE WEDGEWOOD COURT COUNTRY CLUB COURT E TIMBERLANE DRIVE BUSINESS LANE ROBINSON ROAD E MAHONEY STREET W PROSSER DRIVE W DREW STREET W LEE STREET W BATES STREET W MERRICK STREET N BARANCA STREET W GRANFIELD AVENUE

TIMBERLANE DRIVE TIMBERLANE DRIVE BARRET AVENUE CLUBHOUSE DRIVE WEDGEWOOD COURT TIMBERLANE DRIVE ALEXANDER STREET TURKEY CREEK ROAD AIRPORT ROAD N WHEELER STREET S COLLINS STREET S COLLINS STREET S COLLINS STREET S COLLINS STREET S COLLINS STREET NOSLEDA STREET CARY STREET

BARRET AVENUE BARRET AVENUE END OF CUL-DE-SAC END OF CUL-DE-SAC END OF CUL-DE-SAC END OF CUL-DE-SAC ALEXANDER STREET END OF STREET END OF STREET CSX RAILROAD HUNTER STREET S EVERS STREET S EVERS STREET S WALKER STREET S EVERS STREET W RENYOLDS STREET BARANCA STREET

1.90 0.67 0.06 0.18 0.09 0.30 0.67 0.28 0.25 0.17 0.64 0.13 0.13 0.26 0.13 0.10 0.13

W GRANFIELD AVENUE ACACIA DRIVE VICTORIA STREET VICTORIA STREET E DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BOULEVARD HENDERSON WAY S MARYLAND AVENUE E CAROL DRIVE E LINDA STREET N PALM DRIVE N BRACEWELL DRIVE N CRYSTAL TERRACE N NANCY TERRACE N JOHNSON STREET N MERRIN STREET N WARNELL STREET JOHNSON LOOP ROBIN DRIVE *ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST:

ALEXANDER STREET W THONOTOSASSA ROAD N FRANKLIN STRTEET ALEXANDER STREET PARK ROAD END OF CUL-DE-SAC E BAKER STREET PARK ROAD PARK ROAD E CALHOUN STREET E CALHOUN STREET E CALHOUN STREET E CALHOUN STREET S FRONTAGE ROAD ROBIN DRIVE ROBIN DRIVE N JOHNSON STREET N GORDON STREET $4,851,000.00

SR 574 REYNOLDS STREET ALEXANDER STREET PLANT STREET HENDERSON WAY END OF CUL-DE-SAC E ALSOBROOK STREET N MARYLAND AVENUE N MARYLAND AVENUE E LINDA STREET E LINDA STREET E CAROL STREET E CAROL STREET END OF PUBLIC STREET JOHNSON LOOP JOHNSON LOOP ROBIN DRIVE N JOHNSON STREET TOTAL CENTERLINE MILES:

0.97 0.05 0.49 0.12 0.28 0.80 0.74 0.26 0.26 0.44 0.44 0.39 0.39 0.26 0.14 0.14 0.29 0.15 16.17

* Construction cost based on cost of $300,000 per mile.

2.06 0.02 0.03

PAVEMENT CONDITION

POOR / FAIR FAIR FAIR SATISFACTORY / FAIR / POOR SATISFACTORY GOOD SATISFACTORY FAIR / SATISFACTORY / POOR POOR / FAIR / GOOD FAIR FAIR / POOR SATISFACTORY POOR SATISFACTORY / GOOD FAIR FAIR SATISFACTORY / FAIR FAIR / SATISFACTORY FAIR POOR FAIR FAIR FAIR / POOR FAIR FAIR / SATISFACTORY / POOR POOR GOOD SATISFACTORY FAIR SATISFACTORY POOR / FAIR FAIR FAIR FAIR / POOR FAIR / POOR POOR / FAIR FAIR FAIR / SATISFACTORY FAIR FAIR FAIR FAIR / SATISFACTORY

The city is paving at least 16 more miles of roads this year, focusing on reparing the worst roads throughout town. Later this year that number may double with the funds from the All for Transportation tax. See plantcityobserver.com for a full map of road repairs.

STREET RESURFACING PROJECTS FY 2018-19 CDBG FUNDING

MAS / June 6, 2018

STREET NAME

FROM

LENGTH (miles)

WIDTH (feet)

WASHINGTON STREET

WALLER STREET

BALL STREET

0.35

W ALSOBROOK STREET

S TYLER STREET

S ALEXANDER STREET

0.32

W RENFRO STREET

S FRANKLIN STREET

END

0.23

W WARREN STREET

WALLER STREET

W MADISON STREET

0.21

S GIBBS STREET

W MADISON STREET

GRANT STREET

0.42

TYLER STREET

W WARREN STREET

W BALL STREET

0.11

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

y the end of the year another 16 miles of roads will be resurfaced thanks to efforts from the city to make Plant City an easily accessible location for all who live, work and play in town. While last year a large portion of the roads selected for renovation were some of the major thoroughfares throughout town, this year the city has put a focus on neighborhoods in disrepair. Country Club Court, Clubhouse Drive, East Mahoney Street, West Greenfield Avenue and many more will help ensure all areas of the city are being brought up to par. “Soon we will have the oldest roads in Plant City just be around seven or eight years old,” City Manager Bill McDaniel said. “That’s amazing to think about.

We take our promise to our residents seriously and we have made this a top priority. Pretty soon you’ll have a hard time finding a bad road in Plant City. What a great problem to have that will be.” The 16.17 miles of roadwork will cost the city an estimated $4,851,000. The funds come from the one-mill tax and the $2 million from Hillsborough County, according to the city of Plant City. Six separate streets — totaling 1.64 miles — are set to be paved this fiscal year and are funded via the Community Development Block Grant. The city does a condition assessment of all the roads in its limits, McDaniel said. Using the assessment they know which roads are fair, good, poor and failed. Those with the lower

two ratings are prioritized for upcoming repair. They are then matched with a utilities assessment to make sure there will not be any major utility work in the area in the next few years. Utility work requires the road to be stripped as crews dig down to the underlying lines and pipes. In order to prevent having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars repaving the road twice those with upcoming construction are set aside. McDaniel said the city also takes a balanced approach to how it selects needed repairs. When looking at a map of Plant City it can essentially be divided into four sections via the major railroad tracks. If you look at the divided quadrants McDaniel said this upcoming round of repairs ensures the last two years have

tackled infrastructure in all sections of town. The city is already working on a second list for later this year, which McDaniel estimates will be approximately the same size as this 16-mile endeavor. Thanks to the passing of All for Transportation, cities will be receiving funds for a variety of things including road repair. Doubling the amount of roads paved this year will bring the city to near 50 percent completion of all roads in Plant City thanks to the major push for resurfacing over the past two years, according to McDaniel. Now that the city has approved the budget, the next step is to go through a procurement process and bids. McDaniel said he estimates construction will begin around the first of March.

