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Durant senior Durant, Plant City and takes game to Strawberry Crest all crown New Jersey ice. 2015 Calendar Girls.
OUR TOWN
+ Springhead hosts breakfast Three generations celebrated during a grandparents’ breakfast at Springhead Elementary School. Rylan Prescott, Pat Hutto and Sherri Prescott enjoyed a delicious meal before their day started.
pedal power by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Police officers ready to roll at 2015 Police Unity Tour The 250-mile bike ride, which will take the officers from Portsmouth, Va., to Washington, D.C., raises money for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Four Plant City police officers are ready to brave 250 grueling miles of concrete for the Police Unity Tour in May 2015. But, to enter the annual bike ride, they must raise $2,000 by Nov. 1 and then an
additional $6,000 by March 1, 2015. All the money they raise will funnel through the annual event to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. But, the ride also has an-
other purpose — to honor fallen police officers, such as Arnulfo Crispin and Jeff Kocab. Crispin, who lived in Plant City from 1986 to 1995, was killed in 2011, 18 months after starting a career in law
enforcement with the Lakeland Police Department. Crispin’s brother, Frankie Crispin, who lives in Plant City, said what set Crispin apart as an officer had been his belief in Christ. “That was one of the (things) that made him a little bit different,” Frankie Crispin said. “The value of the simple
SEE POLICE / PAGE 4
public safety by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
+ Mitchells celebrate 50 years
+ Church cracks open Pecan Sale
, 3&
This week’s winner is
Linda Hunter
See her photo on PAGE 15.
COMMON CENTS
by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Chamber, Observer launch Buy Local campaign The Buy Local program encourages consumers to choose to spend their dollars in town whenever possible.
Roger and Anne Mitchell celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Oct. 3. Roger served in the U.S. Navy and is retired from Lockheed Martin. Anne has been a full time wife and mother for 50 years. They have three sons, Tom (Kim), Roger (Shannon), and Bill (Catrena). They also have five beautiful granddaughters, Carson, Olivia, Abigail, Naomi and Kellan.
The Presbyterian Women of the First Presbyterian Church are holding the second annual Pecan Sale. The sale will benefit its missions, which include the United Food Bank of Plant City, ROW, Beth-El Mission and Puppets with a Purpose. Fresh shelled pecan halves and pecan pieces will be sold in five-pound sealed bags for $46. To order pecans, call (813) 752-4211 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday or email orders to fpcpcchurch@verizon. net. Order forms can also be mailed to 407 W. Mahoney St., Plant City, FL, 33563. Mail checks to the same address. Orders must be received by Nov. 1. Only prepaid orders will be reserved for the sale on Nov. 15. The rest will be sold on a firstcome, first-served basis.
The Buy Local campaign logo reminds consumers that Plant City businesses offer quality products.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT An old home on North Gordon Street is going to be a development soon. But, before it is demolished, the new owners agreed to let Plant City Fire Rescue train there. The old home sitting on two acres at 1901 N. Gordon St. has seen quite a bit of action lately. The residence, built in 1927, was simply gathering dust until four months ago, when it was bought by H&L Development. Not long after the purchase, the group was contacted by Plant City Fire Rescue. They had an eye on that old building, seeing it more as a training ground — especially because it was scheduled to be demolished. “We were getting the demolition permit, and they contacted us,” Johnny Harris said. “They were wondering if they could use it to practice in, for training.” Because the house was abandoned, Harris and
business partner Carl Lane agreed. “I was like, ‘OK, what are you going to do,?’” Harris said. “‘Burn it down?’” Not quite. The goal was to use the building for intense training drills. One thing was missing in the drills, though — actual fire. “They said they were going to come through the roof, the windows and the doors,” Harris said. “Pretty much, ‘Before you demo it, we want to tear it apart.’” And on Saturday, Sept. 13, they did just that. Firefighters and vehicles poured in all over the property. Harris, Lane and nearby residents came out to see the sight. Men in full fire gear
SEE SAFETY / PAGE 4
SEE LOCAL / PAGE 4
BY THE NUMBERS $65 — For every $100
spent at an independent business, an average of $65 supports local economy. At a big-box retailer, only $34 stays local.
70% — Local business
generates 70% more local economic activity per square foot than big-box retailers.
150 — National chains
can decrease opportunities for jobs. One study found that a new Walmart reduces an average of 150 jobs in the county where it opens.
50% — Residential neigh-
Courtesy of Plant City Fire Rescue
Firefighters completed many different drills, including extracting a human through a window. Top: Firefighters cut several holes in the roof to breach the structure from above.
INDEX Calendar.......................2
The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce and the Plant City Times & Observer have partnered to launch a new campaign to boost the local economy and keep consumers’ dollars focused on independent businesses. The physical elements of the new Buy Local program include promotional materials to remind shoppers that every dollar spent locally makes an impact. Any Plant City business (not only those within the Chamber of Commerce) can obtain and display these materials: window decals, posters and a digital logo. The logo can be used on websites or in email signatures, as well as in businesses. Although many towns and cities across the country have adopted Buy Local campaigns, Plant City’s campaign
borhoods near districts of successful independent businesses can gain an average of 50% higher home values than their citywide markets. Information from custommade.com, independentwestand.org and elocal. com.
Vol. 2, No. 11 | One section Crossword...................15
Obituaries...................12
Sports.........................13
Weather ......................15
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COMMUNITYCALENDAR FRIDAY, OCT. 3 AARP Driver Safety Class — takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Attendees are asked to bring a bagged lunch. The price for the class is $20 for non-members and $15 for members, payable by cash or check. Pre-register by calling (813) 757-9215. Acoustic Happy Hour — live music takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Interactive Story Time — takes place from 11:30 a.m. to noon Friday, Oct. 3, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City. (813) 752-8700. Plant City Lions Club Charity Golf Tournament — takes place at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Cleveland Heights Golf Course, 2900 Buckingham Ave., Lakeland. Following an 11:30 a.m. registration, golfers will hit the links with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. An awards ceremony will conclude the event at 5:30 p.m. Sponsorships are still available. Rick Norman, (813) 230-7737. Uncork Your Weekend with Cliff Brown — live music from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752- 9100.
SATURDAY, OCT. 4 Bike Fest — takes place from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at McCall Park, 102 N. Palmer St. Optimist Club Golf Tournament — registration begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Diamond Hill Golf & Country Club, 13115 Sydney Road, Valrico. Memoir Writing Workshop — takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at
Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. It is the first of three sessions that will continue Oct. 11 and 18. Lark Underwood, a local teacher will present this workshop. All participants should expect to attend all three sessions, bring a notebook with them, as well as a pen and 3-by-5 cards. Enrollment is limited to the first 12 participants. Sixth Annual TCHS Picnic — takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Arthur Boring Building at the Florida Strawberry Festival, 2406 W. Reynolds St. Plant City. Pat Ballard, (813) 6591240. Uncork Your Weekend with Daniel Sprouse — live music from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 7529100. Yard Sale and BBQ — takes place beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at St Peter’s Episcopal Church, 302 N. Carey Street. Pulled pork will be available at 12 p.m. Proceeds will go to fund the church’s building and renovation plans.
SUNDAY, OCT. 5 Animal Blessing Day — takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, at Springhead United Methodist Church, 2301 Sparkman Road. Fundraiser for Pat Kemp — takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, at the home of John and Nancy Desmond, 3015 Forest Hammock Drive. Let your voice be heard on important local issues by meeting one of the Hillsborough County Commissioner candidates. For more information call (813) 719-8459.
MONDAY, OCT. 6 Blood Drive — takes place from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. All donors will receive a free incentive such as a movie ticket, T-shirt or gift
card, as well as a free wellness screening. Computer Gaming — takes place from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Space is limited to 10 children; call ahead to reserve a spot. Fall and Halloween games will be loaded and ready to go. (813) 757-9215. Gentle Yoga — takes place from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Jenna Stanko, a Yoga Alliance certified teacher will instruct the class. Patrons are asked to bring a towel or mat with them. (813) 7579215.
TUESDAY, OCT. 7 Flute Circle — takes place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Utah Farris, (863) 696-0442 or utahflutes1@wmconnect.com. Fundraiser for Adrian Wiley — takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at First Choice BBQ, 712 S. Collins St. Wiley is the Libertarian candidate in the gubernatorial election. PC Christian Women’s Connection — meeting takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the Plant City Elks Lodge , 1501 N. Alexander St. Reservations are required by calling (813)7523786.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8 Community Rally at Simmons — takes place from 8:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Simmons Career Center, 1202 W. Grant St. The rally is to inspire students for the upcoming FCAT. The school invites the community to come support students. For information call (813) 707-7430. CPR — takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St., Plant City.
To publicize your event in our Community Calendar, please send by mail: 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563; or by email: ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com. Photos are welcome. Deadline is noon Thursday.
FRIDAY, OCT. 10 Acoustic Happy Hour — live music takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Uncork Your Weekend with Skip Frye — live music from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752- 9100.
SATURDAY, OCT. 11
BEST BET Relay for Life Kickoff Party — takes place beginning at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, at Plant City’s First Baptist Church, 503 N. Palmer Street. The party will include food and games as well as a presentation on Relay for Life and how to be a part of this year’s fight against cancer. The event can be viewed at facebook.com/events/1468819913394591/. (813) 752-8700. Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Contact Breakfast — takes place at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Charlie Grimes Family Agricultural Center, 2508 Oak Ave., Plant City. For more, visit plantcity.org. Knit 1, Purl 2 — takes place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. Beginners as well as experienced knitters are welcome to attend, and a limited supply of knitting needles and yarn may be used by participants during the class. (813) 757-9215. Open Mic Night — live music takes place at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Plant City Local Harvest Farmers Market — takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at McCall Park in downtown Plant City.
