1.31.19 PLCO by Plant City Observer

Plant City Observer YO UR HOMETO WN. YO UR NEWSPAP ER .

YOUR HOMETOWN. YOUR NEWSPAPER FREE

VOLUME 6, NO. 31

BREWING AHEAD:

COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROWS FOR ALTERED ALCOHOL ORDINANCE

Mr. Sebas Ice Cream Shop was flooded with local business owners and community members Tuesday evening as they gathered to discuss changing the current alcohol ordinance held by the City of Plant City. The dream, according to the attendees, is to one day have a downtown Plant City where responsible

•

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

adults could meet up with coworkers or friends after work and split a charcuterie platter and a bottle of chardonnay at a small wine bar nestled in the bottom of one of the historic brick buildings downtown.

SEE PAGE 5

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Justin Kline

The wagon was set up at Walden Lake’s polo field and was driven down Timberlane Drive to get to Polo Place.

The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales came to Plant City on Jan. 25 to deliver a contest prize in Walden Lake. SEE PAGE 9

CHAMBER HONORS ‘BEST OF PLANT CITY’ Each year the public comes together and votes on their favorite businesses, events and civic heroes in Plant City. SEE PAGE 6

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

NEWS BRIEFS

Justin Kline

A vehicle was struck by a freight train Tuesday evening at the Collins Street and Laura Street intersection, according to Plant City Police Department. PCPD spokesman Sgt. Al Van Duyne said he was told there were no injuries or fatalities at the accident. As far as PCPD knows the crossing arms were working prior to the incident. The roadway was closed due to the blockage, but was reopened shortly afterward. This is an active investigation.

Springhead Park shooting investigation ongoing Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office detectives are looking into the Jan. 25 shooting at Springhead Park, believed to have been a drive-by shooting.

A 911 call reporting gunshots was placed around 10 p.m. that night and deputies found one male adult victim, who was transported to Lakeland Regional Health and later succumbed to his injuries. Detectives do not believe the shooting was random and no arrests have been made. Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200. You may also send an anonymous tip from a smart phone using HCSOSheriff app available on both Android and Apple products. To be eligible for a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at crimestopperstb.com or send a mobile tip using their P3 Tips Mobile application, which is a free download for iPhones, iPads and Androids. You must call Crime Stoppers first to be eligible for a reward.

287682-1

Train collides with car in downtown Plant City

Courtesy Photo

Orlando ministry helps local homeless people Mt. Olive Baptist Church recently helped “Hope, Faith and Love” help those in Plant City’s homeless community. “Hope, Faith and Love” is a mobile ministry established 10 years ago that travels around the Orlando, Tampa and North Port areas to feed and clothe the homeless. The Orlando-based ministry visited the Plant City church on Tuesday and gave away more than 150 blankets, socks and undershirts, as well as meals for people to eat. The ministry’s immediate needs are finding support for cash donations, food donations, extreme weather clothing and covering items (sweaters, blankets, gloves, hats), toiletries, socks and undershirts. It is always looking for donations and volunteers. For either option, contact Adien Diaz at 407928-2974 or Ana Diaz at 813-531-1680, or email hopefaithandlove2017@gmail. com.

Hopewell Baptist Church to welcome new pastor Sunday, Feb. 17 will mark the start of a new era for Hopewell Baptist Church as it welcomes Rev. Justin Kirksey. Kirksey, who comes to Hopewell from Madison Street Baptist Church in Starke, is the church’s new pastor. He is a Georgia native who received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion in 2004 and his Master of Divinity in 2008, both from Luther Rice University, and has worked in churches in Georgia and Florida since 2006.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

PLANT CITY BLACK HERITAGE CELEBRATES 16 YEARS OF FESTIVITIES The 16th annual Plant City Black Heritage Festival kicks off next week with a banquet, jazz festival, youth summit and gospel concert.

The Plant City Black Heritage Banquet and Gala draws hundreds to the Trinkle Center every year. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

For 16 years, Plant City Black Heritage Celebration, Inc. has provided the community with a weekend-long event full of history, inspirational speakers, soulful jazz and moving gospel festivals. The annual Black Heritage festival kicks off Feb. 8 with the Black Heritage Banquet and Gala. Rod Carter, an award-winning journalist who anchors News Channel 8’s weekend evening newscasts, will be the master of ceremony this year. The Trinkle Center will be filled with guests who have given their time and resources to help the organization further its reach throughout the community. As they enjoy dinner Judge Lisa Campbell will give a keynote address on the “Blueprint for all Americans.” “That’s going to be very elegant,” Sharon Moody, immediate past president and event coordinator, said. “We honor different people or businesses in the community, people that have paved the way and given their generosity to the community. We serve children, the homeless, we give scholarships and give back to the community in a variety of ways and this is our night to give back to those who helped make it happen.” In the South it’s not uncommon for people to show their appreciation through the kitchen. At the banquet guests are always treated to a meal home-cooked by committee members of Plant City Black Heritage Celebration, Inc. Moody calls it a “heritage meal.” This year will feature chicken, ham, collard greens, green beans, yellow rice, salad cornbread, a variety of desserts and tea. The proceeds from the banquet help the group offer scholarships to different schools within the community. They also partner with Hillsborough County Schools for the scholarships. This year part of the selection process involved the students choosing someone from the community that inspired them. They then paid homage to their life’s work in either poetry, a painting, music or any creative outlet. A $500 scholarship will be given that night to the recipient. The other scholarships will

be given out during the corresponding high school’s awards night. During the banquet the organization will honor several members of the community for their service to the group. This year the awards will be bestowed upon the following community members: Doretha Adams (Heritage Award), Theophilus Hill (Lifetime Achievement Award), C&S Wholesale Grocers management and employees (Community Service Award), Larry and Cathy Jimenez (Humanitarian Award) and Hope Lutheran Church (Cornerstone Award). “Our attendance gets bigger each and every year,” Moody said. “We try to honor the ones that have really stepped up and helped pave the way for us over the past year. Without some of these people we wouldn’t have been able to help as many as we have… That’s why I love to do this. It’s not about me, it’s about the community and the children we serve. I’m very passionate about the community and giving back.” Tickets for the banquet are $40 and there are still a few available. Tickets are available at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce or by calling any committee member. The Youth Summit is the next morning, running from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the East Hillsborough Historical Society Museum, 605 N. Collins St. There is a free continental breakfast and lunch for all of the youth participants. A cash prize is given to whichever youth group has the highest attendance. Moody said anywhere from 150 to 200 children participate every year. They gather to discuss any issues or concerns within the community, which Moody said creates a dialogue between the students and law enforcement and local leaders. As soon as the summit ends the annual Jazz Festival kicks off at 12 p.m. Charlie Sampson is the master of ceremony and the festival will begin with local students portraying leaders they look up to from the past to the present. Donald Dowdrige will be portraying Frederick Douglas

at the event and children from St. Clement’s Church will come and do a traditional dance. The jazz festival runs until 6 p.m. at the Robert W. Willaford Train Museum, 102 N. Palmer St. Violin mastermind Daniel D. will perform at 1 p.m. and there will be a performance from MIXX group as well as other jazz and R&B groups throughout the evening. Sunday evening rounds out the weekend of festivities with the annual Black Heritage Gospel Concert at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 604 W. Ball St. The concert starts at 4 p.m. and will have a variety of groups and solo singers belting out beloved gospel hymns and songs. Causal church wear is fine for the concert. Throughout the weekend Moody said they have a wave of attendees that flock to each program. Tampa Black Heritage Festival partners with the local group to advertise and help bring Tampa Bay to Plant City. “The entire weekend is just a bunch of fun,” Moody said. “Enjoy it, it’s going to be a great banquet, jazz festival and gospel night. During the Jazz Fest bring your lawn chair, sit back and enjoy some free entertainment and good food with your family and friends. Just come and enjoy.”

Each year the community comes together to honor those who have helped the organization provide services all year long.

Committee members from Plant City Black Heirtage cook a full meal for all of the guests at the gala.

Sharon Moody, right, is the event coordinator for the annual festival and said they love to show their support for the community.

IF YOU GO: FRIDAY, FEB. 8 16th Annual Black Heritage Banquet/Gala Time: 6:30 p.m. Where: Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Rd. Tickets: $40 per person at Chamber of Commerce or from a committee member. SATURDAY, FEB. 9 Youth Summit Time: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m Where: East Hillsborough Historical Society Museum, 605 N. Collins St. Jazz Festival Time: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Robert W. Willaford Train Museum, 102 N. Palmer St. Admission: Free

Above left: Local ROTC cadets are invited to participate in the gala. Above right: Youth receive special scholarships during the annual event.

SUNDAY, FEB. 10 Black Heritage Gospel Concert Time: 4 p.m. Where: Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 604 W. Ball St. Admission: Free

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

PLANT CITY

SEND US YOUR RECIPES The 2019 Florida Strawberry Festival will be here before you know it and we’re already hungry. The Plant City Observer’s 2019 Festival Guide will feature a strawberry-themed recipe section and we’re looking for some of the tastiest recipes in the community. Whether it’s strawberry pie, cookies, salads or anything you’ve got that makes for a “berry” sweet treat, we’d love to feature it in the upcoming guide and give you a shout-out. Your recipe will be seen by thousands of people and just might be the next big hit in kitchens inside and outside of Plant City. If interested, please send your recipes and a photo of the dish (if possible) to Staff Writer Breanne Williams at bwilliams@plantcityobserver.com by Feb. 11.

Observer Publisher / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com Managing Editor / Sarah Holt SHolt@PlantCityObserver.com Associate Editor / Sports Editor / Justin Kline JKline@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writer / Breanne Williams BWilliams@PlantCityObserver. com Advertising Graphic Designer / Juan Alvarez Circulation/ Office Manager / Linda Lancaster LLancaster@PlantCityObserver. com

TO ADVERTISE Call (813) 704-6850

Advertising / Robert Verner Robert@PlantCityObserver.com

STARBUCKS OPEN FOR BUSINESS For nearly a month the Starbucks located on Thonotosassa Road by I-4 has been closed for renovation. Early Wednesday morning it opened its doors once again.