Mayor Rick Lott discussed the project in Monday night’s commission meeting saying he was excited for the list McDaniel brought to the table and is looking forward to having a city full of recently-repaired streets. The city commissioners unanimously approved the project Monday night. “This is keeping with the promise we made to the community that the one-mill ad valorem tax, 100 percent of those proceeds would go into infrastructure — water, sewer and roads,” Lott said. “What we’re approving tonight is those streets that we allocated from those revenues.”

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

CSX

QUIET ZONE ON THE WAY

Additional funding has been approved to finalize the agreement with CSX to make the railroad track near Midtown a designated Quiet Zone.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

ith the prospect of Midtown on the horizon the city has taken steps to sweeten the development of the long-awaited residential and commercial haven mere steps from downtown. The city has entered an agreement with CSX to make the railroad track running parallel to West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Laura Street a Quiet Zone. While working through the agreement CSX came back with requirements that caused the city to need to allocate an extra $185,000 more to cbe able to omplete the project. “CSX came back with more requirements so we needed added funds to be able to complete the project,” City Manager Bill McDaniel said. “We’re still

several months out from completion. CSX has these regulations and we have to comply with that. There’s no working around it.” The $185,000 is included in the budget adjustment and comes from contingency in the Community Redevelopment Agency’s fund. If you’ve ever grabbed a cup of coffee or visited a store downtown, you’ve probably gotten used to the blaring horns of incoming trains as the conductors warn motorists and pedestrians they are preparing to enter town. The Federal Railroad Administration has specific requirements that detail how long, when and where the train must sound its horn. In the late 1980s there was an increase in train collisions at crossings where nighttime whistle bans were established, according to the FRA. By 2005 the final rule on quiet zones had been implemented.

The quiet zone will act as an exemption to the FRA horn rules, which means when a train is approaching a crossing it will not be routinely sounded. However, it doesn’t mean there will never be a horn blown on the track. The FRA said it may still occur in any emergency situations or for safety reasons. To combat the lack of a warning, communities with a quiet zone have to have upgraded warning devices and additional safety measures to help prevent any dangerous collisions with incoming freight cars. Currently the section near Midtown of the track adjacent to Laura St. is the only one being outfitted as a quiet zone. The track parallel to Drane St. in the heart of downtown is still going to be filled with frequent, horn-blowing trains. The city works with the Florida Department of Transportation with its Quiet Zone Grant Program Phase III fund-

ing agreement, which meant FDOT and the city would split the Quiet Zone capital improvement cost 50/50, totaling $330,000. Preliminary construction costs from FDOT included six highway rail-grade crossings and one pedestrian crossing along the .53-mile section of the track. The additional CSX requirements were added after the initial construction costs were approved. CSX construction was $19,511 more than the proposed $330,000. The pedestrian crossing will cost $15,000. Engineering fees went up from $40,000 to $57,266. Flagging and inspection will cost $31,257. CSX contingency is $44,377 and the city’s contingency is $17,589. FDOT will be funding $165,000 of the total project.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

THE DEATH of Hat Etiquette

ED VERNER OWNER/WRITER

here are three main reasons for the loss of proper hat etiquette in America since I was a boy. None of them really excuse those behaviors now that would make my grandmother roll over in her grave, but still they have contributed to the polite toleration of a sad change in how men wear hats and/or leave them on at inappropriate times. The first nail in the coffin is how hats have lost their value. What years ago a man would save up to purchase and wear with pride, now is often given away in cheap form to most anybody; frequently even for free if it bears a brand name logo of a mass-produced product. So, hats have gone from serving a personal purpose to being forehead advertising. Another chink in the armor for hat etiquette comes on the heels of how there are no longer hat racks at entry points in homes, eateries, or shops. In the past, one entering a room would find a convenient place to hang a hat right there. And concomitant with this courtesy was the wellknown fact that no one touched a man’s hat. This also would imply that stealing a man’s hat was akin to stealing his horse and could generate a response from a cowboy or a gentleman such that if and when the law arrived it would be to deliver a cretin to either the doctor or the undertaker.

The third contributor to the demise of hat etiquette is most sad of all in it is just a sign of the general decline in the proper instruction of manners from one generation to the next. To remove a hat when entering was taught, be it on the farm, or in the school, or in the home. “Hats and jackets off inside,” was a cry heard immediately as I entered my grandmother’s house. The teaching included: Remove a hat when the dead are being transported across your path in a hearse. Remove a hat when praying. Remove a hat when standing at attention for the playing of the National Anthem, or Taps. Remove a hat when saluting the U.S. flag, or as it is being raised or lowered. Remove a hat when seated (you may already be indoors, but again it may be a blocker of vision for those behind you). Lastly, it was taught how none of these apply to ladies whose hats are part of their decoration and accessorizing, and/or may be frequently held in place with pins, clips, or other dangerous items not to be disturbed. Certainly, such a double standard might be fodder for a different editorial. Meanwhile, if you are a guy reading this while wearing a hat indoors (assuming you are not a chef), take it off.