THURSDAY, OCT. 9 Al Higginbotham Fundraiser — takes place from 11:30 a.m.
to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at the home of Commissioner Rick Lott and his wife, Di, 3200 Polo Place in Walden Lake. A barbecue lunch will be served. Higginbotham is running for the District 7 Hillsborough County Commission seat. Hillsborough County Hazard Mitigation — meeting takes place from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. (813) 7579215. Hillsborough EDC Small Business Development — takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 N. Evers St. Silk Scarf Design Intermediate Class — takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at Historic 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. Artists and designers Peggy Daubar and Cheryl Worsham are offering the class as a follow-up to the beginning class. All supplies will be provided and are included in the price of $30. Register by calling (813) 757-9226.
Health and Wellness Fair — takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct., 11, at the Woman’s Club clubhouse, 1110 N. Wheeler St. There will be complimentary health screenings available for blood pressure, body mass index and glucose. Local vendors, wellness education, and a bake sale are among the other activities. This is a free community event for all ages. For more information or vendor inquiries, please contact Lynn Connor (813) 478-1474. Memoir Writing Workshop — takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. It is the second of three sessions that will continue Oct. 11 and 18. Lark Underwood, a local teacher will present this workshop. All participants should expect to attend all three sessions, bring a notebook with them, as well as a pen and 3-by-5 cards. Enrollment is limited to the first 12 participants. Pink Your Pony Ride — takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Bay Lake Stables, 4617 Garland Branch Road, Dover. The ride is $15 per person and benefits cancer patients through the Brandon Outreach Clinic. Lunch is served afterward for an additional $5. Raffles prizes and merchandise will be available. Contact Dawn, a cancer survivor, at (813) 8411409.
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money matters by Michael Eng | Executive Editor
BALANCING ACT
5% For the first time in five years, the budget includes an across-the-board 5% raise for city employees. Non-step employees will receive a 5% increase; step employees will see a an increase of 4% plus 1%; and maxed-out employees will receive a 5% increase.
6% The city is projecting a 6% gross increase in taxable properties, from $1,512,667,319 in FY 2014 to $1,604,591,334 in FY 2015.
Overall, the proposed budget is $66,452,213, a decrease of about $16 million from last year’s total, $82,638,964. It does maintain a fund balance above the minimum policy of 15% of revenues. Here is a look at the 2014-15 city budget, with closer examination into the most significant changes.
CITY MANAGER BUDGET APPROPRIATION Personnel Services Commodities/Contractual Capital Outlay Total
FY 2012-13 $365,834.80 $14,955.57 $3,903.64 $384,694.01
STORMWATER FUND: $2,653,504 (3.9%)
FY 2013-14* $465,475 $21,300 $0 $486,775
FY 2014-15 $428,200 $25,900 $0 $454,100
DEBT SERVICE: $1,176,717 (1.7%)
MISC.: $776,895 (1%)
Community Services $332,354 (.5%) Street R.R. & I. Fund $200,000 (.3%) Stormwater Debt Service $60,950 (.09%) Fire Impact Fees $50,000 (.07%) Federal Equitable Sharing $43,390 (.06%) Industrial Park Fund $40,201 (.06%) Cemetery Escrow Fund $30,000 (.04%) Ticket Surcharge Fund $15,000 (.02%) Library Donation Fund $5,000 (.007%)
WATER UTILITIES DEBT SERVICE: $3,164,900 (5%) STREET FUND: $2,236,414 (3%)
GENERAL FUND: $26,616,490 (40%)
SANITATION FUND: $6,351,000 (10%) WATER UTILITIES FUND: $15,623,505 (24%) TOTAL $66,452,213 TRANSPORTATION IMPACT FEES: $525,000 (.7%) WATER UTILITIES R.R. & I. FUND $1,300,000 (1.9%)
TOTAL EXPENDITURES CAPITAL OUTLAY: $2,537,165 (4%)
COMMODITIES CONTRACTUAL: $16,244,944 (24%)
PERSONNEL SERVICES: $26,545,490 (40%)
NON-OPERATING: $21,124,614 (32%)
TOTAL $66,452,213
*Amended
4.7157
The 2014-15 city budget is balanced with a 4.7157 millage rate — the same rate as last year. General Fund revenues are projected to be $883,012 higher than last year. Moreoever, the city expects property-tax revenues to increase by $411,812.
GENERAL FUND REVENUE LICENSES AND PERMITS: $942,000 (4%)
INTER-FUND TRANSFER: $1,352,211 (5%) TELECOMMUNICATION TAX: $1,150,000 (4%)
INTERGOVERNMENTAL: $839,220 (3%)
FEES AND SERVICES: $1,114,900 (4%)
THE GENERAL FUND The city’s General Fund represents the majority of its operations, including the Plant City Police Department, Plant City Fire Rescue, Recreation and Parks Department, Plant City Commission and more. At $26,616,490, the General Fund budget is about $1.3 million (3%) higher than last year’s budget ($25,276,545.74). The 5% wage increase for all employees accounts for about $553,000 of that. Other increases to General Fund expenditures include a 21% increase in the City Clerk line item ($49,018); a 24% increase in Information Technology ($176,586); a 38% increase in Purchasing ($35,278); a 16% increase in Code Enforcement ($48,750); and a 21% increase in Engineering ($146,120).
MISCELLANEOUS: $530,489 (2%)
PROPERTY TAX: $7,188,433 (27%)
GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES BY DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT City Commission Legal Department City Management City Clerk Human Resources Information Technology 1914 Community Building Historic Resources Special Appropriations Finance Department Purchasing Fire Rescue Police Department Planning and Zoning Recreation Parks Division Library Building Department Code Enforcement Engineering General Services Motor Garage TOTAL:
FY 2012-13 $110.618.32 $223,521.08 $384,694.01 $197,605.86 $228,366.78 $413,074.58 $7,935.70 $29.86 $1,284,840.32 $681,822.01 $52,657.47 $4,540,885.10 $8,633,483.66 $182,191.21 $1,079,361.15 $2,854,623.27 $774,499.13 $719,666.37 $0 $584,524.03 $1,049,097.80 $37,847.36 $24,041,345.07
FY 2013-14* $112,850 $235,549 $470,504.08 $213,282 $241,527 $518,354 $15,000 $12,100 $1,206,240.71 $687,234 $78,742 $4,721,769.95 $9,010,644 $183,108 $1,106,042 $2,977,624 $841,361 $626,145 $194,100 $601,105 $1,175,414.00 $47,850 $25,276,545,74
FY 2014-15 $116,000 $250,165 $454,100 $262,300 $250,050 $694,940 $15,000 $200 $1,110,510 $730,819 $114,020 $4,903,470 $9,500,887 $197,900 $1,130,450 $3,145,150 $844,739 $668,075 $242,850 $747,225 $1,186,440 $51,200 $26,616,490
RE-APPROPRIATED FUNDS: $2,687,237 (10%)
FRANCHISE FEES: $3,480,000 (13%)
STATE REVENUE SHARING: $3,762,000 (14%)
UTILITY TAX: $3,570,000 (14%) TOTAL $26,616,490
GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES NON-OPERATING: $1,276,859 (5%)
CAPITAL OUTLAY: $327,345 (1%)
*Expected totals
PLANT CITY FIRE RESCUE BUDGET APPROPRIATION Personnel Services Commodities/Contractual Capital Outlay Non-Operating Total
FY 2012-13 $3,957,942.87 $472,058.57 $22,563.66 $88,320 $4,540,885.10
FY 2013-14* $4,045,624 $587,575.90 $43,500 $46,800 $4,723,499.90
PLANT CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET APPROPRIATION Personnel Services Commodities/Contractual Capital Outlay Non-Operating Total
FY 2012-13 $7,273,625.90 $992,556.99 $54,000.77 $313,300 $8,633,483.66
FY 2013-14* $7,571,232 $1,633,400 $27,775 $0 $9,232,407
FY 2014-15 $4,191,200 $597,170 $68,300 $46,800 $4,903,470
COMMODITIES CONTRACTUAL: $6,161,046 (23%)
*Amended
FY 2014-15 $7,791,940 $1,691,202 $17,745 $0 $9,500,887 *Amended
Raulerson sells his building to local church The Cynergy Church has a new permanent home, after a year of searching for the right space.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
The budget includes funding for several major CIP projects. • Street resurfacing ($1 million) • P-25 Radio System ($250,000) • Airport Road realignment to Turkey Creek Road ($500,000) • Midtown wastewater collection system ($400,000) • Howard Street infrastructure improvements ($177,712) • Westside Canal slope stabilization ($350,000) • Sewer line repairs and relocation upgrades ($400,000) • Fire state 3 study ($50,000)
by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX: $1,877,258 (2.8%)
FLEET REPLACEMENT FUND: $4,150,530 (6%)
The Plant City Commission adopted its 2014-15 budget at its Sept. 22 meeting.
After two public workshops to examine the 2014-15 preliminary budget, Plant City commissioners adopted Sept. 22, its $66 million budget for Fiscal Year 2014-15. City commissioners lauded former Interim City Manager David Sollenberger and Finance Director Martin Wisgerhof for their efforts in accomplishing something that hasn’t been done in five years — a raise for all city employees. Under the proposed budget, all 400 employees will receive a 5% wage increase. The employees also will enjoy a 9% reduction in their monthly health insurance premiums, thanks to a new agreement between the Florida League of Cities and United Healthcare, the city’s current provider. Furthermore, the city will add three firefighters to Plant City Fire Rescue. The new personnel will enable the department to reduce overtime, which will more than cover the cost of the additional staff, Sollenberger said. The budget also includes funding for a strategic plan for Plant City fire and rescue services to meet the demands of future growth. The budget is based a property tax millage rate of 4.7157, the same rate used in 2013-14.