Universal Crossword BREANNE WILLIAMS

Edited by David Steinberg February 1, 2019

STAFF WRITER

48 Explanation: 21 Post-O.R. 46 Bulletin ACROSS Part 3 stop board array 1 Aswan 52 Brooding 22 Suddenly 49 Roadside slitherers music genre bright star inns 5 “Fancy ___!” Java lovers have been though tighter, outdoor tables. A handful of tradi- and traditional cold brew 53 Top rating, 25 Prepares 50 9 Smog jonesing for a fast cup of seating and inside it looks tional two-seater tables Was tap on display. often redecorat- areto joe for nearly relative a month as like an entirely by fish the windows. There introduced For those who run in 54 End of the 26 14 Former Forded store. the Starbucks on ThoareHouston also a few seats at the to early to pick up a dark or explanation 51 Consumed division, notosassa Road near the The wait times will far MLB end of player the barista bar. pike roast cup of coffee interstate has been closed probably 61 Nurse Light briefly not be any short- 27 The bar itself is one of quantity before work they should for renovations. through and theblanket highlights of the rennote the amenities bar Barton 54 Hailey 15 The finest er as the drive The store 2701 Tho- walk-in remained ovation. with the cream, sugar, 62 lines Stoltz of the 28 UnderThe thewood-pan- Baldwin’s 16atLong-eared notosassa Roadleapers was closed same, but the bar the staff eledweather bar stretches from the uncle honey and stirring sticks “Mask” from Jan. 17 6. until Jan. 30. works at is now expanded. bakery case to the far end has Mini been moved to the 63 Encyclope29 Short-range 55 iPod “Uh-huh!” When it opened custom- The new seating places an of the store. A fresh coat other side of the main dia range basket successor 18 Show off, ers were greeted with an emphasis on cozy gath- of grey paint adorns the door rather than by the 65 Jeans 30 “Lah56 as biceps entirely new aesthetic. erings with smaller high walls and keeping with the Coffee sitting area. material di-___!” spirit there maker style 19 Apartments, There is a minor extension tops with stools with no minimalistic 66and Queue 57 Opera solo to the buildinge.g. with new, backs only a few long 31 is aCookies shiny nitro cold brew 67 Corn syrup with creme 58 Flaw in the 20 Start of a brand 32 “En ___!” system partner’s 68 Extent (fencer’s call) 59 Latin list “explana69 Fifth Avenue 33 Knight’s shortener tion” retailer horse 60 Good name 23 Royal flush 70 Big Bird’s 38 Donkey for an card buddy Kong or average 24 Jail cell bed King Kong 25 Explanation: DOWN guy? 1 Novelist Tan 39 Craps, e.g. Part 2 61 PCs burn 2 Appear 41 Goof 34 Volcanic them is 100% Owned | YOUR HOMETOWN. to be 44 “___ esta powderlocally 64 Madhouse YOUR NEWSPAPER YO UR HOMETOW N. YO UR NEWSPAP ER . 3 Say a Hail usted?” 35 Southern Mary, e.g. neighbor ofSudoku Tenn. answers4 Charles ___ This week’s Crossword answers This week’s This week’s PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER (investment 36 Noah’s Celebrity Cipher answers firm) mount 5 Evening 37 Pricey gown fabric, violin, perhaps for short Puzzle Solution: 6 Donut 40 Dishonest“Have a positive attitude. It’s not center sounding about what happens in your life, it’s 7 From the chemical about how you react to it.” beginning 42 ___ Khan ~ Brady Jandreau 8 Chevron (tiger voiced subsidiary by Idris Elba) 9 Window 43 Capricorn, covering for one 10 Leo’s locks 45 Large 11 Bone-dry serving 12 Greek Z vessel 1/31 © 2019 Andrews McMeel Universal 47 Poem of 13 Start to www.upuzzles.com praise snow?

Plant City Observer

The Plant City Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. The Plant City Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 1507 S. Alexander St., Suite 103. If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.

SEND US YOUR NEWS

We want to hear from you. Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements. To contact us, send your information via: Email: Sarah Holt, SHolt@PlantCityObserver. com. Mail: The Plant City Observer, 1507 S. Alexander St., Suite 103, Plant City, FL 33563

Facebook: Plant City Observer Instagram: @plcobserver Twitter: @PlantObserver

O Plant City Observer

is locally owned by Ed Verner, Karen Berry, Nate Kilton and Felix Haynes The Plant City Observer is published by Plant City Media LLC.

1507 S. Alexander St., Suite 103 Plant City, FL 33563 (813) 704-6850

Publishers of the

Plant City Observer

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

COMMISSION OVERVIEW

COMMUNITY SUPPORT GROWS FOR ALTERED ALCOHOL ORDINANCE

For years the community has been restricted to growth in downtown due to the strict alcohol ordinance held by the city. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

For decades even the thought of transforming Plant City into a progressive event haven like Lakeland or Winter Garden would be unfathomable. The last time the thought of altering the ordinance was brought before city commissioners a large group rallied by a community member flooded city hall in opposition of the change. It’s something many at the meeting Tuesday believed was caused by a misunderstanding of intentions. A quote echoed by many that evening was “We do not want Plant City to become another Ybor.” Years have passed since that failed attempt at a commission meeting and Main Street members believe it’s time to once again seek a compromise. To clarify, Main Street only wants to change the ordinances regarding beer and wine. The group is not addressing in any way the liquor ordinances. Those rules will not change with the proposed alterations to the other ordinance. “When we started this back in November we had a call to arms on what we wanted as a community to see downtown,” Josh Jimenez, treasurer of Main Street, said. “One of the major things was changing the alcohol ordinance… two major things came out of that discussion. We learned that beer and wine bars had large restrictions based on distances to churches and public parks. The second was the public events open container law.” Referencing beloved community events like the Chamber’s Pig Jam, Jimenez said as is the city could never have a major event of that nature downtown if they serve beer or a glass of wine. That hurts local businesses as well as makes Plant City a drive-through town rather than a destination.

Leaders from Main Street met with City Manager Bill McDaniel and City Attorney Ken Buchman on Jan. 18 and discussed the growing desire to alter the limits to the alcohol ordinance. McDaniel said they explained what the group would need to do to have an ordinance presented to the commissioners. Jimenez said two altered ordinances the group hopes to present have been written. They are separate ordinances and if the first one passes the second may not. Some in attendance said they supported one, but not the other while others eagerly supported both. The first and main ordinance is to tackle the Consumption on Premises licenses for beer and wine. The other is in regards to changing the rules to allow 501(c)3 organizations to be able to apply to have events downtown that would include certain alcoholic beverages. He said the ordinances would also extend to the Midtown district when it is eventually developed. The current license in place for businesses has restrictions based on items like the size of the establishment, its distance from churches, schools or parks and the income of the establishment. Restaurants currently have to be “bona fide restaurants,” meaning they have to have no fewer than 100 seats, an overall floor capacity of no less than 2,500 square feet and can’t have any less than 51 percent of its of gross income come from the sale of food and nonalcoholic beverages that are prepared, served and consumed at the establishment. For most downtown businesses the size alone would eliminate them from consideration. Jay Hollenkamp said he has been attempting to secure a tenant in his building on Evers Street. The

dream is to have a wine bar similar to those found in cities surrounding Plant City where there will be small plates like cheese or charcuterie, but not a full kitchen. Hours prior to the Main Street event he had meetings with two potential entrepreneurs, but the current license would bar them from ever setting up shop. The proposed ordinance will simply create a new category specifically for beer or wine bars. The above restrictions won’t apply if it’s not required to have a full kitchen. Jake Austin, president of the Plant City EDC, said his office has also been contacted by “multiple microbreweries and wine bar options” that want to bring their business to Plant City, replicating establishments like Keel & Curley, but near the downtown and Midtown districts. The ordinance, however, forced them to continue their search for a perfect home elsewhere. No one at the meeting was advocating for flooding downtown with bars or bottle clubs, but everyone seemed to be of the consensus that it was time to change and open the door to at least one or two of the classy, thriving markets that have helped spur cities like Lakeland into iconic destinations. “There’s precedence here in downtown that the community wants these type of establish-

ments,” Jimenez said. “Look at The Strawberry Tap, look at The Corner Store, we need more of those businesses. So what you can do is call five of your best friends and have them (at the commission meeting) and 99 percent of us probably won’t have to say a word. But we’re rallying support.” If everything goes according to plan, Main Street estimated they would see the first ordinance regarding the COP licenses brought before commissioners sometime in March. “I just wanted to say how amazed I am at how far this has come since the middle of November when we all met,” Hollenkamp said. “It was a blank sheet of paper and we had ideas for what we might want and we had a great meeting that day, but I know that almost every single person that we talked to leaving that meeting said, ‘Yeah, but is this going to lead to anything?’ Because there are a lot of great meetings that happen and a lot of great ideas, but there’s often times a shortage of execution. In two and a half months I don’t think anyone was expecting to have laws in the pipeline that are going to change the alcohol ordinance, the mural ordinance or events. I think it’s a good time to reflect on what we’ve done in a short period of time and use it to inspire the recruitment and growth we hope to have in the near future.”

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.

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA: Jason, Casey, Noah, Mia and Layla Jones recently took a family trip to Savannah, Georgia to take in the sights of the historic city. They made sure to stop at Forsyth Park before leaving for a photo with the Observer.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD:

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: GFWC Plant City Junior Woman’s Club

Leo Mesquita, Norma’s Plant City Cuban Sandwich Shop

Plant City’s superstars The public has spoken. Meet the people, businesses and organizations that have been officially dubbed the “Best of Plant City.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD:

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD:

Krazy Kup

Plant City Family YMCA

SMALL BUSINESS AWARD: Krazy Kup

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce brought two events under one roof for a night of reminiscing and looking toward the future in the annual Chamber Gala. Typically the Gala features a catered dinner and includes the swearing in of the new board of directors as well as the passing of

the gavel from the current chairman of the board to the new chairman. This year that event merged with the annual Best of Plant City awards, where the public comes together to vote on their favorite businesses, events and leaders in Plant City.

BEST COMMUNITY EVENT AWARD: Relay for Life of Plant City, American Cancer Society

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR AWARD: Star Distribution Systems, Inc.

HEALTH & WELLNESS AWARD:

NEW BUSINESS AWARD:

Pregnancy Care Center of Plant City

The Sparkman House Luxury Bed & Breakfast

NON-PROFIT OF THE YEAR AWARD:

There were also four awards given out that evening that were selected by a a designated organization or committee. The Downtown Enrichment Award was selected by the Historic Plant City Main Street and awarded to the Sparkman House Luxury Bed & Breakfast. The Economic Development Award was selected by the Plant City Economic Development Corporation and was awarded to South Florida Baptist Hospital. The Rising Leader Award was selected by RISE Plant City and was awarded to Vicky Saunders. The Spirit of the Chamber Award was selected by the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce and was awarded to Michelle Valdes. Each award recipient received a plaque in honor of the public’s votes and many are already on display in businesses throughout Plant City. Krazy Kup is a routine winner and has its large collection of awards on display for all to see as they order a fresh cup of coffee. Local groups like the Relay for Life of Plant City and the GFWC Plant City Junior Woman’s Club proved they are cherished in the hearts of the community as they received an outpouring of support from voters.