PlantCityObserver.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

LOCAL ARTIST ON THE RISE Joclyn Emerson was commissioned to be a part of a tapestries exhibition in Lakeland and currently has art on display in Bartow. As her skills keep developing her following only continues to grow. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Joclyn Emerson learned how to draw under her grandfather’s guiding gaze. He fostered in her a spark of creativity that she has channeled into a full-fledged career. Emerson has been winning the hearts of Plant Citians for years. Many may know her from her reign as part of the 2009 Strawberry Queen’s Court, but for the past several years she has been accumulating a loyal following of fans as she expands her repertoire as an artist. “It’s hard to explain my art style if you haven’t seen it,” Emerson said. “I definitely paint from a more realistic, nature and reality focused mindset. If I’m commissioned to do a piece I work on it the way they prefer. If you look at say the tapestry I just completed, that is more my unique style, which I guess I would say is kind of a mix of folk art and realism.” Most recently Emerson was selected to be a part of the “Tapestries —Lakeland” an Un-Mural Exhibition. Tapestries were commissioned by local artists and hung throughout all of Lakeland to show off the diverse skill set found in Hillsborough and Polk County. Her 12-foot by 5-foot tapestry is inspired by her love of agriculture as well as the cultural

symbolism behind the dwindling bee population. “It’s based off ‘The Telling of the Bees,’” Emerson said. “There’s these old stories of those in beekeeping communicating every big life event to their bees. Any marriages, deaths, job changes, they make sure the bees know. If the beekeeper dies, for example, he’ll have someone come out and tell his hives what happened so they’ll stay. It’s a much closer relationship than our mass commercial industry tends to use. Plus honey is so important to our ag community. I just felt compelled to paint it.” Growing up in Plant City fostered a deep love and respect for agriculture, which Emerson said has heavily impacted her art. She loves painting animals and rural scenes. Her work is also currently on display at the Bartow Public Library. She never dreamed it was possible. Though her high school AP art class helped develop her talent and showed her there were jobs one could pursue in the industry, she was convinced it would be futile to even think of crafting a career out of her passion. She got her AA in business from HCC and then went to USF to receive her bachelors.

One elective opened up a “whole new world” for Emerson and soon she dove headfirst into the art program. She received her degree in drawing and paint and grew in ways she never dreamed were possible. She studied abroad in Paris and Italy and learned how to take her advanced skills and apply them to the world she was immersed in. Everything from a Hemingway novel she was reading to the street she found herself walking on inspired the way she created new art. She walked away from USF with so much more than a degree. Her skill set expanded to more unique offerings like multi-media art and wood burning. You can find her work on the Joclyn Emerson Art Facebook or Instagram page, on the Joclyn Emerson Etsy account or by hopping in your car and driving to Painting with a Twist in Lakeland. Emerson is one of the artists that leads courses and several of her original creations can be replicated in featured classes. Painting with a Twist has helped her grow even more as an artist, sharpening her skills and training her to create masterpiec-

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es in a fraction of the the time it used to require. Many of her local fans pick up her art at Fancy Flea and her Etsy account has sent her art all over the country. Emerson recently moved from a strawberry farm to a cattle ranch where she finally has her very own studio space. Soon she plans to establish a live stream to teach beginners how to paint and create art. The official announcement for the new classes will be on her Facebook page in the upcoming months. On top of her classes at Painting with a Twist, Emerson makes her living predominately off of commissions. Canvases, screen art, paintings on wood, portraits of both pets and people, murals, wine glasses and more are all on her skill set. Though she said it is all fun to create, spending time painting pet portraits is her all-time favorite thing to do for customers. “I love being able to create something special for someone and I am so thankful to have been able to work with such talented artists at Painting with a Twist,” Emerson said. “To be able to share my passion with people who have

never experienced it before, just getting to be able to do that every day is such a blessing.”

For more information Visit: Joclyn Emerson Art Facebook and Instagram or the Joclyn Emerson Etsy page Email: joclynemerson@gmail.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

Nate Kilton

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE Did you take the Observer with you on vacation? Send your pictures to Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com to be featured.

Plant City Observer YO UR HOM

WN. YO UR YOUR HOMETETO SPAP ER . OWN. YOUNEW R NEWSPA PER

VOLUME 6, NO. 28

FREE

Sports village dea l strikes out The long-awaited

•

Mayor opens to MAKE P.C. SEEup PAGE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019

Gary Sheffield Sports Village is back at square one after internal dispute betwee an n the developers ruptured the partnership. SEE PAGE 5

FUTURE OF FORM

ER POST OFFICE

The former post office

located at Reynolds

BREANNE WILLIAMS

and Thomas Street

STAFF WRITER

The City of Plant City officially closed on the former post office on Street. Though still in initial Reynolds ments it appears the buildingassesscan be saved and repurposed for city use.

was built in 1935 and

renovated in 1961.

T he cherished former post office in the heart of downtown has long been an eyesore for residents as it slowly fell into disrepair. After a tumultuous battle the City of Plant City has successfully purchased the property. The city closed on the former post office located at the corner of Reynolds and Thomas Street at the end of December. The iconic facility was and renovated in 1961. built in 1935 For years it sat vacant with a tarp on one end of the

As of December 2018

the city now owns

the downtown property.

Courtesy of Bill McDaniel

roof and a much-desir ed parking lot law collecting dust. firms and the city attorney found themselves facing a When the city first unique problem. reached out to The purchase the property city was being told the it ing to face a few normal was expect- lot adjacent to the building parking the way. However, hurdles along a part of the post office, was not a major road- owned but rather block appeared near-impas by private citizens. sible and Everyone knew that McDaniel had to call couldn’t be the in back-up to case, help clear up the convoluted but no one could find evidence mess. to prove it wrong. McDaniel When one buys a property they ally have to do the routine went to Shelby Bender, eventulocate the proper titlestitle work to and executive director president of the East for the real estate. The two title companies, two

Getting fit in 20 19 Is hittin SEE PAGE 7

g the gym your New Year’ s resolution? You have plent y to choose from. JUSTIN KLINE

SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

SEE PAGE 8

Before 2011, I never gave a second thought to the importance of having a high-quality local newspaper. I’m thankful to my co-founders for educating me on the importance of hyper-local news to our community. I’m proud of the role that our paper plays in bringing important information to you on a weekly basis. A good local newspaper helps to galvanize a community. It brings us closer together by keeping us informed about important issues. It allows us to collectively celebrate exciting events and achievements, mourn the loss of those who have passed, encourage those who need help, promote business and innovation and assist in providing transparency and accountability for our community trusts (e.g. schools, nonprofits, churches and local government). While we were working on the launch of our paper in 2012, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. on a business trip. While I was there, I happened upon a museum dedicated to the history of news called the Newseum. I think of it as a memorial to the importance of a free press. I planned to stay for a short time, but I

ended up spending the better part of the day. Absorbing the exhibits and historical documents inspired me. On September 25, 1690, the first newspaper published in America was “Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick.” It was quickly shut down because it wasn’t approved by the British. Our newspaper isn’t nearly as important as Publick Occurrences, but it does contribute to the importance of continuing to flex the muscles of a free press lest they atrophy. I also want to stress the importance of the journalistic integrity of our paper. The content of our paper is driven by our staff, not the owners. The owners provide suggestions and feedback, but do not make decisions on articles that are published or not published. Your trust in our paper demands such an approach. I’m grateful to you, our readers and advertisers, for taking an interest in our community. Our goal from the very beginning was that we would bring you a highquality paper for decades. I’m prayerful that bringing the paper under 100% local control will contribute to that vision.