CHANGE OF SCENERY
TOTAL REVENUES
PERSONNEL SERVICES: $18,851,240 (71%)
TOTAL $26,616,490
Florida Rep. Dan Raulerson and local minister Jack Myers closed a deal Monday, Sept. 29, to transfer the ownership of the building at 600 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The building has housed a number of businesses over the years, but Raulerson’s accounting firm, Raulerson and Company, bought it in 2005. The space turned out to be larger than what the firm needed. “The recession came, and being able to sell the building was difficult,” Raulerson said. “There aren’t many people that need a 10,000-square foot building in Plant City. Once things started getting better, we put it up for sale.” Myers and his wife, Marie Myers, are originally from Tampa, but graduated in 1997, from Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They ministered domestically and internationally for years, but eventually returned to Florida to plant a church. They chose Plant City, because its location would not pull congregation members from their other friends’ churches around the state. Their nondenominational church, The Cynergy Church, first met at HCC’s John R. Trinkle Center and then rented space from the Shiloh Baptist Association. Shiloh’s building was up for sale, but Myers said he did not feel it was the right place to permanently house Cynergy. The church returned to the Trinkle Center this July, after Shiloh’s building sold. “We needed a building so we could grow,” Myers said about Cynergy, which currently has a congregation of about 100 people. “We’ve been looking for property for about a year now. We came across Rep. Dan Raulerson’s building, and we were able to raise the funds this last year to be able to purchase the building.” After meetings and negotiations, Raulerson sold the building to Jack Myers Ministries for $568,000. Landscaping, painting and remodeling the interior are in the plans for November. Myers hopes Cynergy will be able to move into its new space in December. The church will then have a grand opening in January. “It’s a strategic location,” Myers said. “It’s right in the heart of Plant City. We plan on doing outreaches. We really want to make an impact for the Lord Jesus here in Plant City.” Myers said the church has plans for programs that will involve the community around Christmastime and offer family fun around Easter. He also hopes to have a regular program to feed those in need. In addition to The Cynergy Church, the building will be home to Jack Myers Ministries and Life Christian University, an institution for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral Bible studies accredited by the Accrediting Commission International. LCU has extension locations in 35 states and 10 other countries. Myers completed his doctorate degree at LCU’s campus in Tampa in 2007. Raulerson and Company will move to a 3,500-square foot leased office on Alexander Street, next to Suncoast Credit Union. “We’re glad that the church was able to get it and use it,” Raulerson said. “They seem to be very excited about it.” Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.
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Catherine Sinclair
Four representatives from the Plant City Police Department hope to travel to Virginia for a charity long-distance bike ride.
POLICE / PAGE 1 things — to be faithful and to be honest. That’s really what it was.” Jeffrey Kocab, who worked at the Plant City Police Department before transferring to the Tampa Police Department, was killed in 2010. “I feel like we need to give something, because tomorrow, it could happen to me,” Erick Sanchez said. “It could happen to anybody from our department.” Sanchez is one of four members of the elite team that will head up to Portsmouth, Va., for the ride, which is planned for May 9 to 12. Officers Paul Tester, Robert Kleeman and Jason Fowler will join him on the trek. Although participants register individually for the tour, the officers have decided to fundraise as a team. Biking is popular at the Plant City Police Department.
SAFETY / PAGE 1 powered through windows and kicked down doors in a fullspeed simulation. The men also used the truck ladders to access the roof, into which they then broke four big holes to drop into the second story. Any scenario that could happen in a real house fire was simulated that weekend and the
LOCAL / PAGE 1 logo features a secondary slogan: “Quality Grows Here,” a nod to the area’s rich agricultural history. “We want that (logo) to be a major brand, an icon, and recognizable,” said Yvonne Fry, a leader of the Chamber of Commerce committee organizing the campaign. The campaign will be emphasized between October and March, to include the holiday season and Florida Strawberry Festival, the two times each year when Plant City businesses tend to generate the most revenue. But, members of the committee hope that long-term effects of the program will have an even greater impact. “This is a way we can have a
THIS WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS
THIS WEEK’S CRYPTOGRAM ANSWERS 1. The pine trees were doing a clean up of the forest. A lovely Scotch pine gave orders: “Yew sweep the leaves and I’ll spruce up the cones.” 2. A man who was buying a brand-new house was irritated with his title company. His complaint: “You deed me wrong!
A number of department employees get together regularly to ride. Sanchez wanted to organize a team for the Police Unity Tour and asked his fellow cycling officers whether they would want to participate. Tester, Kleeman and Fowler agreed to join him. The team started training in July, with 30- to 40-mile rides a few times each week. But, it was not until this month that Sanchez approached Police Chief Edward Duncan about raising public awareness of the team’s participation in the tour. “We have to get his blessing before anything,” Sanchez said. Duncan offered not only his approval but also his full support. He has attended the postride memorial service in past years. “I am extremely proud of the PCPD officers that have volunteered to take on the physically demanding chal-
lenge of cycling 250 miles in order to pay tribute to their fallen comrades,” Duncan said. “I cannot think of a more honorable event for us to participate in.” Sanchez, Tester and Kleeman will be cycling, but Fowler will be there for practical and technical support. “They recommend that if you have a support team member, he can drive the van and basically follow the group,” Sanchez said. Fowler will transport bikes and other equipment up to Virginia before the tour and then assist the Plant City team with water, food and equipment maintenance during breaks, about every 25 miles. The Police Unity Tour is an annual event that began in 1997 and coincides with National Police Week each year. Eighteen cyclists completed the inaugural tour, but participation has increased to about
1,800 since then, encompassing teams from across the country. This will be the first time the Plant City Police Department has participated. Contact Catherine Sinclair at cscinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
following Saturday. “They used all of their tools,” Harris said. “You can see where they went in.” Don’t feel too bad for the old home, though. According to Harris and Lane, the building was already unlivable four months ago. “The floor is gone,” Harris said. “There are two stories, but, to get to the second floor,
you have to use a scaffolding. ... There’s really nothing inside it. Just wood.” The training was the last hurrah for this old home, which is set to be demolished soon. Once the house is no more, H&L plans to build a five-lot subdivision on the property. “We’re going to demo the remains of the house, we’re going to break it up into five lots and
sell the lots,” Harris said. “We’re going to build a home on one of the lots, but we’re going to put the other lots up for sale.” Some may be sad to see the historic home go, but they can at least know that some of its final days were used to help some of Plant City’s finest save lives one day. Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
stake in helping preserve what we love about Plant City,” Fry said. “We’re all in this together. Whether you’re downtown, whether you’re out by the interstate, whether you’re south of town, we’re all Plant City.” Fry is the president of Fresh Picked Talent. Seven other businesses also stepped up as sponsors so the promotional materials could be available to the community for free. One of those businesses was Poppell Insurance Inc., owned by Mark Poppell. “If everybody in Plant City, or any town, would concentrate spending their money in their community, then the community would be richer as a result of it,” Poppell said. “Local businesses do more than conduct business — they also employ people; they con-
tribute to charitable events.” Poppell compared the local economy to a pocket. When the pocket has a hole in it, money can fall out and be lost forever — like when dollars are spent outside of the community, he said. But if the hole is sewn up, the money stays inside, just like when consumers shop locally. “If we all support one another, then we’re all richer as a result,” Poppell said. “But, if we don’t, and we lose local business, then we really only have ourselves to blame.” While Poppell was in Bend, Oregon, last April, he noticed that local businesses were displaying stickers that read, “Make Local Habit.” The stickers reminded him of a local business campaign the Plant City Chamber of Commerce launched 15 years ago. “We abandoned this, and we need to get back to it,” Poppell said. “Of course, it didn’t have the
traction that it can today, with social media,” Fry said. But she, Poppell and the other committee members decided to revisit and relaunch the idea this fall. In addition to boosting the local economy, Fry said the program would support the success of the chamber as its own organization. “Every organization struggles to remain relevant, vital and important to its membership,” Fry said. “This is something that we feel is integral to that.” Business owners can pick up free window decals and signs at the chamber’s next contact breakfast, scheduled for 7 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Charlie Grimes Family Agricultural Center, 2508 Oak Ave., Plant City. Stickers to be used on receipts, with gift wrap or for other similar purposes are also available for a small charge.
THREE WAYS TO DONATE • Visit the Plant City Police Department’s fundraiser page: firstgiving. com/team/275588 • Visit the team’s booth at the Strawberry Classic Car Show, Oct. 18, where the officers will be selling hamburgers and hot dogs. • Purchase a wristband at the car show, or by visiting the police station. Wristbands are $2 each and feature the text, “Police Unity Tour 2015.”
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PETAL TO THE MEDAL by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Joanne Mason’s garden attracts a diverse group of Florida butterflies.