Pregnancy Care Center of Plant City

Time for New Glasses?

FRESHEST MEAT & LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THIS WEEK’S SAVINGS

Visit FeltonsMarket.com

Sam Allen Rd.

PLANT CITY Baker St. olds

Reyn

St.

4 County Line Rd.

CHOICE MEATS • PRODUCE • GROCERIES

WALKER PLAZA 617 N. Maryland Ave., Plant City (813) 752-1548

Park Rd.

Felton’s Market

Maryland Ave.

289695-1

The struggle between fashion and function is officially declared a tie! Never before have eyeglass frames been offered in so many stylish choices. Yet, you’ll be amazed at how many options are at your fingertips to help you see well and protect your vision!

287857-1

Dr. Jeremy H. Gaffney O.D. Dr. Barry M. Gaffney, O.D. PA Dr. Daniel G. Gaffney O.D.

www.drgaffney.com

813.754.3593 2002 S. Alexander St. Plant City, FL 33563

Mon-Sat 7am - 9pm | Sundays 7am - 8pm At Felton’s we offer a complete line of fresh meat and produce. You’ll ﬁnd only the best quality meats at bargain prices. Whether it be that special occasion dinner, or you are planning a large party, call or stop by today. No matter what your needs, Felton’s is sure to have the ﬁnest, most tender meat and tasty produce anywhere.

Lakeland

DRIVE SAFE & SAVE. When you don’t have car accidents, you cost less to insure. I can help you save up to 14% off your premium. And that’s just for starters. Call me ﬁrst to get the discounts you deserve.

Feola Insurance Agency 813-752-2556 287497-1

1003 S. Collins St. a026519@allstate.com

Discounts are subject to terms, conditions and availability. Actual savings will vary. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co.

Water Damage Restoration Fire and Smoke Damage Mold Remediation Storm Damage 24/7 Emergency Services

"In The Time Of Disaster, We react Faster"

(813) 757-0717

287355-1

I help safe drivers save up to 14%.

www.advantage-rc.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

JONES PASSES GAVEL TO KERR The 2018 Chairman of the Board Jason Jones passed the Chamber’s gavel to the 2019 Chair Karen Kerr in a ceremony last week. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The 2018 Chairman of the Board Jason Jones walked to the stage with a pep in his step as the room was flooded with the mellow notes of Counting Crows’ “Mr. Jones.” He thanked everyone in attendance and at the Chamber for having given him such a warm welcome and helping him accomplish his goals for the Chamber over the past year. Under his guidance and the hard work and leadership of the Chamber, staff members were able to take part in new networking events like Java & Jeans, which combines an early morning coffee and breakfast with crafting connections with local business leaders, and brought the desires and needs of local businesses to the floor in Tallahassee with the creation of the Government Advisory Committee. One of the greatest Chamber events created in his term was the Plant City Chamber Candidate Forum, which was held in August. More than 50 candidates in the 2018 election came to Plant City to meet their potential constituents and to share their platform and goals for office. The hall was packed as nothing of this size or nature had ever been available in Plant City before. Educating the public is a major focus for the Chamber and Jones said thanks to the success of the event he expects the Chamber to be able to continue to provide the service for years to come helping elections become that much more clear for local voters. Jones joked about being pseudo-kidnapped as a young entrepreneur in town many years ago and forced to join the Chamber before he would be returned home. He said it was one of the greatest decisions he ever made and his passion for connecting others led him to get involved on a variety of levels over the years. Networking events helped him grow his business into a success and he said one of the things he is most proud of during his time as chairman was to be able to help offer more networking opportunities for the public so regardless of work schedule or life demands everyone would have an opportunity that worked for them. Right before closing he thanked his wife for supporting him in this endeavor even though it often meant he would be away from home showing encouragement for

Breanne Williams

Jason Jones called Karen Kerr just after midnight of the New Year to wish her luck on her incoming term as chairman of the board.

whatever Chamber event he needed to be a part of. He joked that he wished he could say he would never run for anything or join another committee or board, but they “both knew that wouldn’t be true.” His love for Plant City pushes him to give as much of his time as he can to help it grow into the perfect place to live, work and play and he’s ready to continue the fight for its prosperity. With a smirk, Jones shared a tradition of all Chairmen making a special call on New Year’s Eve to the incoming chair immediately following the stroke of midnight. While jesting he may have woken Karen Kerr up he said it was an honor being able to wrap up his year at the helm and let her know how excited he was to see where she would steer the Chamber over the course of the next year. “For the record, I was not asleep,” Kerr said with a laugh as she approached the podium to share her vision for the upcoming year. Kerr said she is excited about the momentum the community is feeling in regards to its Chamber and all the new and revitalized services it is providing. “I am honored to be taking the reins,” Kerr said. “I’m certainly humbled because of the great chairman and the esteemed group that comes before me… I do have great role models to follow. The Chamber has a rich history of leadership in the community and continues to fill a vital role, continues to foster strong relationships with groups like the EDC, the city, RISE and the Florida Strawberry Festival among countless others.” The Chamber is at a place where it is full of board members that are all ready and willing to work together for a common goal, according to Kerr. The future is bright as they continue to build a strong connection with the community and local businesses and help Plant City become a destination. Kerr highlighted three topics as her main areas of focus for the upcoming year. She wants to develop a strategic plan for the Chamber, one that it can refer back to for years to come as it continues to grow and evolve. She also wants to continue to grow and develop new memberships. Her final

CAMERON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Financial Advisor

michael@cameronfm.com | CAMERONFM.COM Securities Offered Through LPL Financial

Michael S.Cameron

Members FINRA/SIPC

813.759.8485

DIVORCE | WILLS | EVICTIONS Starting at $65 • 1-Signature Divorce • Missing Spouse Divorce “We Come To You” SERVING ALL FLORIDA

1-888-847-1997

(SINCE 1992)

291121-1

287687-1

110 W. Reynolds Street | Suite 109, Plant City, FL 33563

focus is to continue to pour into the Governmental Advisory Committee to make the needs of Plant City a viable topic on the floor in Tallahassee. While Jones used his jovial attitude to get a lot of balls rolling, Kerr will use her vast experience as the South Florida Baptist Hospital president to help perfect the plans currently in place and sharpen the dull edges surrounding projects with the organization. The Chamber is on the right path, now Kerr is here to optimize its efficiency. Part of that process lies in the opportunities available for members. “We will continue to focus on membership, but we first must strive to grow while retaining,” Kerr said. “We have to continue to provide value. We have a variety of programs like the Lunch and Learn and the Nonprofit Roundtable that offer unique benefits for our members and facilitates network opportunities.” The Chamber should have an environment that is welcoming to all and beneficial for whomever decides to join its family. There is room for growth in that department, Kerr said, and soon she hopes

to further the Chamber’s reach even more throughout Plant City. The Government Advisory Committee will also receive the full support of Kerr. The next steps she said are to return to Tallahassee for the legislative session and to help set legislative priorities that resonate with the businesses and residents in Plant City. It’s also time to further education opportunities with members in regards to politics and what the legislature can actually do in each of their lives. She wants to make a focus on the agriculture aspect of Plant City. One of the Chamber’s first big ag tours is next month and she said she is excited to see more education and partnerships blossom over the next year. “The one thing I ask of each of you is involvement and engagement in the Chamber,” Kerr said. “By ourselves we can’t accomplish all we need to accomplish. I can’t say enough how important that is… Nothing magical will happen without you staying involved.”

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

COMMISSION OVERVIEW CITY TAKES CONTROL OF W. JOHNSON RD. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRANSFERRED JURISDICTION OF W. JOHNSON RD. FROM JAMES L. REDMAN PKWY. TO MUD LAKE RD. TO THE CITY OF PLANT CITY. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The city officially has a new road under its control after commissioners voted to approve transferring jurisdiction of W. Johnson Road from James L. Redman Parkway (SR 39) to Mud Lake Road from Hillsborough County to Plant City. It’s a process that began back in 2016 when Plant City staff met with staff from Hillsborough County to discuss the jurisdictional conveyance of the road in question. The first housing development project in the area — Alterra — was being considered and would have required improvements to W. Johnson Rd. As time passed and housing development projects led to more annexations into the city along W. Johnson it became clear the city should accept the ownership

and thus the maintenance of the roadway, taking the pressure out of the county’s hands to keep it up to date. “It’s been going on for a while, basically it was just an agreement because of some of the issues like it being in and out of the city, you’ve got development occurring in parts of it that are in the city and then they were looking for an opportunity to turn over a road and that one was a great place for us to start that partnership,” McDaniel said. “It was just increasingly becoming a part of the city.” Prior to the transfer the county brought everything up to the highest standards along the road. The road was repaved and ditches, swales and stormwater conveyances were cleaned up. Some driveways

BUDDY’S ROOFING BUDDY’S

100

OFF

der Street over to the Florida Department of Transportation and taking control of Collins Street. Planning for upcoming changes and being aware of what the future will hold helps the city, county and the state know how best to manage their corresponding roadways. “Things have changed a lot in a relatively short period of time so as Collins Street transformed and became more urban and more part of the city it only made sense to move the state road over and create basically the bypass they have done,” McDaniel said. “You run into these situations and you have to be openminded and address them.”

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.

BUDDY’S ROOFING ROOFING We’re On Top of It

On any job $1000 or more when you mention this ad.

even required some drainage pipes to be replaced. County staff also prepared right-of-way maps for the roadway. It was “essentially a brand new road,” according to McDaniel. McDaniel said this was a great example of the working relationship between the city and Hillsborough County. It is the first transfer of this nature that he can remember, but he doubts it will be the last. Like with the growing development along the road, McDaniel said there will be times where “it just makes sense” for the city to have to take over the care and upkeep of the road. The city has had similar partnerships with the state on road swaps as it did most recently with turning control of Alexan-

We’re On Top of It NEW ROOFS • RE-ROOFS TILE • TILE We’re On REPAIRS Top of It HOT TAR/FLAT DECKS NEW ROOFS • • RE-ROOFS SHINGLES • VENTILATION NEW ROOFS RE-ROOFS TILE TILE TILE• •REPAIRED TILEREPAIRS REPAIRS LEAKS HOT HOTTAR/FLAT TAR/FLATDECKS DECKS SHINGLES • VENTILATION 25SHINGLES Years of E•xVENTILATION ence i r e p REPAIRED REPAIRED RLEAKS ESLEAKS IDENT MMERCIAL

468318-1

IAL & CO

252Y5eYaerasrsofofEExxppeerrieiennccee 468318-1 468318-1

RESRIEDSEINDTENIATLIA&L & OMM ERECRICAIALL COCM

& Re-Roofing Specialists – WE FIX LEAKS NO ONE ELSE CAN! & Re-Roofing Specialists – WE FIX LEAKSNO NOONE ONE ELSE ELSE CAN! CAN! LeakLeak & Re-Roofing Specialists – WE FIX LEAKS Free Estimates • Financing Available our Emergency 24-HourService Emergency Service

813-982-0218 813-982-0218 813-982-0218

287477-1

24-Hour Emergency Service

Buddy &Owners Crystal Cheaves, Owners dy & Crystal Cheaves, Buddy Crystal Cheaves, Owners www.BuddysRoofing.com Lic & # CCC1325993 • Bonded & Insured CC1325993 Bonded &•Insured www.BuddysRoofing.com Lic #•CCC1325993 Bonded & Insured www.BuddysRoofing.com

Plant City Observer YO UR HOMETOWN. YO UR NEWSPAP ER .