ROATAN: Tom and Debbie Lawson spent the week of Thanksgiving on a cruise, visiting places such as Roatan, Cozumel and Belize. The Plant City residents brought a couple Observer issues for the trip.

JANUARY 17, 2019

Kirsten Grindel leads the Durant girls basketball team in scoring.

See Page 19

SPORTS

THE BRITISH INVASION

Quick Hits Crest cheer, wrestling win tourneys Strawberry Crest High School’s cheerleading and wrestling programs ended last week on a high note, picking up a pair of big tournament wins. The cheer team won its sixth consecutive 2A Small Co-ed regional title on Jan. 11, then the wrestling team came out on top of the 3A-District 6 Duals championship the morning of Jan. 12.

Great Britain Softball hosted a tryout and training camp in Plant City last week.

Tri-Star hoops comp Tomlin Middle School will once again host the city’s annual Tri-Star Skills Competition for the area’s young hoopers. Kids can put their basketball dribbling, passing and shooting skills to the test in the Tri-Star competition, to be held at 9 a.m. Feb. 2 in the school’s gymnasium at the corner of West Oak Avenue and North Edwards Street. The competition is open to kids age 8-13 and the top three winners of each age group will get trophies. The Plant City youth rec league team with the highest attendance (in uniform) will receive a free pizza party. All kids can compete for free. For more information, call 813-659-4255 or visit plantcitygov.com.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

SCHEDULE Jan. 7: Players arrive Jan. 8: Registration,

welcome, introductions and testing (athletic, fitness, positional) during the day. Staff presentations on GB Softball culture and expectations, technical and tactical topics in the evening

Jan. 9: Hitting, intra-squad scrimmages, technical and tactical presentations Jan. 10: Defensive work for infielders, outfielders, pitchers and catchers. Offensive and defensive scenarios applied

Jan. 11: Offensive and

defensive work in morning. Scrimmage games for GB Red and Blue teams vs. Hillsborough Community College Hawks in late afternoon

Jan. 12: Morning scrim-

mage games for GB Red and Blue teams vs. Clearwater Bullets

GB Softball tryouts were open to women as young as 13 to Olympic hopefuls.

“Cold, dark and miserable” weather isn’t going to do softball players any favors. That’s why Great Britain Softball left the United Kingdom for Plant City’s beautiful weather when it held tryouts and training camp last week. “We wanted to do a training camp where we could do some selections and just observe players in this lovely weather here,” head coach Rachael Watkeys said. “Plus we have a huge number of US-based players here in college or living as residents here. It’s a logical place to come.” The GB Softball team spent six days working at the Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex adjacent to the World Baseball Softball Confederation headquarters on Park Road. Women tried out for the country’s Senior Women’s Team, Under22s, Under-18s, Under-16s and Under-13s and also underwent positional testing and strength and conditioning assessments. Now that softball is once again an Olympic sport, the Senior Women’s Team is

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

have a love-hate relationship with flopping, as many sports fans probably do. On one hand, flopping can be hilarious without context. Part of the reason I’m writing this column this week is because I saw some borderline artful flopping in the Plant City-Durant boys basketball game a couple weeks ago and am just now finding the words for it. Without going after anyone in particular, there were a few times I couldn’t help but chuckle because light contact led to kids selling the impact like The Rock bouncing all over a WWE ring after a Stone Cold Stunner. The acting was so dramatic that Daniel Day-Lewis would have taken notes. On the other hand, it totally hurts the game. It doesn’t matter which game. Basketball and

JUSTIN KLINE

attempting to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Watkeys said the team has to conduct more testing than usual because of the Olympics and that GB Softball will use the results to create programs for the players to stick to regardless of where they live. While the team does have a handful of players who reside in the UK, several of which made the trip down to Plant City, many live in the United States. “They’re British passport holders through a parent, or they were born there themselves and happened to move here for whatever reason,” Watkeys said. Players didn’t have much time to tour the area, as their schedules were jam-packed with softball for the better part of six days, but they did get to go to the beach and relax on Jan. 12 after their scrimmages ended. Now that the training camp is over, GB Softball is getting ready to go back overseas and compete in tournaments. Should the Senior Women’s Team perform well enough, an Olympic berth is likely. “There’s a few small European competitions which we’ll take teams to, in the Netherlands, an indoor

Great Britain’s softball teams held intensive training camps and tryouts in Plant City last week.

competition in the next couple of weeks and another in March which is indoor or outdoor depending on the weather,” Watkeys said. “But the next big one for the women is the European championships, which is the 30th of June in Ostrava, Czech Republic… provided we finish top six, which we’re confident we will, we’ll go to the Olympic qualifiers whenever and wherever they’re held. We’ll know in the next couple of weeks.”

Stopping the flopping

soccer have earned reputations as flop-friendly sports for good reason, especially at the highest levels, but you also don’t have to look too hard to find these things in football and hockey and other sports. It’s cheating, point blank period. It’s also extremely hard to regulate at the high school level. In the pros, where they don’t regulate it enough, there’s at least live video technology that could lead to booth reviews (if the pro leagues ever wanted to listen to Jeff Van Gundy, for example). In college, maybe not as much potential for live booth reviews exists but there’s still potential for it to work out in at least some areas. All we have at the preps level are human eyes. Referees are always going to make mistakes and I’m

not here to call for anyone’s head over a few calls kids got for dramatically overselling contact. But maybe we need to rethink how we’re monitoring things if people are so encouraged to keep flopping. Does that mean adding more referees to a game at any given time? The logistics for that idea probably aren’t great, but it would be nice to have an extra set or two of eyes on the floor specifically to watch for these things. Refs are already trained to look for flops, so more training isn’t necessarily the answer here. I would hope coaches are encouraging kids to avoid flopping at all costs. Of course, stopping the flopping would also be easier if the pros kids looked up to stopped doing it, too. That probably won’t come without actual

Youth soccer sign-ups The 43rd PCRPD/Optimist Club Youth Soccer Program season is coming up soon. The league is open to youths age 4-18 with boys, girls and co-ed divisions split up by age (determined as of June 1, 2019 — birth certificate required). The season begins in late March and has games on Tuesdays and Saturdays through the end of May. Last season, 1,300 players participated. Registration costs $35 and covers insurance and a jersey. Sign up by 4:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at the PCRPD office, 1904 S. Park Rd., or by mail. For more information call 813-659-4255 or email recinfo@plantcitygov. com.

rule changes, but once they’re implemented it wouldn’t take long to trickle down. I’m just hoping everyone involved with sports can be a little more proactive in taking steps to stop the flop.