Catherine Sinclair
Plant City green thumb wins state award for backyard garden The Florida Wildflower Foundation honored Joanne Mason for her native plant garden. As Joanne Mason strolls through her garden, she points out species after species of flora. Rosinweed, narrow-leaf sunflower, passion flowers, cassia bush and rain lilies are among them. Many of her plants also are hosts to butterflies, which lay eggs on specific types of plants that caterpillars can feast upon. Because of the milkweed, monarch butterflies frequently visit Mason’s yard. “(The monarchs) generally leave in November, but for the last couple years, they’ve been staying all year,” Mason said. They’re not the only ones staying. She regularly sees possums, raccoons, snakes, frogs and countless types of waterbirds and songbirds, too. Mason’s garden is truly a wildlife sanctuary, and the Florida Wildflower Foundation recognized its ecological value and Mason’s hard work at an awards ceremony Sept. 19. She received a top statewide award for her backyard garden of native plants. The Florida Wildflower Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching lives with Florida’s native flora. It partners with many other organizations that have related goals. Mason is a member of the foundation and receives its quarterly newsletter. As she flipped through an issue one day, the announcement for the recognition program — “Wildflowers, Naturally!” — caught her eye. To apply, gardeners must maintain gardens of at least 50 square feet, containing at least 75% native plants. They submit photos and answer some
GROW YOUR OWN BUTTERFLY GARDEN Butterflies use a straw-like proboscis to reach inside flowers and obtain delicious nectar. In addition to those named in this article, here are a few native plants you can cultivate to attract butterflies. • Tampa verbain (Glandularia tampensis) • Firebush (Hamelia patens) • Coontie (Zamia floridana) • Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) Source: floridafriendlyplants.com
questions about biodiversity and longevity in their gardens. Points are awarded for gardening practices that minimize human impact and increase habitat value for resident and migrating insects, birds and other animals. “It’s not just about how large the landscape is but, really, the overall commitment,” said Stacey Matrazzo, one of the program’s organizers. Any applicant who meets a basic standard of requirements receives a certificate and a small sign to put up in his or her garden. “I thought, ‘Well, it would be fun to get the certificate and put the sign in my yard,’” Mason said. “I never dreamed there would be awards.” Gardeners can earn certificates on a rolling basis, but three of the 16 gardeners who applied since the program was launched this summer were recognized even further. “At our annual meeting, we take the top three of that year’s applicants and celebrate them a little bit further,” Matrazzo said. The foundation contacted Mason to invite her to the meeting last month, at Bok Tower Gardens, in Lake Wales. Mason didn’t know she was about to receive the title for having the No. 1 wildflower garden in Florida. “I was really surprised and
NEWSBRIEFS + Financial adviser arrested in fraud case Plant City financial adviser and insurance agent Paula Kampf Albertson was arrested on charges of stealing $200,000 in insurance claims from her clients. The announcement of the arrest came from Operation S.A.F.E. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, after an investigation by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Fraud revealed Albertson exploited her elderly clients by making Albertson’s own family the beneficiaries of her clients’ insurance benefits. “Fraud of any kind is intolerable, but it is especially repugnant when it involves taking advantage of the trust of Florida seniors,” Atwater said. “I applaud our investigators efforts to bring this woman to justice.” In May 2011, Albertson changed the home address on a dying client’s annuity policy to her own home address. Shortly after, she ordered a change of beneficiary form that named her husband and stepson, both licensed insurance agents with the Albertson Financial Group,
as beneficiary and contingent beneficiary. Within weeks, the client died. After filing a deathbenefits claim, Albertson’s husband fraudulently collected more than $150,000. To circumnavigate a Florida law prohibiting agents from being named beneficiaries on a client’s policy, Albertson lied, saying her husband and stepson were the client’s cousin and nephew. One year later, another of Albertson’s clients was contacted by her insurance company regarding a nearly $50,000 cash surrender on her annuity account. In a sworn statement, the client indicated she had not requested the payout and that the signature on the resulting check was not her own. An investigation revealed that Albertson again changed her client’s home address to collect and fraudulently endorsed the check over to her company for personal gain. Since then, at least three additional victims have been identified, but the loss dates are beyond the statute of limitations. To expedite professional licensure revocation processes, Albertson has agreed to a guilty
thrilled,” Mason said. “It was an honor to be recognized.” Mason began gardening about 20 years ago, when she and her husband, Greg, lived in New Tampa. She started with a few butterfly host plants, but horticulture began to take over her yard. About seven years ago, the couple moved to Plant City to get away from the congestion and construction. “When we moved out here, it was like a clean palette,” Mason said. “I could do what I wanted (with the garden).” Of the Masons’ eight acres, about two are dedicated to gardening. Mason’s advice for other gardeners is to research and plant natives, and combat the loss of habitat in their locality. “They require less water, I don’t have to cover them in the winter and they provide for our native bugs, birds and other critters,” Mason said. A love for plants and gardening deeply permeates Mason’s life. She is a member of the Plant City Garden Club, and was selected as member of the year last year. She has also completed the Florida Master Naturalist Program, which was one way she became passionate about native plants. Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
plea of insurance fraud entailing a minimum 21-month prison sentence, immediate license termination and a prohibition on the acceptance of profits from any practice of insurance. Florida seniors seeking information and help to protect themselves from fraud can visit myfloridacfo.com/ Safe. Operation S.A.F.E. is a multi-division outreach initiative led by Atwater and the Florida Department of Financial Services designed to stop adult financial exploitation by protecting Florida’s seniors from financial fraud and scams through education. Comprehensive scam and fraud prevention workshops are being held across the state to inform seniors on the many tactics scam artists use to steal their hard-earned money.
+ Corrections In “Plant City recruiting officers,” published in the Sept. 26 edition, retired officers are eligible for 75% of their pay. In “Wonder Women: Ruby Jean Redman,” published in the Sept. 26 edition, we incorrectly reported that Redman was a board member at Florida Southern Baptist Hospital. The correct name is South Florida Baptist Hospital. We regret the errors.
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FAITH by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Outreach a focus for Springhead’s new pastor Patrick Elmore came to Springhead United Methodist Church in July, and his goal is that the church would stretch and meet the community’s practical needs. From New York to California and North Carolina to Pennsylvania, Patrick Elmore has ministered all over the country. But, since he landed in Plant City just two months ago as Springhead United Methodist Church’s new pastor, he has developed some big plans for the small, but growing, congregation. Elmore attended Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. His work has required him to travel all around the United States. In 2001, he and his wife were living in Manhattan. “You could see the Twin Towers from our apartment,” Elmore said. His wife was at the World Trade Center when the 9/11 attacks occurred. She got out of the building safely but did not feel comfortable in New York City after that. The couple had a getaway home in Florida, and in 2002, they decided to move permanently to the Sunshine State. Elmore ministered in Crystal River and Arcadia before moving to Plant City to begin his position at Springhead July 1. Elmore has not wasted any time since he transitioned into
Catherine Sinclair
Patrick Elmore said in order for the church to become the center of the community, it should never be closed. the new job. He got straight to work, forming goals for the church and its congregation. The church building is 75 years old, and Elmore hopes to revitalize it. He said even small updates, such as signage, can make a big difference, and making the entire building handicap-accessible is critical. But, Elmore’s biggest focus is on the people of the church and their neighbors. “I’m big on community service,” he said. “I’m obsessed with it, almost.
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“I believe that the church should not be closed. The church should not open on Sunday at 9:45 for Sunday school, close at 1, and not reopen again until Wednesday for Bible study or choir practice. The church, in my view, should be the center of the community.” For the church to become the center of the community, Elmore said should meet the needs of the people, or be able to direct them to another place that can do so.
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“No preacher should ever say to someone who comes to him for help, ‘I can’t help you,’ and end it right there,” Elmore said. “He should be able to say, ‘I can’t help you, but I know where you can get some help.’” Springhead directly distributes emergency food to those who need it, but Elmore said it is important for the church to be able to point people to a resource where they can get food on a regular basis. Members of the church have discussed offering computer-literacy classes, but Elmore wants to take it a step further and teach computer-repair techniques, which might help adults settle into related jobs. Under Elmore’s leadership, the church also will offer classes for ESL and ESOL, GED and possibly United States citizenship. And, he said, Spanish classes for English speakers cannot be overlooked. “I cannot expect to find you sitting in a pew on Sunday, waiting to hear what I have to say about ‘Thus says the Lord,’ if you’re hungry, you have no place to sleep tonight, you don’t have clean clothes to wear, you don’t have a job to go to, or you don’t speak the language that
CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Fridays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City. The Plant City Times & Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A. If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.
I’m speaking,” Elmore said. In addition to being able to serve people from a variety of backgrounds, Elmore wants to prepare the church to serve people of a variety of ages. Most of the congregation is elderly, but church leaders are working on developing programs for youth and young families. “We have childcare rooms, so what does that say? It says to me that those rooms need to be full,” Elmore said. Bible studies with different themes will move Springhead toward this diverse ideal. Every Thursday, a group meets to discuss the importance of different women in the Bible. Another Bible study focuses on “time travel,” helping group members understand what it would be like to live in the times and places of the Bible. “We’re presenting it in a way that will, hopefully, get people’s interest, captivate them. Something they can enjoy and take back to somebody else,” Elmore said. Elmore is not only a full-time pastor, but also he is also a journalist and photographer. “Photography has been a hobby forever,” he said. “I was probably in my late teens when I developed an interest in taking pictures.” At one time, he went on a trip to numerous cities to search
FALL EVENTS AT SPRINGHEAD UMC Oct. 5: Blessing of the animals, for the feast day of St. Francis Oct. 12: 75th-anniversary celebration Nov. 22: Concert by Beyond the Ashes, a contemporary Christian music group Nov. 30: Back to Church Sunday: an annual, national event that Elmore hopes to instate locally every fifth Sunday of the month. for interesting church signs to photograph. While Elmore was working at a college in Pennsylvania, a local publication invited him to write a weekly column, which sparked his interest in journalistic writing. He writes for The Arcadian, manages a blog called “The Patrick Report” and almost never leaves home without his camera and press pass. To get Springhead pointed in the direction he would like, Elmore knows he can’t rely on solely his own strengths. “The thing that has been so exciting about coming here has been the people that I’ve found in this church,” he said. “They are so motivated and they want to do whatever it takes to realize the dream of this utopia that I’m talking about.” Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
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General Manager/Executive Editor / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com General Manager/Advertising / Stacey Hudson, shudson@tampabay.com Managing Editor / Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, jeng@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writers / Justin Kline, jkline@PlantCityObserver.com; Catherine Sinclair, csinclair@PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, vprostko@PlantCityObserver.com; Joanna Verga, jverga@tampabay.com Circulation/Office Manager / Linda Lancaster, llancaster@PlantCityObserver.com
“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” — Friedrich Hayek, “Road to Serfdom,” 1944
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DURANT
Dallas Cline
Kira Salisbury
Amanda Winner was crowned the 2015 Durant Cover Girl.
Bailey Miller
WINNERS
January: Payton Astin February: Chloie Pope March: Vanessa Braico April: Kenlee Andreu May: Alissa Baker June: Kira Salisbury July: Autumn Smith August: Jillian Oddo September: Haley Riley October: Trenisse Cox November: Krystal Glenn December: Katelyn Cook Cover Girl: Amanda Winner Krystal Glenn
Payton Astin
Photos by Amber Jurgensen
CAMERA READY Dazzling smiles and equally dazzling gowns took the spotlight on stages at Plant City, Durant and Strawberry Crest high schools for the 2015 Calendar Girl pageants. All three pageants took place Saturday, Sept. 27.