IS 100% LOCALLY OWNED YOUR HOMETOWN. YOUR NEWSPAPER Plant City Observer NEWSPAP ER . YO UR HOMETOW N. YO UR NEWSPAPER

YOUR HOMETOWN. YOUR

FREE

•

Meet the 2019 Strawberry Festival Queen Contestants SEE PAGE 6

LIKE US

17, 2019 THURSDAY, JANUARY

VOLUME 6, NO. 29

DRIVERS PCPD WARNS OF RISKY of its

Plant City Times and Observer

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

ANT 2019 JUNIOR ROYALTY PAGE

@PlantObserver and @PCTOSports

TO ADVERTISE CALL 813-704-6850 Courtesy of the Florida Strawberry

Rowen Ashford Morgan, Kennedy

Duncan, Lylah Anne Linares

JUSTIN KLINE

SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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

and Avery Surrency became

Florida Strawberry Festival

Festival

royalty on Jan. 12.

Junior Royalty PagKennedy tively, in the 2019 Rowen Ashford Morgan, pageant was held at and Avery eant. This year’s Duncan, Lylah Anne Linares the Charlie Grimes Family Agricultural Surrency became Florida Strawberry Center at the Florida Strawberry Fescompeted Festival royalty on Jan. 12. tival grounds and 106 girls The girls were crowned Baroness, in the four age groups. Each contestant respecDuchess, Princess and Queen,

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

SEE PAGE 7

te Road 39

Bailey was a brave young pup after having to get her second puppy checkup at Timberlane Animal Hospital. It was a ruff experience, but she got through with her paw-sitive attitude.

ONLINE

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

BUDWEISER CLYDESDALES VISIT PLANT CITY The world-famous horses came to town Jan. 25 to deliver a contest prize.

Budweiser brought the entire famous setup for the event: horses, wagon, beer and Dalmatian.

The Clydesdales seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight as hundreds of people snapped photos. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

What better way to prepare for Gasparilla festivities than to have beer delivered to your doorstep by bona fide celebrities? Pete Van Fossen stocked up on Budweiser products delivered by the company’s eight iconic Clydesdales on Jan. 25. Hundreds of Plant City residents swarmed the neighborhood’s polo field to get a good look at the horses, wagon and Dalmatian made famous by the beer company’s commercials and shot selfies as the horses were prepped to make the delivery to the party at 3201 Polo Place, for which many of the spectators followed the wagon.

The event was the result of a Tampa-area contest sponsored by Winn-Dixie and Pepin Distributing director for marketing Bill Gieseking said the winning party received a case of Budweiser, a case of Bud Light and a case of Budweiser’s new Copper Lager, as well as food from Winn-Dixie. “It’s a legendary experience for sure,” Gieseking said. Each horse was brushed down and pampered up before being hitched to the wagon.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

PlantCityObserver.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

MLMC plant nearing completion

MLMC Florida, which plans to open a $10 million factory in Plant City, turns non-recyclable coated paper and cardboard, styrofoam, plastic films, wood materials and other process or packaging materials into these energy-dense fuel it calls Enviro-Fuelcubes.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

It won’t be long before a newer alternative for fossil fuels is manufactured in Plant City. Materials Lifecycle Management Company hosted a tour of its new manufacturing facility on County Line Road Wednesday afternoon. MLMC’s 103,000-square foot plant on County Line Road is nearly finished and the company hosted both Mayor Rick Lott and Plant City Economic Development Corporation president Jake Austin on a Wednesday afternoon tour of the near-complete plant. Both parties involved — MLMC and the city — have high hopes for the partnership. “MLMC was looking at multiple states and they came in and were actually looking in Polk County as well as Hillsborough, so they end-

d free

Courtesy photo

Photos by Justin Kline

Jim LaDue said MLMC will take materials companies think they can’t recycle and landfills want less of, such as styrofoam.

STATE FARM® AGENT

813.752.7202

288231-1

Tony Lee CLU, CHFC 1702 S. Alexander, Plant City, FL 33563

Emergency TILE & GROUT Emergency

Water 24-HR. 24-HR. Water Steam Cleaned Extractions Extractions 50c per sq.ft. Storm, Storm, Broken Pipes, Broken Pipes, etc. etc.

CARPETS

TILE & GROUT

3 Rooms $85

50c per sq.ft.

Steam Cleaned

includes Hallway cleaned free

Water Extraction 24-Hr Service | Carpet Dyeing & Repairs

www.AllSaintscc.com 813-986-1266 813-986-1266 www.AllSaintscc.com 813-986-1266 www.AllSaintscc.com

| Carpet Dyeing & Repairs

ntscc.com

makes and distributes cement in 50 countries and has locations in and near Plant City. “They are buying pretty much all of their energy to start,” Austin said. The Tampa-based company chose Plant City and went public with the announcement in September 2018. A grand opening ceremony is expected to take place in early March. Austin said MLMC is looking to create 45 jobs at the new plant, paying workers an average of more than $58,000 per year plus benefits and flexible hours. MLMC is recruiting Plant City residents and encourages locals to apply online at notwaste.com. “Anyone with manufacturing background or looking to get into the industry, it’s a great company that pays really good wages and benefits,” Austin said.

287396-1

ed up really liking Plant City just from the pro-business environment here and the availability of labor, which is a big deal for what they’re trying to do,” Austin said. At MLMC, materials like styrofoam, plastic films and more previously considered nonrecyclable are converted into “Enviro-Fuelcubes” that act as a replacement for fossil fuels. The company expects more than 150,000 tons of such materials to go through the Plant City facility every year. “They take waste products from all sorts of different companies,” Austin said. “The best way it was described to me is if you get a big box from Amazon, all that material that comes in the packaging can be used, recycled and condensed to form an alternative to fossil fuel energy.” Austin said MLMC’s biggest customer is CEMEX, a Mexican building materials company that

813-986-1266

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

History of the Citizen of the Year Award Plant City Photo Archives & History Center

Judge James Bruton, L, presents the 1960 Citizen of the Year Award to Arthur Rice Boring (R).

This year, 2019, is the 60th year of the bestowing of the Citizen of the Year Award upon a civic-minded Plant City area resident. Let’s look back at the history of this event. In the chapter, “Parks and Memorials,” in the book, Plant City; Its Origin and History, by David E. Bailey, Jr. and Quintilla Geer Bruton, they state the following: “Through the years the community service of other citizens has been recognized, not by establishing memorials and parks in their honor, but by presentation of awards and citations. Grateful fellow townsmen have expressed their appreciation to these good citizens for their unselfish giving of their time, talents, and resources for the betterment of the community and the benefit of all.” In 1956 the Business and Professional Women’s Club began recognizing the outstanding career woman each year. In 1959 the Plant City Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) started conferring Distinguished Service Awards to deserving citizens and in the same year began selecting annual recipients for their Good Government Award. In 1972 the Jaycees added an award to outstanding young men. The Junior Woman’s Club added its Family of the Year Award beginning in 1971. And there are more. To quote Bruton and Bailey, “Possibly the most prestigious award is that naming the Outstanding Citizen of the Year. This award was first sponsored and established in 1960 by The First National Bank in Plant City,” which was formed in 1956. The bank was merged into First Financial Corporation, a bank holding company, in 1970. Subsequently, beginning in 1970, the award has been sponsored by the civic clubs under the lead of the Kiwanis Club of Plant City. In the early years the award was presented during the Florida Strawberry

Festival week at a joint civic club luncheon. Over the years it has continued to occur in proximity to the festival dates, but not during the festival period itself. At first, according to the Bruton and Bailey book, “the requirements for selection are that the recipient must be a citizen of Plant City who has performed or taken a leading part in either one or a number of important public services, entirely unselfishly and without compensation. Eligibility is not limited to one year’s service but may embrace continued civic service for a period of years.” This statement was construed to mean resident of the Plant City area and not necessarily within the city limits. Over time the criteria for selection have been modified somewhat and now read as follows: • The potential recipient should be considered on the basis of local contributions above and beyond the functions of their job and not necessarily a member of a specific club • Financial contributions are not a consideration • The potential recipient cannot be seeking political office or fulfilling their job-related duties • The potential recipient has given of themselves freely for many years and asked for nothing in return • Posthumous awards are not permitted • Clubs should refrain from nominating a current Civic/Service Club President The first recipient of this award was Arthur Rice Boring, President of Hillsboro Bank, who had served as City Commissioner, Mayor-Commissioner and many other civic positions including Director of the Florida Strawberry Festival from 1934 to 1963. The luncheon was held at the Hotel Plant, the venue for many Plant

Quintilla Geer Bruton, Citizen of the Year 1961, with Judge James Bruton.

City ceremonies and banquets. That first certificate, or plaque, read as follows:

The First National Bank in Plant City, Florida hereby awards to Arthur R. Boring this Certificate of Excellence in Citizenship on account of said Arthur R. Boring having rendered to Plant City, Florida and its environs the most outstanding civic service and for having forgotten self and evidenced his affection for Plant City by his unselfish devotion to the City and Community. Presented on this 2nd day of March, 1960 A.D. The first female recipient followed in 1961 when Quintilla Geer Bruton was selected for the Citizen of the Year award. Ten women followed over the next fiftyplus years – totaling eleven in the past 59 years. Two recipients were black – Sadye Gibbs Martin (1997) and Sharon Moody (2016). The venue changed when the Hotel Plant underwent demolition in 1965 and various halls and restaurants have hosted the event. Today it is held in the Expo Hall at the Strawberry Festival grounds. The wording of the award has changed from “The First National Bank,” as the presenter, to “The Civic Clubs in Plant City, Florida.” The first Citizen of the Year to receive the award under the Civic Clubs of Plant City,

Plant City Observer

at a luncheon held at Johnson’s Restaurant, March 4th, 1970, was Dr. Hal Brewer. This was also the last time the award ceremony was part of the Strawberry Festival events. This year the luncheon will be held at the Expo Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 13, when Don Walden, Citizen of the Year 2018, will present the award to the Citizen of the Year 2019. Be there. The buffet begins at 11:30 a.m. For a list of the Citizen of the Year recipients, contact the Photo Archives.