Justin Kline is the Sports Editor at the Plant City Times & Observer. Email: jkline@ plantcityobserver. com.

The Tri-Star basketball skills competition comes to Tomlin Middle School every year.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

PCLL WARMING UP FOR 2019 SEASON

UPCOMING GAMES

BOYS BASKETBALL

Feb. 9

Jan. 15

Jan. 11

Plant City vs. Kathleen, 11:30 a.m. (Mosaic Stinger Shootout at Bartow HS)

Durant 3, Spoto 0 Plant City 5, Wharton 1 Plant 3, Strawberry Crest 0

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Jan. 18

Jan. 11

Durant at Wharton, 8 p.m. Plant City at Steinbrenner, 8 p.m.

East Bay 79, Durant 60 Plant City 48, Bloomingdale 37 Tampa Bay Tech 87, Strawberry Crest 59 Jan. 15

Plant City Little League registration is still open and the league hopes to keep numbers climbing upward.

Newsome 62, Durant 60 Plant City 68, East Bay 62 Strawberry Crest 76, Lennard 55

Jan. 15 Jan. 18

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

t won’t be long before baseball and softball are back in action at Mike Sansone Park. Plant City Little League’s 65th season is set to start next month and the league is hoping to see more kids sign up before registration closes this weekend. Approximately 470 players participated in PCLL in 2018 and 2017, according to president Johnie Goodson, and the league is hoping to keep its numbers increasing. “We’re just trying to get as many kids out there as we can,” Goodson said. Little League participation numbers nationwide have been on the decline this decade thanks to both rising costs and the surge in popularity of travel ball and alternative leagues with different rules. Plant City isn’t trying to be the next local town that dissolves its Little League to join Cal Ripken or other programs. One thing Goodson and PCLL want people who may be on the fence about registering their children to know is that the financials are more flexible than they appear. Little League as a whole — in Plant City and beyond — mandates that no player can be turned away because their families can’t pay. Goodson said PCLL will work with families to find scholarships, sponsors and other programs or ways to help cover costs in these situations. “Sometimes we just ask for the city fee and maybe just the uniform fee,” he said. “We’ll work with them as they can. If the parents says they can pay half today and maybe the other half two to three weeks from today, we’ll accept that. There’s been times in the past

IF YOU GO Tryouts are scheduled for 10 a.m. Jan. 26 and make-up tryouts will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 28. Teams will be selected in the last week of January and Opening Day ceremonies are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Feb. 23. Anyone looking to become a sponsor can contact Shannon Scott at sscott0408@aol.com.

where board members and parents have paid for other kids to be able to play.” With baseball registration costs as high as $165 per child even before purchasing equipment, which could set parents back at least an extra $100, it’s not hard to see why paying could be a problem for some families. The league does keep some equipment on hand for instances where kids need it but otherwise may not have access to it. For example, when Little League switched to USA-style bats for safety reasons in 2018, PCLL bought about a dozen extra bats to have on hand so that no one would have to worry about using a noncompliant composite bat if they couldn’t get the new ones. Registration for Plant City Little League is open through Saturday. Online sign-ups at the PCLL website, eteamz.com/PlantCityLL, are open through Friday and the league will host an in-person registration session at its boardroom at the park from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday. The cost varies by age group, ranging from $85 for tee-ball to $165 for minor, major, junior and senior baseball, and included in the cost is the mandatory $30 fee issued by the City of Plant City that is nonrefundable. Siblings get a $20 discount.

East Bay 47, Durant 40 Bloomingdale 55, Plant City 29 Strawberry Crest at Tampa Bay Tech, 6:30 p.m.

Durant at Bloomingdale, 8 p.m. Plant City at Strawberry Crest, 8 p.m. Jan. 21 Strawberry Crest vs. Tenoroc, TBA (MLK Shootout at Lake Wales)

Newsome 32, Durant 21 ]East Bay 55, Plant City 31 Lennard at Strawberry Crest, 6:30 p.m.

Tampa Bay Tech at Durant, 8 p.m. Riverview at Plant City, 8 p.m. Strawberry Crest at Bloomingdale, 8 p.m. Jan. 24 Durant at Lennard, 8 p.m. Plant City at Tampa Bay Tech, 8 p.m. East Bay at Strawberry Crest, 8 p.m.

Durant at Bloomingdale, 6:30 p.m. Plant City at Strawberry Crest, 6:30 p.m.

Durant 6, Brandon 0 Strawberry Crest 3, Robinson 1 Jan. 14

Tampa Bay Tech at Durant, 6:30 p.m. Riverview at Plant City, 6:30 p.m. Strawberry Crest at Bloomingdale, 6:30 p.m.

Strawberry Crest at Armwood, 6 pm.

Jan. 29

King at Durant, 8 p.m. Strawberry Crest at Gaither, 8 p.m.

King at Durant, 6:30 p.m. Hillsborough at Plant City, 6:30 p.m. Strawberry Crest at Gaither, 6:30 p.m.

Plant City at Chamberlain, 8 p.m.

Durant 8, Spoto 0 Wharton 2, Plant City 1 Plant 6, Strawberry Crest 0

Durant at Lennard, 6:30 p.m. Plant City at Tampa Bay Tech, 6:30 p.m. East Bay at Strawberry Crest, 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 29

Jan. 31

Jan. 15

Jan. 17

Durant at Plant City, 6:30 p.m. Newsome at Strawberry Crest, 6:30 p.m.