PLANT CITY
Plant City’s 2015 Calendar Girls line the stage. Samantha Sun was crowned 2015 Cover Girl.
Photos by Justin Kline
WINNERS
Deanna Rodriguez
Amaiah Williamson
Jaclyn Rust
Gabriela Espaillat
Brittany Blount
January: Michelle Daubach February: Kaitlynne Fincher March: Kendale Sellers April: Kendra Allen May: Deanna Rodriguez June: Taylor Williams July: Brittany Blount August: Abby Miller September: Holly Shuff October: Calaydria Callins November: Taylor Michael December: Amaiah Williamson Cover Girl: Samantha Sun
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Morgan Gaudens and Rachelle Sapp
STRAWBERRY CREST WINNERS January: Rachelle Sapp February: Angelina Conde March: Morgan Gaudens April: Marybeth Stewart May: Georgia Foster June: Danielle Grimes July: Halima Anderson August: Karla Zuluaga September: Nicole Calescibetta October: Meredith Del Castillo November: Julia Strickland December: Tonia Silver Cover Girl: Savannah Olsen
Marybeth Stewart, named Miss April at SCHS, said her advice for a child would be to trust his or her parents’ guidance. Savannah Olsen was crowned Cover Girl at SCHS.
Julia Strickland was named Miss November at SCHS.
Angelina Conde was named Miss February at SCHS.
Halima Anderson and Nicole Calescibetta
Photos by Catherine Sinclair
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pounding the pavement by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
CDC spearheads neighborhood revitalization The Community Development Corporation is working on a plan to determine the needs of four neighborhoods surrounding the Midtown district. Every Friday morning, students from Plant City’s Hillsborough Community College campus are pounding the pavement, hitting four blight-ridden neighborhoods surrounding the Midtown district near downtown. Badge identify them as being with the Community Development Corporation. They drive their own personal cars and snap pictures of dilapidated properties. A few loiterers take notice, wondering what these strangers are doing on their streets. What they’re doing is trying to help. The group is working on the CDC’s behalf by conducting surveys and creating a data-
THE TEAM
Ernest Barefield Christine Molinowski Greg Loredo Carlos Velez Alisha Perella base of out-of-code and vacant properties and empty lots for the Midtown Neighborhood Revitalization Project. The project will be used to collaborate with the city and property owners on how to better the four areas: Gilchrist, Lincoln Park, Madison and Historic District. “The viability of Downtown and Midtown is at least as de-
pendent on the sustainability of the neighborhood, home ownership and the income of those who live in areas who can walk downtown and interact commercially,” said Ernest Barefield, CDC executive director. “They also dictate what should be downtown.” Barefield has been involved with the CDC since its inception in 2005. The CDC partners with the City of Plant City and the Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Department to develop and construct homes in Plant City and help people become homeowners through assistance and selfhelp programs. After assisting 23 low- to
moderate-income families get into homes and constructing 10 homes near Laura Street and on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Maryland Avenue, Barefield turned his attention to another focus. He put together a team of students from HCC to help him find out what the needs of the four neighborhoods are and create a database of properties that need help. They started last fall with surveys in Gilchrist. Now, they are completing one in Lincoln Park. The next survey will be in Madison, followed by the Historic District. “(The neighborhoods) simply need to know and be supported in particular programs,” Barefield said. “That’s what we’re here for. Also, to let the city know people are here and what their needs are.” Some of the dysfunction the group has seen in the neighborhoods is a lack of organization, safety, joblessness, homelessness, drug abuse and a lack of returning educated professionals. Many of these reasons can be linked to the youth. There are limited number of place for kids or young adults to congregate within town.
Christine Molinowski has spearheaded surveying, learning first-hand about residents’ concerns. “We’re trying to figure out how to make (Midtown) functional for young people,” Molinowski said. “It will be a new area with new jobs that these kids can walk to … it just flows right along.” The group hopes to have the neighborhood surveys completed by the end of this fall so they can start working on the technical side of the database. “All of us working on the project have a great passion for the community,” Molinowski said. “We want to bring people back here and show it’s a great place to do business, it’s a great place to live, it’s a great place to raise families.” But, the CDC and student assistants can’t do it by themselves. “The neighborhoods can only be helped if the neighborhood asks,” Molinowski said. “They need to come together as a unit.” Barefield shares the same sentiment and believes with a little assistance and organization, the areas can enact change. “People can understand things can come together around them and they need to commit to it,” Barefield said. Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.
LOVING THY NEIGHBOR Troy McDowell was living with his aunt in Tampa and making the long commute to Plant City every day to work at K’nat’s Barber Shop. It was at the South Evers business that he met CDC Executive Director Ernest Barefield. Barefield told him about the CDC’s self-help homeownership program. “I just always wanted to be a homeowner,” McDowell said. “I thought the program fit my lifestyle.” So, McDowell took up Barefield’s offer to complete the program and get his first set of keys — ones that would belong to him. The process wasn’t easy. McDowell was scheduled to move into one of the homes on Laura Street. They were being built at the time McDowell was going through the program. As part
of it, McDowell and other aspiring homeowners would go in after the contractors and clean up the worksite. They called it “sweat equity hours.” “(What I learned) was to persevere,” McDowell said. “It took some time. Not everything went as planned. But not one of us got distracted. We kept going.” After 18 months, McDowell finally got those set of keys for his one-story, threebedroom, two-bath home. He moved in fall 2007. “It was a great feeling,” McDowell said. “It took a long time coming to get to that point. Turning that lock was awesome. I got the key. “All the people that took time out and giving their time to help everyone — Mr. Barefield and city officials — thank you,” he said.
NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS The Community Development Corporation is focusing on four different neighborhoods surrounding the Midtown district.
AREA ONE: GILCHRIST
Gilchrist is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Plant City. Situated adjacent to the college, it exists within specific boarders: south of Interstate 4; north of Baker Street; wast of Park Road; east of Wheeler Street. It features a core group of neighbors who are aging. Organization could be a problem facing the aging population. Regardless, new homes are still being built.
AREA TWO: LINCOLN PARK
Lincoln Park exists within specific boarders: south of Baker Street; north of Alsobrook Street; west of Park Road; east of State Road 39. It’s shining gem is a park. But it is underutilized by the neighborhood. It is used by outside sports teams. Barefield said this might cause some resentment within the community. Lincoln Park also experiences its fair share of violence and crime.
AREA THREE: MADISON
Madison exists within specific boarders: south of Baker Street; north of Alsobrook Street; west of State Road 39; east of Alexander Street. It is similar to Lincoln Park in many regards. But it doesn’t have as much development as Lincoln Park. An influx of people and new construction is also occurring just outside of Madison, near Grant Street.
AREA FOUR: HISTORIC DISTRICT
The Historic District exists within specific boarders: south of Interstate 4; north of Baker Street; west of Collins Street; east of Alexander Street. Many have come into the area to renovate already existing homes. Barefield said some younger couples, however, feel there isn’t enough support from the community or the city to sustain a growing family after initial attraction.
PAGING ALL BOOKWORMS by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Friends of the Library kicks off membership drive Funds raised through memberships are used to host book sales, meetings and other events. Friends of the Library wants to add you into its membership book. The non-profit organization has started a drive to boost memberships for the coming year. The money from membership will go to help fund programs at the popular Bruton Memorial Library. The library is frequented by more than 40,000 cardholders. Plant City has a population of only about 35,000. “You know what that means — like many of our city services like parks and rec — people are coming from all over East County,” Felix Haynes said. Haynes is special assistant to the city manager for library operations and president of Friends of the Library. The membership year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 and can be joined for as little as $5. The highest membership category is benefactor at $1,000. Memberships are accepted after Oct. 1, as well.
Membership benefits many programs at the library. The annual budget is $30,000. Last year, membership fees were used to conduct three book sales, revive a long-term mystery dinner theater, hold membership-wide meetings with special guest speakers on local and Florida history, and publish four newsletters. $8,831 were used to support library enhancements, programs and staff training. The group also oversees the maintenance of some equipment, such as the copy machine and the aquarium. “The kids like (the a q u a r i u m ) , ” H a y n e s said. “I’ve seen them surrounding it. They get mesmerized.” Goals for the 2014-15 year include drafting a memorandum for the library board and the Friends organization to clarify
FAST FACTS Registered borrowers: 48,073 Circulation: 365,253 Holds placed: 41,609 Library visits: 251,003 Source: 2013 Annual Report
To become part of Friends of the Library or to volunteer contact Felix Haynes at (813) 441-4451 or email to sufehaynes@hotmail. com or Friends membership chairs, Jim and Sandy Black, at (813) 416-2721 or email to shqb@aol.com.
roles, strengthening membership outreach efforts and strengthening ties to other Friends organizations in the area, among other aims. In addition to new members, the group is looking for volunteers. Different areas to volunteer range from working with the adult, teen or children’s programs, library tasks and hospitality. “The Bruton Memorial Library is a great thing,” Haynes said. “And we exist to support it.” Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
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FAMILY AFFAIR by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
shimmering in style by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Smiles sparkle at annual Diamonds and Denim Gala
Between them, students Sasriya Parsi and Aarushi Pant had a whole crew of visitors for breakfast.
Grandparents break bread with Lincoln students Students at Lincoln Elementary Magnet School enjoyed breakfast at school with their grandparents Sept. 15 and 16. Other family members were also able to visit. Breakfast was served from 8 a.m. until the first class bell rang at 9 a.m.
Plant City residents enjoyed an elegantly casual evening at the 2014 Diamonds and Denim Gala, held Sept. 25, at the Expo Hall at the Florida Strawberry Festival. The gala featured live entertainment, plenty of food and drinks and a silent auction complete with a stunning diamond ring from Brown’s Jewelers. The annual event benefits the South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation.
The Florida Strawberry Festival Queen and Court sold raffle tickets.
With loved ones by their sides, students started the school day with smiles. Alann Figga and Eugena Gale
MAGNET PROGRAM
Left: Rockers Mike Franklin and Geri Blount were part of the evening’s entertainment.