Dr. Hal Brewer, R, Citizen of the Year 1970, with Lynn Brewer.

is 100% locally Owned

YO UR HOMETOWN . YO UR NEWSPAP ER .

GOT PESTS?

The only bug you should have in your home or business is the one in our logo! • Roach & Ant Control • German Roaches HOME PROTECTION • Bees • Ground Hornets PEST CONTROL • Rodent Control • Spiders • Silverfish

Steve Paul, Owner Lic. # JB 138531

homeprotectionpc.com | 813.757.6752 | Cell: 813.716.0623 | Hours: 8am-5pm M-F • Sat by appt. 287865-1

Family Owned & Operated Since 2006 • 19 Years Experience

287727-1

• Fleas & Ticks • Quarterly & Semi-Annual Service

GARAGE DOOR REPAIR & SERVICE Chris 813.417.6849

Ask s abouu ta % 1 0 Discoun t

Tony 813.404.7819

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FOCUS ON FITNESS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

ANGELA FULGIERI

WORK YOUR BACKSIDE Often unintentionally, the posterior muscles are overlooked, and can lead to poor posture, low back pain and even injury. I answer lots questions from women wanting to know what exercises are best for their “backside,” but in this column I am referring to the entire back of the body: the posterior chain. The posterior chain is the group of muscles on the posterior (or back) of the body. It includes the gastrocnemius/soleus (calves), hamstrings, gluteus maximus, erector spinae (the group of muscles that work to keep the back erect and assist in bending sideways) and trapezius. We often refer to a chain only being as strong as its weakest link. The same is true when training these muscles. If one muscle in the chain is weak, it can lead to injury in another. Many people tend to focus on the anterior muscles (in the front of the body) because those are the muscles we can see in the mirror. Weak glutes, hamstrings and hip flexors can cause poor posture. If we train these

muscles adequately we can decrease the chance of developing postural problems. Those who have already developed poor posture through years of bad habits, such as slouching when sitting, poor posture when standing or lifting incorrectly, will need to focus on proper techniques when lifting to “retrain” their muscles. Low back pain is a very common problem that affects an estimated 80 percent of adults at some point in their lives. Weak or tight postural muscles are the cause of most back problems. Some of us spend so much time sitting that these muscles get weaker. When we do exercise, we need to include exercises that strengthen these weakened muscles so that all of our muscles can function together properly. In athletes, the hamstrings, knees and low back are common injury sites. It makes sense, then, to train them to prevent injury. Lots of athletes have strong quadriceps

and that, combined with weak hamstrings and/or glutes, can lead to more strain on the knees. Training the glutes and hamstrings will reduce stress on the knees and decrease the risk of knee injury. Finally, training the posterior is just as important as the anterior for symmetry. Some simple exercises you can add to your fitness routine are back extensions and bridges. These can be done at home with no equipment. For back extensions, lay in the prone position, place hand over hand and rest your forehead on the back of your hand. Keeping your legs on the floor, lift your chest off the floor, keeping your forehead on your hands and repeat. This small movement will engage your low back. To bridge, lay on your back with arms down at your sides, bent knees and heels close to your butt. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips up towards the ceiling.

Hold that position for a few seconds and then lower down to the floor, repeat the movement eight to 12 times and you will feel your hamstrings, glutes and low back. To progress this exercise, try it with your head, neck and shoulders on a bench and add weight with a plate on your thighs or a barbell across your hips. Other good resistance exercises include deadlifts, rows, and hamstring curls.

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

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

NO MUD, ALL OBSTACLES IN TACTICAL TITAN

JAN. 18

QUARTERS FOR DAYS 1500 block of McDonald St. Auto burglary: This victim met with officers and told them someone entered their unlocked vehicle and stole approximately $50 worth of loose change.

Superhero-themed attire is popular at 5K events like Tactical Titan. JUSTIN KLINE

ENTERTAINMENT CENTER OF DREAMS 2600 block of James L. Redman Pkwy. Grand theft/fraud: Two unknown suspects walked into Walmart and stole two 55 inch televisions and a Google Home mini.

SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The mudless 5K was held Jan. 26 at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds. Just outside of Plant City’s limits, hundreds of runners braved chilly morning weather to conquer one of the most fun runs around. The Tactical Titan’s first event of 2019 took place Jan. 26 and challenged runners to conquer more than 25 obstacles. From climbing peg boards attached to trees to jumping from platform to platform without touching the ground, the course put runners’ entire bodies to the test. It was the fourth mudless run in the event’s history.

JAN. 19

MASQUERADING THIEF 3300 block of Silver Pond Dr. Fraud: This victim told officers a fraudulent account was opened in his name. The perpetrator spent $328.59 to purchase a variety of merchandise under this fake account.

JAN. 20

FAILED GRAND THEFT AUTO 2000 block of Granfield Ave Vehicle theft: The complainant called officers to come out to their house and then told them a vehicle had been stolen from the property. A man was later arrested in Pasco County and the vehicle was recovered.

Anyone who grew up playing on the monkey bars at a playground would be right at home running the Tactical Titan.

TV JUGGLER 2600 block of James L. Redman Pkwy. Theft: A man walked into Walmart and walked right out the front door with two televisions.

Some obstacles, including one where runners hit a block from One obstacle tasked runners with one end of a track to the other, carrying heavy logs in a loop around a set of trees. were optional but runners chose to participate anyway.

PC SHOPPING SPREE PCPD Fraud: The victim told officers they had made a purchase using their debit cards. Later when they went to make another purchase somewhere else they realized the card was missing. After checking their account they found out someone had taken it and gone on a shopping spree at numerous locations throughout the city.

One of the more challenging obstacles of the race tasked runners with climbing to the top of a peg board attached to a tree using their upper body strength.

JAN. 21

RADIO ADDICT 1200 block of Goldfinch Dr. Vehicle burglary: This complainant told officers he walked outside and found the window shattered on his van during the night. Someone also pried the door locks and then broke in and stole his Dewalt radio from the interior. One obstacle challenged runners to get from one end of an area to the other while jumping from platform to platform and not touching the ground.

BICYCLE RACES ARE COMING YOUR WAY 1300 block of Grant St. Grand theft: This victim told officers someone stole their GMC Denali 22.5 IN. 700CC Men’s Road Bicycle, which was white, red and black in color with

COPS CORNER

This week on Cops Corner, Plant City Police investigated missing radios, bikes and stolen Identities

red handle bars. The bike was worth $380.00. The suspect also stole a Huffy Nighthawk Men’s Mountain Bicycle 18 speed black and neon in color, which was valued at $190.

JAN. 22

GOOD SAMARITAN Bush Gardens/PCPD Found property/cash: A man arrived at Plant City Police Department and gave them $1,451, a Puerto Rican identification card, three credit card, a blue purse and a black cell phone that he had found at Busch Gardens. PCPD then contacted the Tampa Police Department and they confirmed they generated a report in reference to the missing property. $6 TRIP TO JAIL 1400 block of S. Collins St. Retail theft: This man was arrested and sent to Orient Road Jail after having been caught stealing $6.75 worth of cough medicine from Family Dollar. POUR ONE OUT 1400 block of S. Collins St. Retail petit theft: An unknown man entered the store and concealed a bottle of wine in his pants. The bottle fell out and broke on the floor. The same man then concealed other items, which valued $9.20 and fled the store. TREE CLIMBER 200 block of Waller St. Business burglary/theft arrest: A man was observed climbing a tree in an attempt to access the business property. He was arrested and sent to Orient Road Jail.

JAN. 24

HAWK DOWN 2000 block of Strawberry Dr. Information: The complainant had officers come out to their house and told them a hawk died in their yard after hitting their residence. They believe the bird had been shot. FWC was contacted and responded for further investigation. LOWES LUCK PCPD Fraud: The victim told officers someone opened a Lowe’s credit card with their information. The card was then used to purchase $4,462.72 worth of goods. QUICK TRIP GONE AWRY 1300 block of E. Dr. King Blvd. Grand theft auto: This victim told officers he had pulled into his driveway and left his 2011 white, four door Nissan Altima running. While he was inside, the vehicle was stolen.

SAMMIS LAW FIRM Attorneys on call 24/7 Free consultation Criminal Defense Attorneys for Plant City

288476-1

• Seal and Expunge • DUI • DV Injunction

• VOP • Drug Possession • All Misdemeanor and Felony Cases

Sammis Law Firm, P.A., 1005 N. Marion Street, Tampa, Florida 33602 (p) 813-250-0500 (f) 813-276-1600

criminaldefenseattorneytampa.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

BALD

FOR A CAUSE Michelle Valdes, president of Operation Paying It Forward, along with Katrina Crumley shaved their heads to honor those who have been impacted by cancer during a live-streaming event early Thursday morning.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

It’s hard to name someone in Plant City with a larger heart for others than Michelle Valdes. Her love for the community led her to create Operation Paying It Forward, an organization that raises money and awareness to step up and help the community whenever there is a need. The group took a young boy named Braeden under its wing when he was in his fight against cancer. While in remission they showered him with gifts and support only to find the cancer had returned. They’ve supported him every step of the way and created the Going Bald for a Cause event in his honor. Early last Thursday morning a crowd gathered around two chairs in the center of a lightly decorated room. Valdes decided to

host the event on her birthday and invited the community to celebrate and take part in the festivities. Donations were taken Katrina Crumley, Michelle Valdes and Gina Rodriguez had their hair shaved and chopped in Braeden’s honor and the crowd held its respectively in honor of the event, which raised money for those fighting against cancer. breath as Valdes and Katrina Crumley had their heads shaved to show their support for Braeden and others who have been impacted by cancer. Gina Rodriguez also cut her ponytail to support the cause. Vice Mayor Nate Kilton shaved the first strip from Valdes’ head and two beauticians stepped in to complete the haircuts. While her hair was being shaved Valdes shared the story of her own mother dying from cancer and explained to attendees how the group heard about Braeden. At the end the entire room waved and cheered to Braeden via a live stream.

DONATIONS can still be made at operationpayingitforward.com.

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

WEDNESDAY FLEA MARKET OVER 40 ACRES . . . MORE THAN 500 VENDORS

OP EN

PM 7A M T O 1 708 W. SAM ALLEN RD. 1 MILE NORTH OF I-4 EXIT 21

287696-1

LIKE KMART WITHOUT A ROOF!