Plant City at Armwood, 8 p.m.

Bloomingdale 2, Plant City 0

Jan. 24

Durant at Plant City, 8 p.m. Newsome at Strawberry Crest, 8 p.m.

Jan. 30

GIRLS SOCCER Jan. 11

Jan. 25 Jan. 25

Bloomingdale at Durant, 8 p.m. Plant City at Armwood, 8 p.m. Wharton at Strawberry Crest, 8 p.m.

Jan. 18

Jan. 22 Jan. 22

Jan. 22

Jan. 18 Durant at Wharton, 6 p.m. Plant City at Steinbrenner, 6 p.m. Jan. 22 Bloomingdale at Durant, 6 p.m. Plant City at Armwood, 6 p.m. Wharton at Strawberry Crest, 6 p.m. DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS

Jan. 30

BOYS BASKETBALL

Plant City at Armwood, 6:30 p.m.

at Plant City, Feb. 12-15 GIRLS BASKETBALL

Jan. 31

at Tampa Bay Tech, Feb. 4-7

Durant at Spoto, 8 p.m.

Plant City at Chamberlain, 6:30 p.m. Armwood at Strawberry Crest, 7 p.m.

Feb. 5

Feb. 1

GIRLS SOCCER

Brandon at Durant, 7 p.m. Armwood at Strawberry Crest, 7 p.m.

Durant at Spoto, 6:30 p.m.

at Riverview, Feb. 24-31

Feb. 7

Jan. 11

Durant at Leto, 7 p.m. Hillsborough at Plant City, 7 p.m. Strawberry Crest at Blake, 7 p.m.

Brandon 1, Durant 0 Strawberry Crest 0, Robinson 0

Feb. 1

BOYS SOCCER

Jan. 14 Bloomingdale 2, Plant City 0

BOYS SOCCER at Plant City, Jan. 25-31

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

SPONSORED BY SPORT CLIPS

ANGELA FULGIERI

Kirsten Grindel

LIVESTRONG AT THE YMCA

Kirsten Grindel, Durant’s top sophomore, is averaging a career-best 14 points and 3.5 steals per game in 2019. Her 26 points, five steals and four assists against Plant City on Jan. 8 helped push the Cougars past the Raiders, 61-38, in the crosstown rivalry game.

Livestrong at the YMCA is a 12-week, small group program developed in partnership with the Livestrong Foundation to help people who are living with, or beyond cancer.

any people affected by cancer need support and help dealing with the physical and emotional challenges the disease brings. The Plant City Family YMCA continues to provide that support at no cost to cancer survivors and their families. Livestrong is designed for adults who have become de-conditioned or chronically fatigued from their treatment and/or their cancer. The YMCA offers a safe, supportive environment where participants have the opportunity to improve their functional ability and to strengthen their body as well as their mind and spirit. Every Livestrong participant has a unique story. We have people come to us at different ages, with different types of cancer and at different stages of treatment or beyond. One of our graduates, Lisa Browder, went through the program in 2016. She talked with me about what made her come to the Y, what she got from the program and what keeps her coming back. Before cancer, Browder was very active and healthy. She was diagnosed in 2016 with stage 3 breast cancer and immediately started chemotherapy to reduce the tumors before surgery. After four months of chemo, she had neuropathy in her hands and feet and gained 36 pounds. “Everybody else gets cancer and gets skinny, and I got cancer and got fat,” she joked. She had a double mastectomy and, two months later, she underwent another surgery to remove lymph nodes. After that, she drove to Moffitt Cancer Center for rehabilitation twice per week. She had the option to continue rehab in Tampa for another 16 weeks but chose to do Livestrong instead. Browder called us to ask if her mom, who was already living with bone cancer

From your perspective, how’s the season going for you all?

I think that, given the circumstances where we don’t have a lot of girls, I think the season’s going pretty well. What’s working for you out there this year?

for five years, could do the program with her. They were able to go through the program together. After an initial meeting and assessment, they met twice per week with a Livestrong coach for their workouts. Lisa said that one of the best things about Livestrong is how individualized the program is. “We had set goals at the beginning of the program,” she said. “My goal was to be able to run two miles without stopping. My mom‘s goal was just to be able to stand for five minutes, so her goals were very different than mine.” The assessment at the beginning was very important to Browder. Even though she was attending with her mom, she didn’t want to be lumped in the same category. “She has bone cancer and I had breast cancer,” she said. The post-assessment was a big benefit to Browder. Due to her node dissection surgery, she still does not have full range of motion in her right arm, but to see how much further she was able to reach versus the day she started was a win. Browder says the support system she gained from Livestrong was unexpected. She explained that they would meet, talk about how their week was going and whatever they wanted to share and then they would exercise with the Livestrong coach there to guide them and help them to each reach their own goals. “There is absolutely nothing to lose,” she said. “Why would you not? You have everything to gain from this program.”

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Lakeland

Same thing. My dad played his whole life and always talked about how much he liked it. I was always a really athletic kid. Growing up, I liked playing every sport. I tried it and fell in love with it and I continued to do it. I like the competitiveness, the intensity like when it’s close and you have the crowd screaming at you… I like the feeling of that.

I would go to Purdue. They have the academic program that I want to go for and a really good basketball team. I fell in love with the idea of it.

Where do you think you’ve improved the most since last year?

You also run cross country and track. How long have you been in these sports?

I’m just trying to get up on the leaderboard with steals and scoring. I want to reach out to colleges and see if there’s

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What do you want to major in?

What are your goals for the season?

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What drew you to basketball?

I think this year we have a lot more teamwork and more girls who are athletic. Not that last year’s weren’t, but we have more in general and it’s easier to sub girls out and get up and down the floor.

My confidence definitely improved and my IQ of the game improved as the year went on.

Angela Fulgieri is the Wellness Experience Director at the Plant City YMCA. Contact her at observerfitness@gmail.com.

any interest in a couple years.

It’s speech and psychology. I want to work with kids who have disabilities and help them learn how to speak, stuff like that.

I’ve been playing basketball since I was in fifth grade so six years, almost. Five or six years. I just started running competitively last year for high school. My dad did it, and they kind of pushed me to do it to stay in shape for basketball. I was good at it so I continued to do it.

What’s your proudest moment as a Cougar so far?