Lincoln is a magnet school for international studies. Teaching methods draw from research on national and international programs, and structured inquiry is emphasized as a vehicle for developing global perspective. Second-language courses are available for students.
Paendora Wright and Danielle Patisaul ate breakfast with Zion Johnson, a Head Start pre-kindergarten student.
Pam Lopez and Sylvia Knox Right: Shytal and Sandy Easton manned the dessert table.
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OBSERVEROBITUARIES Bloneva Bentley
Bloneva Bentley, 75, of Plant City, died Sept. 20, 2014. Mrs. Bentley was a claims unit manager for more than 25 years. She is survived by her loving husband, James Bentley; daughters, Joanne Price, Elder Cheryl Rozie and Tracy Huff; stepchildren, James Bentley, Hilda Bentley, Sharon Bentley, Carolyn Hudson and Dennis Bentley; brother, John Wesley Allen; and 18 grandchildren. A service of celebration was held at Carter Tabernacle CME Church, Orlando. Interment was held at Bealsville Cemetery in Plant City. Postell’s Mortuary provided service for the Bentley family.
Francis Mary Boggan
Francis Mary Boggan, 77, died Sept. 25, 2014, at Melech Hospice House, in Temple Terrace. Mrs. Boggan was predeceased by her husband of 45 years, Francis Boggan. She is survived by sons, Francis J. Boggan (Susan), and Gregory J. Boggan (Kathy); daughter, Debra Mezen (Jeff); sister, Ethel Jockers; and seven grandchildren, Kevin, Ryan, Michelle, Kristen, Erin, Lauren and MaryKate. A funeral was held Sept. 29, at Wells Memorial and Event Center. The family received friends
at the funeral home Sept. 28. Interment was at Florida National Cemetery. Condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.
James W. Grossman
James W. Grossman, 86, died Sept. 26, 2014, with his family at his side, from Parkinson’s disease. Mr. Grossman was born Nov. 7, 1927, in Rocheport, Missouri. After high school, he joined the military, retiring with the rank of chief master sergeant after 23 years in the U.S. Air Force. He then settled with his family in Plant City, working until 1989 at the Brandon Post Office. Mr. Grossman was active in his community, serving as a charter member of the Springhead Volunteer Fire Department and a deacon at Medulla Baptist Church. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Janet Grossman; son, Ed Grossman; and daughter, Susan Keen, all of Lakeland. He is also survived by grandchildren, Ben, Amy and Andrea. A memorial service was held Sept. 30, at Heath Funeral Chapel in Lakeland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Mr. Grossman to the Florida Baptist Children’s Home.
Tommie Jean Lara
Tommie Jean Lara, 82, of South Daytona and formerly of Plant City, died Sept. 23, 2014. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Lara; and daughters, Karla Linker and Pamela Gail Crawford. She is survived by her children, Emily J. Ditzler (Robert), of Manheim, Pennsylvania, James Crawford, of South Daytona and Melonie K. Crawford, of Port Orange; and 10 grandchildren, 13 greatgrandchildren and eight greatgreat-grandchildren. A funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at Mt. Enon Primitive Baptist Church, 3702 N. Frontage Road, Plant City, where the family will receive friends beginning at 2 p.m. Private interment at Mt. Enon Cemetery. Condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
James Harold Moye
James Harold Moye, 74, of Mango, died Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014, at his home, under the care of LifePath Hospice. He was born in Plant City. He was a retired supervisor with the State of Florida Department of Transportation and the University of South Florida. He is survived by his wife, Alice Elaine Moye; children, Mary M. Lyda (Jerry), of Keller, Texas, Harold Douglas Moye, of Mango, and Sherry M. Davis, of
Alexander City, Alabama; siblings, Donald Moye (Sarah), of Inverness, Oralee Stanton, of St. Petersburg, and Faye Ramer (Leon), of Dade City; brothersin-law, Lewis Leverett, of Lake City, and Earl Wineberger, of Vonore, Tennessee; seven grandchildren; and six greatgrandchildren, with another on the way. A celebration of life was held Oct 1. Entombment at Hopewell Memorial Gardens. Condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
Carol Jean Raymond
Carol Jean Raymond, 86, of Plant City, died Sept. 18, 2014. She was born May 23, 1928, and raised in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. She and her husband, Ron, moved in 1973 to Florida and owned several mobile home parks in the area. They retired in 1988 and lived in Walden Lake. She is preceded in death by her husband, Ronald, after 62 years of marriage. She is survived by her sons, Randy (Cindy), of Valrico, and Timothy (Linda), of Chicago. She has five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was buried at Bushnell National Cemetery next to her beloved husband.
Alice Jean Schliemann
Alice Jean Schliemann, 88, of
Plant City, died Sept. 24, 2014, at Community Care Center in Plant City. Born Aug. 4, 1926, in Carson Lake, Minnesota, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Antonio Tomljanovich Spalj. She was the wife of the late Glen Schliemann. Surviving is daughter, Ann Schliemann, of Arlington, Massachusetts. Mrs. Schliemann was interred with her husband in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in St. Paul, Minnesota. Condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.
A.H. “Hank” Varnum
A.H. “Hank” Varnum, 76, of Lithia, died Sept. 30, 2014. He was the co-founder and former president of Central Maintenance and Welding, and a cattle rancher. He served on the Hillsboro Bank Board of Directors and as a trustee on several building trade boards. He was a 56-year member of Welcome Baptist Church, in Lithia. He was a booster for the University of Florida as a Bull Gator, Pinecrest Little League as past president, Turkey Creek Trojans, Lakeland Christian School and Durant High School. He loved his family and church and enjoyed activities with his grandchildren, singing in the choir and cooking cane syrup. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Pat Varnum; son, Conrad H. Varnum (Sherry), grandchildren, Zach, Charlotte, Emmylou, Henry and Isabel; son,
Scott M. Varnum (Katie); grandchildren, Mitchell, Claybo and Jessi Rae; brothers, Garland Varnum, Jerry Varnum, John A. Varnum, Charles Varnum and Warren Varnum; niece, Jeana Sistrunk (Allen); great-nephews, Kaleb and Ethan; greatniece, Morgan; and many other family and friends. The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Plant City’s First Baptist Church, 503 N. Palmer St., Plant City. A celebration of life will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. Interment to follow at Welcome Cemetery, Lithia. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Welcome Baptist Church Building Fund, 11308 Welcome Church St., Lithia, Florida 33547. Condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
Dr. S. Vijay
Dr. S. Vijay, 70, died Sept. 23, 2014, after a long illness. He was born in India and graduated from dental school in Mumbai, India, and Oslo, Norway. He practiced dentistry in Norway for 10 years before coming to Florida, where he practiced for another 23 years in Plant City before retiring. He is survived by his wife of 42 years; two sons; daughterin-law; and three grandchildren. Private services were held at Serenity Meadows Memorial Park, Funeral Home and Crematory, Riverview.
Sports
YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Luke Whitmore a standout for PCHS cross country. 14 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
SIDELINES Do you have a good sports scoop for us? Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
BASEBALL
+ Chargers shine in U. Tampa tourney Fall ball is in full swing now, and things have been looking good for the Strawberry Crest Chargers. Last week, they competed in the University of Tampa’s annual fall tournament and went undefeated. Although the Chargers didn’t get to play the third game of the tournament, thanks to Mother Nature’s meddling, conditions were good enough for them to beat Pinellas Park High School, 3-0, on Thursday, Sept. 25, and follow up with a 5-0 win over Jefferson on Saturday, Sept. 27. Crest’s staff, led by winning pitcher Brandon Harris, gave up just two hits to Pinellas Park, a team that boasted 10, .300 batters last season. Against Jefferson, freshman Damien Torres picked up the win. In the two games, Jeff Murray led the Chargers’ offense with two RBI and a double. Colin Allman had four hits and two runs scored, Mark Moclair scored one run on three hits and Harris got an RBI.
VOLLEYBALL
+ Area teams control district Volleyball’s regular season is coming to an end soon, with approximately four games left to play. And, just like last season, this year’s district is dominated by Plant City-area teams. Although Crest didn’t have such a strong outing in the Wharton Harvest Tournament, it’s since rebounded with a pair of wins at home — a 3-0 sweep of Tampa Bay Tech on Sept. 23, followed by a 3-1 win over Plant City on Sept. 30 that completed a season sweep. The Lady Chargers will now look to avoid a season sweep at the hands of Durant on the road Monday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. The Lady Raiders, meanwhile, are reeling after three straight losses. Two came against Bloomingdale and Newsome in last week’s Hillsborough Community College Lady Hawk Invitational, in which Plant City went 2-2, and then there was the Sept. 30 game against Strawberry Crest. They’re probably looking forward to Monday’s 7:30 p.m. home game against East Bay, which hasn’t won a game since Sept. 16. After that, the Lady Raiders will travel to Durant on Thursday, Sept. 9, to try and avoid another season sweep. This year hasn’t been as kind to the Lady Cougars as last year’s impeccable run was, but that’s not to say that Durant’s been playing badly. It may have racked up more losses in the first week of September than it did all of last season, but beating Strawberry Crest and Plant City next week would guarantee another district crown. The Cougars picked up three straight 2-0 tournament wins over George Jenkins, St. Petersburg and Lakeland last week and will benefit from a strong home crowd.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014
game of the week by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Durant, Strawberry Crest to renew rivalry Durant and Strawberry Crest couldn’t be having more different seasons right now, but everything goes out the window for district play. The past two weeks certainly have been a turnaround for both the Durant Cougars and the Strawberry Crest Chargers, who will face each other in Dover Oct. 3. Perhaps the most luck has been with the Chargers, who were not badly beaten last Friday, but that likely won’t matter this evening. When the chips for the playoffs are laid out on the table, there’s no way to know what two teams will show up in a
district matchup. It is, however, worth going back and examining the teams’ most recent games, because they can at least turn up some blueprints.