PLENTY OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

WWW.PLANTCITYMARKET.COM

AMILY MEDICAL SPECIALISTS OF FLORIDA

Michael Paul Gimness, MD Kelli Woody, MD Katherine Newman, ARNP Jennifer Zeljkovic, ARNP 1703 Thonotosassa Road, Suite A, Plant City, Florida 33563

P: 813.567.5679 | F: 813.567.5686 www.fmsflorida.com 292382-1

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

PlantCityObserver.com

Ladies Night Out

Learn All About Heart Health Tuesday, February 5 | 6–8pm South Florida Baptist Hospital 2 North Administrative Conference Room 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City

Part of our Ladies Night Out series. Learn all about heart health and the importance of knowing your risk factors. This fun night will include blood pressure checks, an educational seminar, a cardiac center tour and a light dinner.

Space is limited. Register today:

(813) 443-2075 | BayCareEvents.org

19-644855–0119

JANUARY 31, 2019

SPORTS Quick Hits

Mya Lamar’s sophomore season at Strawberry Crest is productive. See Page 19

SILVER SLUGGERS

FHSAA adopts new playoff system The FHSAA’s playoff points system, adopted for the 2017-18 school year, is no more after its board of directors voted recently to replace it. The change was announced Monday. Teams will now be deemed playoff worthy by the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) formula. The FHSAA called it “a way to measure a team’s strength relative to other teams, based largely on the strength of their schedules” and touts increased accuracy in team rankings. It calculates a rating for a team based on three factors: winning percentage, opponents’ winning percentage and opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage. Check out next week’s issue of the Plant City Observer for a deeper dive into the new system.

Tri-Star hoops comp

The ISSA-WBSC World Tournament of Champions brought some of the top senior softballers of the world to Plant City last week. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The tournament is open to men and women age 50 and up.

hough the ISSA-WBSC World Tournament of Champions is held annually at sites all over Tampa Bay, Plant City is where the heart of the action is. The Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex and Plant City Stadium hosted 144 of the tournament’s 453 games from Jan. 22 through 27, as well as the allstar game between the ISSA All-Stars and the USA Wounded Warrior Softball Team and

the inaugural Mike Macenko Home Run Challenge. More than 150 teams from the United States and Canada, all with players at least age 50, participated in the tournament and competed in 22 men’s and women’s divisions. The idea of a home run derby isn’t new to the World Tournament of Champions — they host one every year at Plant City Stadium — but the stakes were raised Jan. 25

with the new event. It was the first of 10 upcoming derbies that serve as qualifiers for the Oct. 18 championship round in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Whoever wins that will be crowned the first-ever ISSA Senior Softball National Home Run King. Andy Purcell won the Jan. 25 Plant City derby and will advance.

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 813659-4255 or visit plantcitygov.com.

The tournament consisted of 22 divisions and approximately 150 teams.

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 games are played 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.

The tournament’s all-star game pitted the ISSA All-Stars against the Wounded Warrior Softball Team.

Tournament results can be viewed online at

quickscores.com/issa. The Randy L. Larson Four-Plex had games on each of its fields every day of the tournament.

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

JUSTIN KLINE

No team in the Super Bowl? Keep it interesting with props

Prop bets for bragging rights, favors or even money can get anyone invested in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

or once, I’m not going to get emotionally invested in the Super Bowl. It’s a good matchup, but I don’t think it’s one most NFL fans wanted. I’m a big fan of Patrick Mahomes and really wanted a Chiefs-Rams rematch, just like everyone else who watched that awesome Monday Night Football game in LA. I would have gladly settled for Chiefs-Saints.

Heck, even Patriots-Saints would have been fine because then there would have been a real underdog in there. But we got a matchup that could easily go either way, no matter how badly Brady wants to pull the “nobody believes in us” card despite being favored to win this Super Bowl for the last 12 months.

SEE KLINE, PAGE 19

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

UPCOMING GAMES SPORTS

PCHS BACK IN DISTRICT TITLE GAME

BOYS BASKETBALL Jan. 15 Newsome 62, Durant 60 Plant City 68, East Bay 62 Strawberry Crest 76, Lennard 55 Jan. 16 Strawberry Crest 62, Durant 60 Lennard 58, Plant City 53 Jan. 18 Durant 57, Bloomingdale 55 Plant City 55, Strawberry Crest 49 Jan. 19 Durant 76, Palm Harbor University 72

Plant City vs. Kathleen, 11:30 a.m. (Mosaic Stinger Shootout at Bartow HS) GIRLS BASKETBALL Jan. 15

JUSTIN KLINE

Newsome 1, Durant 0 Strawberry Crest 3, East Bay 1 (OT)

Jan. 16

Jan. 29

Strawberry Crest 44, Durant 39 Lennard 48, Plant City 15

Plant City 3, Strawberry Crest 1 GIRLS SOCCER

Jan. 18 Bloomingdale 44, Durant 36 Strawberry Crest 70, Plant City 16

Paulino Ramirez scored a short insurance goal that put PCHS ahead for good, 3-1. The Raiders will now host Newsome in tonight’s district championship finale. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

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

Jan. 14 Bloomingdale 2, Plant City 0 Jan. 15 Durant 8, Spoto 0 Wharton 2, Plant City 1 Plant 6, Strawberry Crest 0

Strawberry Crest 85, Tenoroc 52 (MLK Shootout at Lake Wales) Jan. 22

Jan. 24

Tampa Bay Tech 78, Durant 43 Plant City 72, Riverview 60 Strawberry Crest 38, Bloomingdale 22

Lennard 31, Durant 28 Tampa Bay Tech 104, Plant City 5 Strawberry Crest 59, East Bay 22

Jan. 24

Jan. 25

Lennard 60, Durant 56 Tampa Bay Tech 58, Plant City 51 Strawberry Crest 69, East Bay 56

Durant 66, Plant City 36 Strawberry Crest 39, Newsome 28

Bloomingdale 2, Durant 0 Plant City 5, Armwood 0 Strawberry Crest 3, Wharton 2

Jan. 29

Jan. 24

Jan. 25

Plant City 1, Strawberry Crest 0

Plant City 66, Durant 46 Newsome 32, Strawberry Crest 31

Durant 64, King 18 Plant City 61, Hillsborough 26 Strawberry Crest 70, Gaither 14

Jan. 29

Jan. 30

Strawberry Crest 66, Gaither 61

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

UPCOMING DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS

Jan. 30

Jan. 31

BOYS BASKETBALL

Plant City at Armwood, 8 p.m.

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

at Plant City, Feb. 12-15

SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Plant City never trailed in Tuesday night’s district semifinal game and hopes for more of the same at 1 Raider Place tonight. The Raiders picked up a 3-1 win over Strawberry Crest that night that showcased their signature aggressive pace. Luis Leos scored the only goal of the first half to put PCHS ahead, 1-0, after 40 minutes. Epifanio Castro connected on a header to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead about midway through the second half and PCHS’s defense prevented the Chargers from getting much offense in. But Ethan David Ball took advantage of a free kick opportunity with just over 19 minutes left to play, putting a break on his long shot that fooled Plant City’s defense and cut the deficit to 2-1. Seven minutes later,

Jan. 25

Tampa Bay Tech 87, Durant 16 Riverview 54, Plant City 31 Strawberry Crest 52, Bloomingdale 50

Photos by Justin Kline

Crest midfielder Callum Seitzer keeps the ball away from Plant City’s Zachary Spivey.

Bloomingdale 5, Durant 0 Plant City 4, Armwood 0 Wharton 1, Strawberry Crest 0

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

Jan. 22 Jan. 21

Jan. 22

Jan. 17 Strawberry Crest 4, Armwood 1 Jan. 18 Durant 3, Wharton 0 Steinbrenner 5, Plant City 0 Jan. 22

Jan. 28 Newsome 3, Plant City 0

Jan. 31 Plant City at Chamberlain, 8 p.m.

at Tampa Bay Tech, Feb. 4-7 Feb. 1 Durant at Spoto, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 1 Alexis Garcia celebrates with Epifanio Castro shortly after Castro scored on a header.

Jan. 14 Brandon at Durant, 7 p.m. Armwood at Strawberry Crest, 7 p.m. Feb. 7

Plant City rarely took its foot off the gas pedal Tuesday night.

BOYS SOCCER

Durant at Spoto, 8 p.m. Feb. 5

Strawberry Crest’s Brendan Brown advances the ball.

Durant at Leto, 7 p.m. Hillsborough at Plant City, 7 p.m. Strawberry Crest at Blake, 7 p.m. Feb. 9

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Bloomingdale 2, Plant City 0 Jan. 15 Durant 3, Spoto 0 Plant City 5, Wharton 1 Plant 3, Strawberry Crest 0 Jan. 18 Durant 1, Wharton 1 Plant City 2, Steinbrenner 2

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

SPONSORED BY SPORT CLIPS

Mya Lamar Strawberry Crest’s girls basketball team is enjoying a successful 2019 season with a, 18-4 (10-2 district) overall record and sophomore Mya Lamar has been one of the most important factors for Crest’s solid play. Lamar, a sophomore forward, leads the team with 9.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game and is also making a team-high 50 percent of her field goal attempts. Lamar recently finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and two steals against Newsome on Jan. 25 and celebrated her 16th birthday on Tuesday. It looks like things are still going well for the Chargers this season, but how are things going from a player’s perspective? This season’s going really good. I can’t wait until districts. You obviously know the team well. What would you say makes Crest a tough opponent?

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND? Know someone who deserves an Athlete of the Week feature? Email Justin Kline at JKline@plantcityobserver.com by the Friday before the next issue.

Just work hard every single day and don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do it. Was there a turning point for you there, like a game where you did something you realized you couldn’t have done before? I think we played against East Bay my freshman year. I was the biggest (player). I scored 21 points and I was like, “Whoa, I’m big, I can do this every single game.” I like the hype. I like everybody congratulating me. What’s been your favorite moment with the team? Our wins. After putting in hard work, just being together is like a sisterhood. That’s the best thing, being together as a sisterhood and congratulating each other on everything that we do.

I feel like we’re gonna go all the way. We work really hard. We’re coming for every team that’s coming for us. We’re good at fast breaks. We get down the court really fast, score quickly and get back on defense. What do you bring to this team? I’m good at posting up and scoring easy baskets. Where have you improved the most since last season? I would say my confidence because at first, I was scared to make a move and shoot it. That was one of the biggest things I had to work on coming into my sophomore year. It can be tough for younger players to find their confidence in the first two years. What could other freshman and sophomore players learn from you about building it up?