Definitely the first game of the season, we came in and were all nervous. It was a really close game. I hit the buzzer beater and it wasn’t even that I hit it, it was that the whole team came on the floor. It felt like we just won a championship, but it was just the first game. It’s that feeling of excitement.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

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Charles Robinson Adams, 75, retired Quaker minister, formerly of Archdale, NC, entered into eternal rest on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. In addition to his parents, preceding him in death were a daughter, Dr. Samantha Adams Berden, and a brother, Thomas Adams. Charles was born on March 10, 1943 in Guilford County, to the late John Thomas and Jewell Jones Adams. He was a 1961 graduate of Allen Jay High School, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from UNC Chapel Hill and his Master of Ministry from Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana. His 43 year ministry career consisted of: Christian Education Director at Sugar Plains Friends Church in Thornton, Indiana, then at First Congregational Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Youth Pastor at High Point Friends; Pastor at Mt. Airy and Deep River Friends Meetings. In 2008, he retired from Providence Friends Meeting, where he had pastored for 22 years.

Dora Jean Hickman

Luis Guzman

Dora Jean Hickman, 77, of Plant City, passed away on Jan. 8, 2019. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lifepath Hospice. Online condolences may be left for the family at www. haught.care.

Luis Guzman, 69, of Dover, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 at Wells Memorial. Visitation will be held one hour prior, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

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Helen Voncele Polston Helen Voncele Polston, 83, of Plant City, passed away on Jan. 10, 2019. Online condolences may be left for the family at www. haught.care.

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Jakelin Espitia Jakelin Espitia, 11 dias, nacio el 3 de Enero del 2019 en Tampa, entro en descanso eterno el 14 de Enero del 2019. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

Marcella Jones Marcella Jones, 86, of Plant City, passed away on Jan. 12, 2019. Born in Lake Worth. The family will receive friends Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Shiloh Baptist Church, 905 West Terrace Drive, Plant City, FL 33563. Funeral services will follow at 6:00 p.m. Online condolences may be left for the family at www. haught.care.

OBITUARIES

Charles Robinson Adams

It was here that he researched and wrote the history of the Meeting, “Community Builders: Providence Friends Meeting, 1762 – 2012.” He moved to Plant City to be near his aging father and for the past 10 years enjoyed attending First Baptist Church of Plant City. Charles enjoyed his 50 plus years singing in gospel quartets. He was a registered white-faced clown named ‘Charlie’ and enjoyed baking and reading. Charles is survived by his granddaughter, Jadzia Berden, son-in-law, Patrick Berden, stepsons, Jason Hill and Jeff Hill, and their mother, Judith Winslow, step-grandchildren, Reece Hill and Kalahan Hill, sister-in-law, Linda Kinley Adams. A service was held to celebrate Charles’ life Saturday, Jan. 12, at Providence Friends Meeting, 2054 Providence Church Rd, Pleasant Garden, NC, with Pastor Kevin Rollins officiating. Interment followed in Guilford Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Charles’ memory may be made to the Jadzia Berden Education Fund and contact information for that fund will be available later on Charles’ webpage at www.cumbyfuneral. com. Cumby Family Funeral Service of Archdale is in charge of arrangements.

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Cynthia P. ‘Cindy’ Williamson

Cynthia P. “Cindy” Williamson, 65, of Dover, born in Plant City on Sept. 3, 1953, entered into eternal rest on Jan. 13, 2019. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

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Jimmy Doyle ‘JD’ Faught Jimmy Doyle “JD” Faught, 78, of Lake Wales, born in Cooter, Missouri on Oct. 9, 1940, entered into eternal rest on Jan. 13, 2019. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

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Florist

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ALL OBITUARIES ARE SUBMITTED AND EDITED BY FAMILIES OR FUNERAL HOMES

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YOUR CALENDAR

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

THURSDAY, JAN. 17 WALTZ DANCE LESSONS

12 to 2 p.m. at Strawberry Square Dance Center, 4401 Promenade Blvd. Waltz Dance lessons are Jan. 17 through March 28 on Thursdays and are $6.00 each per lesson. Contact www.strawberrysquaredancing. com or phone 864-723-6965 for more information.

BLUEGRASS NIGHT

6:33 to 8:33 p.m. at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Tickets are $10 and seating is limited. You can purchase tickets in-house or on Eventbrite. Southern Express Bluegrass is this month’s band.

FRIDAY, JAN. 18 DATE NIGHT SWING DANCE CLASS

7:30 to 9 p.m. at Stardust Dance Center, 3613 Citrus Tree Court. Rapid Ballroom is hosting date night swing dance classes. Come learn West Coast Swing, Hustle, Single Swing and Jive. Classes run through March and are $15 per lesson. Contact them today at 218-256-1873.

SATURDAY, JAN. 19 MLK STREET FESTIVAL “UNITY STARTS HERE”

10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at baseball Field #1, Plant City MLK Sports Complex, 1601 E. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. The 33rd annual Plant City MLK Street Festival will have various food vendors, merchandise and service providing vendors. The event will also feature the fifth annual Battle of the Bands immediately following the parade.

TWO STEP DANCE LESSONS

10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Strawberry Dance Center, 4401 Promenade Blvd. Two Step dance lessons are Jan. 12 to March 30 on Saturdays and are $6.00 each per lesson. Contact www.strawberrysquaredancing.com or phone 864-723-6965 for more information.

BEST BET SATURDAY, JAN. 19 PLANT CITY’S 33RD ANNUAL MLK FREEDOM PARADE

1 to 2:30 p.m. The annual MLK Freedom Parade brings leaders and businesses from all backgrounds together to celebrate Plant City’s diversity. The route begins in historic downtown at Wheeler and MLK Blvd. and will head down MLK Blvd. to the MLK Sports Complex’s community center site, 1601 E. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. Recommended viewing areas are the Plant City Photo Archives, mural parking lot behind Krazy Kup, Willaford Railroad Museum parking lot, Sam Cooper Lake, Bing Rooming House Museum and Marshall Middle School.

PLANT CITY STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CRUISE-IN

3 to 8 p.m. at 102 N. Palmer St. The monthly Strawberry Classic Cruise-In is back in the heart of downtown Plant City. Be prepared for limited parking.