DURANT
If the Sickles game was one for the Cougars (3-2; 1-0 district) to remember, then last Friday’s game was one to forget. Riding high with a 3-1 record,
Durant walked into Gaither (3-2; 0-1 district) with high expectations, despite a few players seeing limited or no action because of injuries. Crispian Atkins, who had bruised his quadriceps in a practice, didn’t enter the game until later in the first quarter. And quarterback Erick Davis, who has been playing through a nagging ankle injury for the past
SEE GAME / PAGE 14
Photos by Justin Kline
Strawberry Crest’s Clay Cullins and Durant’s Erick Davis have played crucial roles for their teams in 2014.
hockey by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
GOAL-ORIENTED Clint Walden’s dream is to become a professional hockey player. He’s so committed that he’s spending the next six months playing in New Jersey. It all started before Clint Walden was even born, with a couple of hockey tickets. More than 17 years ago, Carney and Terry Walden decided to go watch a Tampa Bay Lightning game in person because, well, why not? The next thing they knew, they were hooked. And, it didn’t take long for their two young sons to catch the bug. Now, Carney and Clint are about to go on hockey exodus — a six-month trip to New Jersey, where Clint will play for a local U18 team in hopes of getting noticed. “There’s been a bunch of guys coming out of New Jersey, lately, that have gotten drafted to the NHL,” Carney Walden says. “That’s where scouts are, is up in the Northeast. You’ve got to go to where it’s at.” It’s a big commitment, especially for a high school senior and his father, to take on. But, no one in the family can say they didn’t see this coming.
BUILDING UP TO THIS David Walden was the first of the brothers to go to a Lightning game with their parents, and that was what initially piqued Clint’s interest. “After the first game my brother went to, he told them he wanted to play hockey,”
Clint says. “Naturally, I just wanted to play hockey, too.” At 4 years old, Clint started learning the game and playing in youth leagues at the Brandon Ice Sports Forum. He started out on the wings, but, after moving from Mites to Squirts, he was switched to center, where he’s now most comfortable. A huge fan of Martin St. Louis, Clint has tried to incorporate much of the former Lightning great’s playing style into his own. As a high school freshman at Durant, an opportunity arose: players from Durant, Plant City and Strawberry Crest were coming together to form a club team, and Clint got in on the action. “We got a Durant team together, because most of the kids went to Durant,” he says. After two seasons, the team had no choice but to disband because of Clint Walden, now a forward with the North Jersey Avalanche, previously played for Durant High School’s team.
a lack of players. Whoever was left went into a pool, and most ended up joining other schools’ club teams. Clint ended up playing for Wiregrass Ranch High School’s club team, which made the playoffs last year. Wiregrass plays in the Lightning Conference of the Florida High School Hockey Association, and Clint had a great season. He led the conference with 61 points and 51 goals. Even though he’s leaving for New Jersey soon, Clint still likes to suit up and play with Wiregrass when he can. “Clint’s a good hockey player,” Wiregrass Ranch coach Gordie Zimmer-
SEE WALDEN / PAGE 14
CLIMBING THE RANKS
The North Jersey Avalanche is an organization based in Hackensack, New Jersey, and fields the U18 team for which Clint Walden plays. It’s teams like this that often serve as springboards for hockey players to move up. “After I’m finished with U18 hockey, I want to play one or two years of junior hockey, do some community college classes and then move on to a college,” Clint says. “Colleges don’t want you until you’re 20, 21 years old. They want you to be mature.” That’s not unusual. Colleges often do much of their scouting in the juniors, preferring to pick up seasoned players — in contrast to sports like baseball, for which colleges scout high schools more often. Hockey’s infrastructure is similar to that of baseball but also shares some traits with soccer. Many pro teams have their own junior squads, for example, and for Clint to play on a junior affiliate would not be unlike what Omar Castro is currently doing with Eintracht Braunschweig.
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
Youth hockey on the rise in Florida As you’ll read, or have already read, in this week’s feature about Clint Walden, hockey is a pretty big deal in the North. That’s why Walden and others like him are migrating up to play the greatest game on ice — there’s a better chance to be noticed, leading to a better chance to make it into the pros. However, we don’t need to look at that and infer that Florida is some kind of hockey wasteland, a place where you’d spot a unicorn in the stands before you’d ever see a D-1 scout taking notes. In fact, the sport is gaining momentum down here, and all you have to do to see this for yourself is look more closely. JUSTIN Yes, Florida. KLINE The hotbed of football talent just so happens to have two NHL teams, more in the minors and the fourth-largest USA Hockey membership base in the country. “Florida’s really growing,” area hockey coach Gordie Zimmermann says.” A lot of kids have gone up north thinking they had to go up north to be noticed, but there’s junior hockey, now, in the state, and these teams play teams from up north.” Zimmermann would know. In addition to his duties as the coach of Wiregrass Ranch High School’s team, he was also instrumental in the development of the Brandon Ice Sports Forum — home to many of the area’s youth and high school hockey teams, as well as Tampa Bay Lightning practices. Having coached in Florida since the Forum’s inception in 1997, Zimmermann has seen the sport come a long way. “There were only eight ice sheets in the state,” he says. “Now, there are 17 facilities with multiple sheets. A couple of three-plexes, a lot of duplexes and some single-sheets out there. There are 34 sheets of ice in the state now.” He’s also the face of Z Mitch LLC, a development company hoping to bring a four-sheet
SEE KLINE / PAGE 14
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP KLINE / PAGE 13 complex to Wesley Chapel by next fall. If everything goes as planned in the permitting process, Zimmermann hopes the potentially-named Cypress Creek Ice and Sport Facility will help expand the Central Florida hockey scene. “I have a situation now where it’s difficult for teams to get ice time, for teams to practice properly,” he says. “There’s not enough ice availability. That’s why we’re developing a new facility.” Currently, there are four major facilities around this area that cater to hockey players, located in Brandon, Clearwater, Oldsmar and Bradenton. It’s not quite as populated as anywhere in Minnesota, where there’s practically a rink on every fourth or fifth street block, but it’s something. Of course, as more youths become interested in playing
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here, more scouts want to check out this talent pool. “There are quite a few scouts that come here,” Zimmermann says. “Hockey’s a small world and, when someone’s doing well people hear about it quickly.” Here’s one example: the Tampa Elite U16 team (on which Walden played last year) recently competed in a Tier 1 AAA showcase in hockey-friendly Wisconsin, placing second out of 12 teams. If anything’s going to show scouts that there are some kids down south who can play, it’s having the kids show their stuff outside of the state. So, why are these kids still traveling up north to get noticed? Simply put, Florida isn’t quite ready to be a hockey hotbed yet. Compared to the sport’s deep roots in New Jersey, New York, Minnesota and other states, hockey culture in the Sunshine
State was pretty much born yesterday. Barring a major supernatural event, I don’t think it will ever come close to football in popularity. The Florida Panthers have historically struggled to sell tickets and stay relevant, and the Lightning — a team with one more Stanley Cup than my Buffalo Sabres — don’t have anywhere near the amount of visible fan support around the area as the lowly Bucs and Rays do. The same Tampa Bay Lightning team that, by many accounts, are the Eastern favorites (including mine) to make the Stanley Cup Finals this season. Still, with the amount of support that hockey does have with the younger crowd down here, I think it’s only a matter of time before we really see hockey grab its share of the Florida sunshine’s spotlight. If you’re not convinced, then go see some games for yourself.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
LUKE WHITMORE Plant City’s cross country team has had its fair share of great runners come through the program in recent years, and sophomore Luke Whitmore already is becoming a standout. This season, he’s already recorded several top-10 finishes and set a new personal record of 16:29. At Saturday’s Mitchell Invitational, he finished ninth overall with a time of 17:05. When did you first start running? I first started running before my freshman year, practicing during the summer. I started running here my freshman year. What made you want to take up cross-country running? Actually, my sister (Hannah) was a runner, and it was her senior year, so I wanted to start running with her. Do you play any other sports? I did play football at first, but then I got into running, and I liked it better. And, I was better at it. You did pretty well last year. What are your goals for this year? To make state and to get the whole team to states. What’s been your favorite meet so far? I would have to say Lecanto. I think it was kind of cool, because of all the hills. It was harder, but it made all of the other races seem easier. What do you like to do for fun? I like to hang out with my friends, go to church and hang out with my friends there. I play Frisbee every Sunday — Ultimate Frisbee. We play over at the strawberry fields. We get about 20 to 30 people out there every week. It’s pretty fun. How’s school going? Pretty good. It definitely takes some work, doing both (school and
cross country). My strongest subject is math, and my weakest: English. What are your favorite movies? There’s so many. If I had to choose one, I would say the “Lord of the Rings.” The second one. Did you ever read the books? No. What about TV? I like “The Cosby Show” a lot. Love that show. Are you a gamer? No. Video gaming has not really been my thing lately. I used to like them a lot, but I don’t play video games at all anymore. If you could be either rich or famous, what would it be? Probably rich. Fame kind of takes over your whole personality and how you think about things. If you’re rich, you can control your personality, I think, to a certain extent. You can have the money, but you could also be humble at the same time. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I would want to be invisible. You could get into different things without having to pass into, like, a stadium or something. If you could have lunch with anybody, and have a conversation with him or her, who would it be and what would you talk about? It would have to be my favorite Christian rapper, LeCrae. I would like to talk to him about his faith and his Christian journey and what it’s been like.
big fish, small pond by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
WINNERS OVERALL First Catfish: Trey Wolfe (2.6 pounds) First Bass: Luis Matujano (1.6 pounds) 5- TO 10YEAR-OLDS Most Fish: Bryson Hamilton (14) Biggest Fish by Weight: Aryana Brown (Catfish, 2.0 pounds)
Aryana Brown, Bryson Hamilton, Luis Mantujano, Cameron Jenkins, Trey Wolfe (with some help from Tim Forbes) and Christie Smith went home with trophies and rewards.