Navigation to Wealth Creation rcwcpas.com

288051-1

PLANT CITY 1907 S. Alexander St., Ste. 2 Plant City, FL 33566 | (813)752-6604 BRANDON 329 Pauls Dr. Brandon, FL 33511 | (813)689-9297

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

JUSTIN KLINE

No team in the Super Bowl? Keep it interesting with props FROM PAGE 17

Don’t get me wrong: I’m a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan who has hated Tom Brady and the Patriots for almost 20 years now. I’d sleep well Sunday night if I saw them lose to the Rams. I just know that won’t happen. I’ll tell you exactly how this is going to go. The Rams will look good early and inspire false hope in us all, then get too cute and/or overthink things defensively in the second half when the Patriots have made their usual excellent halftime adjustments. The calls get questionable and dumb stuff happens and New England wins again. Steelers fans everywhere choke on their Primanti Bros. sandwiches because someone else can now claim six Super Bowl wins. Please, LA, prove me wrong. If you’re like me and going to a Super Bowl party for the food and company and to watch a game you don’t plan on screaming at, consider some prop bets. I get emails from something called Mason Media Consulting every few weeks with betting lines for pro and college sports and I’m not sure how I got on their mailing list, but it comes in handy every so often. I always like pulling up the props because it puts a fun twist on watching the game. It’s not betting straight up wins-losses or point spreads: you’re rooting for minutiae, the outcomes to things you probably didn’t think about if you don’t write these emails, receive them regularly or have a crippling gambling addiction. You don’t have to put real money on these things and end up at a Gamblers Anonymous meeting. But if you’re looking to spice things up on Sunday, here are some props I would take. Both teams combine to score more than 75 points (Super Bowl record) The LA offense is good most of the time, but the Patriots are smart enough to know how to slow it down. New England’s offense gets the job done but isn’t quite as explosive as Kansas City’s or LA’s this year. I would go against the record being broken this year. CBS shows Rams-Saints pass interference non-call They’re going to do it as soon as

the Rams get on defense and Nickell Robey-Coleman moves a muscle in front of the main camera. Brady or Goff wins Super Bowl MVP I’m about 100 percent sure the Patriots will win the game, meaning Brady will 1,000 percent be named MVP even if he throws, like, two interceptions against one touchdown. People go nuts for that guy. I don’t get it. Belichick and McVay/Brady and Goff age gaps brought up Not only will this happen, but I’d go as far as to say they’ll have graphics made for it with side-by-side photos of what Sean McVay and Jared Goff looked like 19 years ago versus what Bill Belichick and Brady looked like in their first Super Bowl run. Color of liquid poured on winning coach Water (or clear Gatorade) is favored, but I have a feeling they’ll have yellow Gatorade in the coolers on Sunday. Just a hunch. First score of the game: touchdown, field goal or safety? The Patriots get downfield with help from a roughing the passer call and Brady throws a touchdown pass to some guy you’ve probably never heard of. Business as usual. Whose age will be closer to the total points scored: Belichick (66) or McVay (33)? It’s got to be Belichick. There’s no way we’re getting a 17-14 final. Last, but not least: Will Robey-Coleman be called for pass interference? Probably not, but if it happens I’ll pull up Saints Twitter faster than Tyreek Hill runs the 40-yard dash.

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

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR AROUND TOWN

289704-1

We asked: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“Marine biologist. I was obsessed with sharks.” — John Ball, 52

“I wanted to be a veterinarian. I wanted to treat dolphins and whales... I loved Sea World so wanted to take care of all the animals.” — Jerilyn Rumbarger, 29

“Rich and famous. As I grew older I found neither rich or famous brought me happiness.” — James McDaniel, 72

“A cop like my dad.” — Jennifer Anderson, 51

“I wanted to be a pediatrician.” — B.J. Hunter, 38

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

Carolyn E. Kitchens, 84, of Plant City, passed away on Jan. 21, 2019. The family will receive friends Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Haught Funeral Home, 708 W. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563. Funeral services will follow at 12:00 p.m. Online condolences may be left for the family at www. haught.care.

HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

Ronald E. Watson Ronald E. Watson, 77, of Lithia, born in Tampa on April 16, 1941, entered into eternal rest on Jan. 19, 2019. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Jane Ellen Hatton Jane Ellen Hatton, 69 of Plant City passed away Jan. 21, 2019. Services were held Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 at Haught Funeral Home, 708 W. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd., Plant City. Online condolences may be left for the family at www. haught.care.

HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

Marvin Ray Lucier Sr. ‘Pepe’

and a Mason at Olin S. Wright Lodge. The family would like to thank the following who lovingly served Paul: Dr. A. John Saranko and staff, Dr. A.M. Hossain and staff, the staff of the infusion department at South Florida Baptist Hospital, and Seasons Hospice and staff. If desired donations may be made in Paul’s Memory to First Baptist Church of Plant City’s Building Fund. Online condolence may be left for the family at haught.care.

Marvin Ray Lucier, Sr. “Pepe”, 61, of Lithia, born in Tampa on June 18, 1957, entered into eternal rest on Jan. 21, 2019. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Dorothy V. Cooper Dorothy V. Cooper, 90, of Plant City, born in Lenox, Georgia on Nov. 7, 1928, went home to be with Jesus on Jan. 22, 2019. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Doris Smith Doris Smith, 83, of Plant City, born on March 16, 1935 in Athens, Alabama, entered into eternal rest on Jan. 23, 2019. Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

ALL OBITUARIES ARE SUBMITTED AND EDITED BY FAMILIES OR FUNERAL HOMES

Paul Franklin Tindle

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

nosed with stage IV Mesothelioma, the Lord welcomed Jim into the kingdom of Heaven. A Godly man, Jim stood firm in his faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jim enjoyed serving in his local church and helping others. A beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Jim is survived by his wife of 43 years Carrine. Daughters Dena Bonner (Scott) and Shelly Morris (Myrick) and five grandchildren. Everyone is welcome to join the family for a public graveside memorial service to be held on Friday, Feb. 1 at 2:00 p.m. at the Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 State Road 72, Sarasota, FL 34241. Heartfelt thanks to the Tampa VA Hospital and the Comfort Care Facility for their excellent care to Jim and the family. In lieu of flowers or other gifts, memorial donations in Jim’s name can be made to Jeremy and Katie B. (serving in Myanmar) at gracechurch.org/ jeremyb or Grace Bible Church of Tampa – 10309 Raulerson Ranch Rd. Tampa, FL 33636.

OBITUARIES

Carolyn E. Kitchens

Paul Franklin Tindle, 92, of Plant City, passed away Dec. 30, 2018. Born in Plant City, he was the son of the late Clifford and Rosia Sanders Tindle. He was also preceded in death by his HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM children, Phyllis Richards and Craig Trentham; siblings, Nita Miller, Iris Smallwood, Louise Jenkins, Jenelle Vaughn, Elizabeth Dean, Mickey Martindale and Mary Jo Rodgers. His survivors include his beloved wife of 28 years, Beverly Mills Tindle; children, James Tindle (Linda), Paul Tindle II; sister, Virginia Ruth Griffin; ten grandchildren, and twelve great grandchildren. Paul was a member at First Baptist Church of Plant City, a James E. US Navy Corpsman/Medic, a Narey ‘Jim’ three time city commissioner and mayor for Plant City, was a property appraiser for HillsSept. 18, 1931 – Jan. 7, 2019 borough County Five months after being diagfor 19 years, an insurance agent lorist with Gulf Life, a switchman and electrical contractor for Coastline Railroad, owned and farmed 52 acres across from 116 North Collins Street Plant City, FL 33563 the high school, was a member ph: (813) 567-5735 allabloomtampa.com of Gideons, the American Legion Historic Downtown

287464-1

YOUR COMMUNITY FUNERAL HOME AND CEMETERY. FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM (813) 737-3128 info@hopewellfuneral.com 287906-1

6005 S County Road 39 Plant City, FL 33567

YOUR CALENDAR

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

THURSDAY, JAN. 31 WALTZ DANCE LESSONS

12 to 2 p.m. Waltz dance lessons will be held Jan. 17 through March 28 every Thursday. Lessons are $6.00 each at Strawberry Dance Center, 4401 Promenade Blvd. Contact www. strawberrysquaredancing.com or phone 864-723-6965 for more information.

FRIDAY, FEB. 1 CORK ELEMENTARY PUBLIC FESTIVAL

4 to 7 p.m. Cork Elementary is hosting a public festival to raise money for technology improvements needed in the school. The school needs sponsors to help with games and prizes. The public festival is open to all families and children to enjoy. Admission is free. Wristbands are $8 and allow unlimited rides and bounce house fun. There will be a dance room, snow cones, food trucks and prizes for every child.

NETWORK FOR A CAUSE

6 to 9 p.m. Networking For A Cause is hosted by Operation Paying It Forward at Wishing Well Barn, 4302 Pippin Rd. The entrance fee is a donation and there will be hors d’oeuvre by ACI Catering Chef Bobby and drinks will be provided. There will also be music, a silent auction and raffle. Bring your business cards and be ready to network. Please RSVP via Facebook, opayingitforward@ gmail.com or by calling 813750-9482.

DATE NIGHT SWING DANCE CLASS

BEST BET

7:30 to 9 p.m. Rapid Ballroom is hosting date night swing dance classes at Stardust Dance Center, 3613 Citrus Tree Court. 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, FEB. 2 CELEBRITY CHEF DINNER

6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The 11th annual Celebrity Chef event benefits the United Food Bank. This time the celebrity chefs are local legends Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chornister and Plant City Chief of Police Ed Duncan. They will showcase their own different levels and comforts of cooking, all good fun as they raise money to help hunger needs in our community. Tickets are $100 per person. Contact Leigh Scott 813-764-0625 for more information or visit ufbpc.com/celebritychef.

SATURDAY, FEB. 2 BREAKFAST AND A BUILD

10 to 11 a.m. Brick City Bricks, 107 E. Reynolds St., is hosting its Breakfast and a Build event. This week, in anticipation of the new LEGO movie coming out Feb. 8, it’s a LEGO Movie 2 build. A doughnut, drink and an awesome build to take home is only $8.

TWO STEP DANCE LESSONS

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

U-PICK AT THE WINERY

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Rd., is hosting a U-Pick. Come visit Keel Farms to join in on the U-Pick fun. Organically grown produce available: broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, kale (three types), romaine lettuce (two types), leaf lettuce (two types), arugula, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, okra, collard greens and mustard greens.