PLANT CITY SOCIAL DANCE 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Strawberry Square, 4401 Promenade Blvd. Plant City Social Dance will be holding their January dances. This dance will be social dancing on a 3,000 square foot floating wood floor. Cost is $6. Visit strawberrysquaredancing.com.

MONDAY, JAN. 21 TOOLS TO QUIT

10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Plant City Community Resource Center, 307 N. Michigan Ave. Interested in quitting tobacco? Join a “Tools to Quit” cessation group held every third Monday. Provides you with valuable tools to quit. Registration required, but event is free. Call 813-974-7889.

TUESDAY, JAN. 22 CHRISTIAN SONGWRITERS WORKSHOP 6:33 to 8:33 p.m. at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. This month features special guest host Nathan Drawdy. This is a free workshop series, not live music. Come prepared to learn

with the group and tap into your inner musical strength as a Christian artist.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 23 READ WITH BONNIE THE THERAPY DOG

4 to 5 p.m. at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St., to read with Bonnie the Therapy Dog. She loves to snuggle up with anyone who wants to share a book and some pats on the head. You can find her on the couch in the children’s reading area.

THURSDAY, JAN. 24 GOING BALD FOR A CAUSE LIVE

9:30 to 11 a.m. at OnPoint CoWork Solutions, 1805 James L. Redman Parkway. Operation Paying It Forward founder Michelle Valdes will be shaving her head for a worthy cause Thursday morning. She is inviting the community to either stream the event or come out. She is shaving her head in honor of those

PLANT CITY FAMILY YMCA | 1507 YMCA Pl., Plant City | 813 757 6677 | tampaymca.org

who have lost and those who continue to fight cancer. OPIF is raising money to help a local child fighting cancer. For more information email opayingitforward@gmail.com.

ANNUAL CHAMBER GALA

6 to 9 p.m. at the Trinkle Center, 2206 E. Cherry St. The annual gala for the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce is back. This year combines the annual Best of Plant City Awards and the traditional Passing of the Gavel ceremony. Chairman of the Board Jason Jones will pass the gavel to the 2019 Chair Karen Kerr. Tickets are $75 per person, $125 at the door. Reception is at 6 p.m. and the dinner, program and awards begin at 7:15 p.m. Call 813-754-3707 for more information.

RETRO MOVIE NIGHT

6:33 to 8:33 p.m. at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. This month features the 1938 film “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. The event is free and held on the fourth Thursday of every month. Check out the bakery for unique treats themed after each month’s film.

MOVIE NIGHT: LOOK TO THE SKY

7 p.m. at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St., “Look to the Sky,” from filmmaker Brett Culp, features the uplifting true stories of young people who have demonstrated the spirit of Superman. This featurelength documentary explores the power of hope and the importance of positive ideals, while encouraging viewers to find the superhero within themselves. Runtime is 1 hour and 12 minutes.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

Send your photo submissions to Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@PlantCityObserver.com or hashtag #iloveplantcity on Instagram for @igersplantcity to feature.

High: 74 Low: 46 Chance of rain: 10%

THURSDAY, JAN. 17

FRIDAY, JAN. 18 High: 77 Low: 54 Chance of rain: 0%

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SUNRISE/SUNSET

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WEATHER

I LOVE PLANT CITY

FORECAST

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JAN. 19 High: 82 Low: 64 Chance of rain: 10%

SUNDAY, JAN. 20

Rex Rothman made some new friends in downtown Plant City during a December 2018 party at A Peace of Plant City. Ann Trinkle snapped the photo of Rothman doing his best impression of a J. Seward Johnson sculpture, fitting in perfectly with the scene. Ann Trinkle wins this week’s I Love Plant City photo contest.

ONLINE

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High: 67 Low: 40 Chance of rain: 90%

STRAWBERRIES Shipping point: Central Florida $18-$22.90

Feb. 4 New

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YEAR TO DATE:

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2018 0.78 in.

GOLD & SILVER

Diamonds & Precious Gems,

285826 287516-1

813.754.2360 | 1705 Jim Redman Pkwy. Plant City, 33563

Edited by David Steinberg January 17, 2019

ACROSS 1 Scott Joplin’s genre 8 Reflexology resort 11 Post-op spot 14 Biannual celestial event 15 Big coffee vessel 16 Catch red-handed 17 Interest limitation 18 Mealtime furniture set 20 Stomach

muscles 21 *Particle accelerator 23 “No” votes 25 Needle part 26 “Game of Thrones” knight 27 Unexpected defeat 31 Some males butt heads over them 33 *Director of “Good Will Hunting” 38 “Smooth Operator” singer

39 Columbus sch. 40 Oxy target 41 Actress Thurman 43 Sault Marie 44 Dumbbell press units 46 *Discussed business 1/17 UniversaCl rossword Edited by David Steinberg January 17, 2019 49 _-a-porter (ready-towear) 50 ltty-bitty

51 Second Amendment grp. 52 Best-liked, in texts 54 “Fudge!” 58 *Minimum requirements for a job 63 T, to Socrates 64 Some retired professors 65 Ballerina’s garment 67 Animated Flanders 68 Pre-K student 69 Dieter’s unit 70 Language

suffix 71 Clean energy org. 72 Easywinners, or a phonetic hint to starred entries’ hidden brands DOWN 1 Broadcasted again 2 Seaport of Jordan 3 Bold 4 Father’s Day gift 5 Machu Picchu native 6 Castle surround er 7 Trade show 8 Allina lather? 9 Like 11 and 17 10 Elsa’s sister in “Frozen” 11 Where dirt comes out 12 Satisfied one’s every whim 13 Major rideshare app 19 Start and end of spells? 22 Selfreferential, slangily 24 Honda CR-V, e.g.

28 La_, Bolivia 29 Bad mood 30 “Como usted?” 32 Trickle 33 It’s a mixed bag to hikers 34 They’re created before passwords 35 Replace 36 Microwave 37 They hounded Capone 42 Online blocker targets 45 Step in a flight 47 Jeans maker Strauss 48 Barrett of Pink Floyd 52 Aperture setting 53 Japanese dog breed 55 Pong company 56 _to go 57 Unclothed sculptures 58 Nota 59 Put ina bibliography 60 Relatives of Ines. 61 Rachel’s sister 62 Beer pong cup brand 66 In addition

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2019

PlantCityObserver.com