They have clippers and bags to get your items. All items are $3 (lettuce and kale by the plant. peppers, eggplant, cauliflower and broccoli by the pound).

will support an adult mission trip to Guatemala for Little Lambs International as they care for orphaned, abused and neglected children. This year, proceeds will also benefit other GracePoint and local Plant City missions. Contact GracePoint for more information at 813759-9383.

YMCA BIKE RODEO

2 to 4 p.m. The Plant City Family YMCA, 1507 YMCA Place, is hosting a Bike Rodeo. Open to the community for boys and girls ages 5 through 12, this on-bike clinic features stations focusing on bike maintenance, rules of the road and proper helmet fit. Riders can test their skills on obstacle courses and register for a raffle to win a new bike! Free bike helmets while supplies last. Bring your bike and helmet to the 2019 Plant City Family YMCA Bike Rodeo.

PLANT CITY BIKE FEST

4:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Plant City Bike Fest is back in the heart of downtown, 102 N. Palmer St. Featuring a 10 class bike show with a $10 registration fee per class. There will be a live band, great food and vendors. Contact 813-754-3707 for more information.

GRACEPOINT’S PIG-A-PALOOZA

BLUEGRASS JAM

7:33 to 10:33 p.m. This is an open invitation for local bluegrass musicians and fans to come to the Krazy Kup Loft, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. and jam, clap hands, stomp feet and enjoy live music. Krazy Kup has its Bluegrass JAM the first Saturday of every month. This

4 to 6 p.m. GracePoint Church of Plant City is hosting its fifth annual Pig-A-Palooza. The community is invited to purchase pork butts for $40 for Super Bowl weekend. The pickup time is 4 to 6 p.m. at 1107 Charlie Griffin Road. Proceeds

is different from the Bluegrass Night with a featured band at the end of the month.

MONDAY, FEB. 4 PLANT CITY AREA DEMOCRATIC CLUB

6 p.m. The Plant City Area Democratic Club’s monthly membership meeting will be at the Bruton Library. Social time begins at 6 p.m. and the business meeting is at 6:30 p.m. The Reverend Demetrius Jifunza, state director of Social Justice & Human Concern for the C.M.E churches in Florida, is the guest speaker. He will speak about the implementation of Amendment 4.

TUESDAY, FEB. 5 THE WRITER’S LOFT

6 to 8 p.m. The monthly Writer’s Loft meeting is Tuesday night at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Join a group of local writers for a meet and greet, to share work, have a creative time, fellowship and to receive writing guidance. All writers are welcome.

OFFER ED... EXTEND

ONDAY THROUG2/4H/1M 9.

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

Get the Right PERSON for the JOB Call or E- mail today to reserve your spot for the First 2019 Hiring Event Feb. 13th 2019 y pan ilks 7435 om r C ick W 3-802 R you 6 for ntact: call 8 e Tim th! Co m or ll ti o s .c oo re is a B roup The serve ediag e m to R dger @le s k .wil

rick

JOB & CAREER FAIR POLK COUNTY & CENTRAL FLORIDA

Presented by

presented by

Presented by The Ledger The Ledger Events The Ledger Media Group and

Wednesday Feb. 13th from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm First United Methodist Church Thursday May 3rd from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Meet with FREE OPEN TO HIRING AGENTS 72 Lake Morton FL 33801 First UnitedDrive, Methodist Church Admission FromLakeland 20+ GENERAL Companies Reserve your space today, contact: Bruce Dube 72 Lake Morton Drive, FL 33801 FREE andLakeland Labor PUBLIC

Fishhawk Ranch Market Day

Sunday, February 3rd

Are you looking for a JOB? CAREER? EDUCATION or TRAINING? Come to the Job & Career Fair!

9 am – 2 pm | Park Square (16144 Churchview Dr., Lithia)

1st Sunday of every month

Thursday, May 3rd 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

50 + LOCAL FARMERS & ARTISANS

First United HOT BREAKFAST & LUNCH VENDORS! Methodist Church 72 Lake Morton Dr Lakeland FL 33801

-SPAD0327103856

POLK COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

bruce.dube@ledgermediagroup.com PARKING Finders or call 863-802-7412 for more information go to www.ledgermediagroup.com/events

Reserve your space today, contact: Rick Wilks

rick.wilks@ledgermediagroup.com or call 863-802-7435

Contact Susan Parvin | 813-657-6629

Universal Crossword

PlantCityObserver.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

Edited by David Steinberg January 31, 2019

FORECAST THURSDAY, JAN. 31 High: 66 Low: 55 Chance of rain: 10%

FRIDAY, FEB. 1 High: 75 Low: 61 Chance of rain: 40%

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

SUNRISE/SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Jan. 31

7:16a

6:08p

Friday, Feb. 1

7:15a

6:08p

Saturday, Feb. 2

7:15a

6:09p

Sunday, Feb. 3

7:14a

6:10p

Monday, Feb. 4

7:13a

6:13p

Tuesday, Feb. 5

7:13a

6:12p

Wednesday, Feb. 6

7:12a

6:12p

WEATHER

I LOVE PLANT CITY

48 Some early 18 One-named 42 Spirited ACROSS Mexicans Irish rocker sorts 1 Savory jelly 52 Europe’s 23 Magazine 43 Candy in 6 Deep divide riverEditor Justin for CEOs dispensers 11 SendTalk yourlike photo submissionslongest to Associate Kline at jkline@PlantCityObserver.com 54 Pollen 25 M.A. hope45 Tractor a lover or hashtag #iloveplantcity on Instagram for @igersplantcity to feature. holder ful’s test trailer 14 Canonized 56 Syrup brand 26 Wide 46 Folded one 57 ___ moment neckties Mexican 15 Valium (epiphany) 27 Arise (from) food producer 58 Dog that’s 29 Willamette 49 Really enjoy 16 Put two no longer Valley’s 50 Folded and two relevant? state French food together? 62 Sergeant’s 30 Craze 51 Cartoonist 17 One fine address 31 Olympics Edward hat? 63 Admit (to) sword 52 Bouquet 19 Free (of) 32 “Darn!” holder 20 Got a perfect 64 Corvette or Miata 33 Luke 53 The score on 65 Dawn Skywalker, Buckeye 21 Supposedly goddess e.g. State wise bird 34 Royal 54 Small 22 Acts without 66 Birdfeeder contents Norwegian earring speaking 67 Not just name 55 Photos and 24 Make suspend 35 They’re iTunes plans? DOWN worth less 59 Have 26 Yoga 1 Syrian when inflated creditors posture strongman 39 The “V” 60 Eight28 Decal on 2 Deep-dish in VP hundred a witch’s pizza filler 40 Climactic preceder? transport? 3 Organ tubes “Goldfinger” 61 Finish a 33 Energy unit 4 place Like to spend a beautifulsetting cupcake 36 Competed Ellis-Methvin Park is a great day outside, so Linda Wilkerson recently poisonous at Indy took cousins and “best friends” Liam and William Wilkerson there to enjoy the weather and have mushrooms 37 MercuryPREVIOUS some fun. Linda Wilkerson wins this week’s I Love Plant City photo PUZZLE contest. ANSWER 5 Midpoint: regulating Follow us on social media: @PCObserver on Instgram, Abbr. org.L I N E ON @PlantObserver on Twitter and Plant City Observer 6 Corn-eating 38 If not on Facebook. bird 39 2018 Marvel 7 Roaring alien movie wind sound 40 Worry 8 NBA knee 41 June tear site honoree 9 “___ sells 42 One of nine s ear seashells” in an SSN 32 y s s 10 Woman/fishusine 43 Offers, as hybrid In B a question 11 Honda and 44 Item at a Hyundai swanky 12 Garfield’s bar? 47 Kind of prank victim closet for 13 They can be 1/30 © 2019 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com sheets long or even

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, FEB. 2 High: 75 Low: 61 Chance of rain: 50%

SUNDAY, FEB. 3 High: 78 Low: 59 Chance of rain: 30%

STRAWBERRIES Shipping point: Central Florida $18-$22.90

Feb. 4 New

Feb. 19 Full

Feb. 9 First

Jan. 31 Last

RAINFALL Monday, Jan. 21

0.00

Tuesday, Jan. 22 0.00 Wednesday, Jan. 23

0.00

Thursday, Jan. 24 0.34 0.00

Friday, Jan. 25

Saturday, Jan. 26 0.00 1.28

Sunday, Jan. 27 YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2019 2.43 in.

2018

1.73 in.

GOLD & SILVER

Diamonds & Precious Gems,

1/31

“Backers” by Mike McHugh

ACROSS 1 Savory jelly 6 Deep divide 11 Talk like a lover 14 Canonized one 15 Valium producer 16 Put two and two together? 17 One fine hat? 19 Free (of) 20 Got a perfect score on 21 Supposedly wise bird 22 Acts without speaking 24 Make plans? 26 Yoga

posture 28 Decal on a witch’s transport? 33 Energy unit 36 Competed at Indy 37 Mercuryregulating org. 38 If not 39 2018 Marvel alien movie 40 Worry 41 June honoree 42 One of nine in an SSN 43 Offers, as a question 44 Item at a swanky bar? 47 Kind of closet for sheets

48 Some early Mexicans 52 Europe’s longest river 54 Pollen holder 56 Syrup brand 57 ___ moment (epiphany) 58 Dog that’s no longer relevant? 62 Sergeant’s address 63 Admit (to) 64 Corvette or Miata 65 Dawn goddess 66 Birdfeeder contents 67 Not just suspend DOWN

285826 287516-1

813.754.2360 | 1705 Jim Redman Pkwy. Plant City, 33563

1 Syrian strongman 2 Deep-dish pizza filler 3 Organ tubes 4 Like poisonous mushrooms 5 Midpoint: Abbr. 6 Corn-eating bird 7 Roaring wind sound 8 NBA knee tear site 9 “___ sells seashells” 10 Woman/fish hybrid 11 Honda and Hyundai 12 Garfield’s prank victim 13 They can be long or even 18 One-named Irish rocker 23 Magazine for CEOs 25 M.A. hopeful’s test 26 Wide neckties 27 Arise (from) 29 Willamette Valley’s state 30 Craze 31 Olympics sword 32 “Darn!” 33 Luke Skywalker, e.g. 34 Royal Norwegian name 35 They’re worth less when inflated 39 The “V” in VP 40 Climactic “Goldfinger” setting 42 Spirited sorts 43 Candy in dispensers 45 Tractor trailer 46 Folded Mexican food 49 Really enjoy 50 Folded French food 51 Cartoonist Edward 52 Bouquet holder 53 The Buckeye State 54 Small earring 55 Photos and iTunes 59 Have creditors 60 Eighthundred preceder? 61 Finish a cupcake

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

PlantCityObserver.com