Young anglers cast lines in fishing derby Storm clouds hung around this year’s Youth Fishing Derby but, thankfully, didn’t bring the rain until after it ended. Fifty-five young anglers made it pour with their A-
GAME / PAGE 13 two weeks, was held out of the game to speed up his recovery. Those two don’t decide the fate of all three units, though, and the team as a whole played a sloppy game en route to a 23-7 loss. “We learned that we need to be fundamentally sound, and we weren’t,” head coach Mike Gottman said. “We made too many mistakes on the interior line, defensively. Offensive line-wise, we had some crucial holding penalties. We just didn’t play real well.” Although the secondary did a fine job containing the passing game (allowing one completion for 12 yards), the Cougars were completely unable to stop the run. Eight Cowboys combined for 309 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, despite not having a single running back eclipse 81 yards. It was an uncharacteristically bad game for a typically dominant Durant defense, but this game also shined a new light on the Durant offense. It looks as though it’s now clear just how heavily that unit needs Davis to work, given that Gaither’s defense has struggled in three of its five games played. Davis currently leads the team with 335 rushing yards and five touchdowns, averaging 111.7 yards per game in that area. Throwing the ball, he’s 10-for-15 with two scores and no picks. Davis had tweaked his ankle against Tampa Bay Tech but still played against Plant City in the rain, with a swollen ligament. After sitting this week out, he’s feeling good and feeling anxious to get out there. “It was very hard, but I understood that they needed to rest me for this game,” Davis says. “I’m looking forward to beating (Crest). They beat us in the spring game, and I want my revenge.”
STRAWBERRY CREST
Revenge might not come so easy against the Chargers (1-4; 1-0 district), who have somehow managed to play better than every other team in the area — besides one quarter of good Raider football — in the pouring rain of the last two weeks. “I definitely think we’re starting to rally more as a team, both offensively and defensively,” senior wideout Clay
WALDEN / PAGE 13 mann says. “He still plays on our team, when he’s in town.” This being Florida, though, it’s not always easy to get noticed by college and junior scouts. It was definitely a season for Clint to be proud of, but the senior knew that he wanted to take his love for the game as far as he could go — even if it meant going up north.
LONG TIME COMING
“For, probably the last six years, we’ve been sort of planning this,” Carney says. “I mean, if it happened, it happened.” This year, it finally happened. An opportunity for Clint to play on a high-level U18 team, the North Jersey
game at the pond behind the Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex. There was even a tie in the “Biggest Fish” category, with two kids catching a 2.4-pound catfish.
MATCHUPS PLANT CITY Plant City has had a worse two weeks than Crest and Durant, dropping both games in that span. But, last week’s game against Bloomingdale wasn’t anywhere near as close as the final score suggests. Also troubling is the fact that, of the Class 7A District 8 teams that have played in district matchups, the Raiders (1-2-1; 0-1 district) are at the bottom of the standings. For a team loaded with athletic talent, however raw it may be, it’s disappointing to the players and the coaching staff. Tonight, they will host East Bay, a team seeking a win in its first district game of the season, and one that has so far been a textbook example of Cullins says. “As a whole unit, we’re coming together and starting to click.” Maybe it’s a little odd that it took wet weather for this to happen, given that the Chargers are a team built to rely much more on the passing game than the ground game. But, as is the case with the wet weather, every team is forced to run the ball a lot more when it’s too wet to throw. And, no, the receivers don’t mind taking a backseat to the running backs. “I know, for me, all I care about is winning,” Cullins says. “As long as the offense is
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS All games begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted:
OCT. 3 Durant at Strawberry Crest, 4691 Gallagher Road, Dover East Bay at Plant City, 1 Raider Place, Plant City
OCT. 10 Newsome at Durant, 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City Plant City at Tampa Bay Tech, 6410 Orient Road, Tampa Strawberry Crest at Riverview, 11311 Boyette Road, Riverview
Avalanche, arose, and Carney was willing to help Clint make it happen. So, the two recently began making trips to New Jersey to begin settling in. They got an apartment in Saddle Brook, near Hackensack, about 10 minutes from Clint’s rink. And, to make sure that Clint finishes his high school education, he’s enrolled in Florida Virtual School for his senior year. Or, at least six months of it. In March, when the season ends, the Waldens will return to Plant City and Clint hopes to come back to Durant and finish where he started — walking across the stage with his friends. Six months without seeing them, besides at Christmas, is a long time. “The hardest part will be not being able to see the friends
11- TO 15YEAR-OLDS Most Fish: Trey Wolfe (10) Biggest Fish by Weight: Tie between Cameron Jenkins and Christie Smith (Catfish, 2.4 pounds)
that old sports term, “playing to the level of your competition.” The Indians (3-2; 0-0 district) just picked up a 14-7 win over Wharton at home, but has also lost to Lennard (28-7) at home and Spoto (13-12) on the road — two teams that combined for a 4-17 record last season, with three of those wins coming from Spoto. East Bay couldn’t stop the run to save its life in its two losses, giving up 157 yards and three touchdowns to Lennard and 322 with two touchdowns to Spoto. Its biggest margin of victory came last week, with a seven-point win, and it stands to reason that the Indians will probably keep things close with the Raiders. Fortunately for Plant City, this one has all the makings of a Markese Hargrove highlight reel waiting to happen. succeeding, and we do what we need to do, it really doesn’t matter who’s getting the touchdowns now.” In the Brandon game, a 9-6 win on the road, Crest gained 165 yards on the ground, led by Arjay Smith’s 168 (Chase Blackmon was tackled twice for a total loss of six yards) and one touchdown. Tristan Hyde completed two of his four passes, one to Blackmon and one to Cullins, for 26 yards. Last week, despite running the ball more than throwing it, Crest’s passing game worked better than usual, as the team combined for 109 yards. Their touchdown, however, came when junior linebacker Dennis Mitchell scooped up a Freedom (4-1; 1-0 district) fumble and took it 84 yards to the house. But, a loss is still a loss, and it’s something that Crest and head coach John Kelly want to improve on sooner than later. They know that Durant will be a tough test despite that loss and are hoping to put together a more complete game to catch a big win at home. “You’re not gonna negate their run completely, because that’s philosophically what they do,” Kelly says. “Trying to limit some of the things they do well, that’s going to be key — defensively. Offensively, for us, trying to execute more so than we have in the past couple of weeks.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
I’ve made down here throughout the years,” Clint says. Terry plans to fly from Florida to New Jersey to catch some of Clint’s games, but, for the most part, it will just be Carney and Clint living together. Don’t feel bad for them, though. They’re still going to be surrounded by their family. “Hockey is like a big family,” Carney says. “The team is like a big family. ... His coach, when he was really young, told me that I now have two families. I didn’t understand what he was meaning, and he says, ‘You have your family, but now you’ve got a hockey family.’ And, you probably spend more time with your hockey family than with your family.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
ª
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PLANT CITY
RAIN
(INCHES)
WEATHER
THURS.
Sept. 25
1.17
FRI.
TEMPERATURES
Sept. 26
3.30
SAT.
Fri., Oct. 3 Sat., Oct. 4 Sun., Oct. 5 Mon., Oct. 6 Tues., Oct. 7 Wed., Oct. 8 Thurs., Oct. 9
Sept. 27
1.15
SUN.
Sept. 28
0.20
MON.
Sept. 29
0.73
TUES.
Sept. 30
0.48
WED.
Oct. 1
0.16
SEPT.
TO DATE
11.87 (2013: 4.32)
YEAR
TO DATE 35.45 (2013: 35.28)
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
HIGH 89 82 79 84 78 84 85
SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES SUNRISE 7:22 a.m. 7:23 a.m. 7:23 a.m. 7:24 a.m. 7:24 a.m. 7:25 a.m. 7:25 a.m.
Fri., Oct. 3 Sat., Oct. 4 Sun., Oct. 5 Mon., Oct. 6 Tues., Oct. 7 Wed., Oct. 8 Thurs., Oct. 9
SUNSET 7:13 p.m. 7:12 p.m. 7:11 p.m. 7:10 p.m. 7:09 p.m. 7:08 p.m. 7:07 p.m.
LOW 74 59 56 65 64 65 66
MOON PHASES
Oct. 8
Oct. 15
OKRA SHIPPING POINT: ORLANDO SIZE 1/2 bushel ctns
LOW $12.35
HIGH $12.85
Oct. 23
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture Oct. 1
, 3&
Linda Hunter submitted this hilarious shot of Dorothy Kuettner, of Apollo Beach; Janet Ritchie, of Temple Terrace; and Randall Hunter, of Plant City, interacting with “A Little to the Right,” one of the Seward Johnson sculptures currently on display in Historic Downtown Plant City. The Plant City Times & Observer and Grimes Hardware have partnered to host the I Love Plant City Photo Contest. Winners will have their photo featured and receive a $15 gift certificate to Grimes Hardware’s Strawberry Town Cafe! To enter, email your photo, along with a caption, to Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver.com; subject line: I Love Plant City. Winners can pick up their prize at Grimes Hardware.
IN THE JOINT
By Carl Cranby | Edited by Timothy E. Parker ACROSS 1 “Nay” sayers 6 On a cruise 11 Racehorse hoof smoother 15 Good-sized lot 19 Singer Lewis 20 With ___ in sight 21 Bullets, for short 22 Woodland deity 23 Person preventing escapes 25 Inmates, slangily 27 Prima donna’s delight 28 Income’s opposite 29 Tended to the sauce 30 Furnishes with workers 32 Composition of some ladders 35 Stiff hairs or bristles 36 Diet successfully 39 Tony winner Bernadette 41 A famous Caesar 42 Number below the exclamation point 45 Formal command 46 Stooge Howard 47 Turkish leader 49 Loud brass instrument 51 Interlocking weave 52 Serving well 54 Shaggy Scandinavian rug 56 Part of the Tuscan Archipelago 57 Rowdy moppet 58 Novelist Kingsley 59 Increasingly painful 62 Dunderhead 63 Lao-tzu’s philosophy 64 Singular 65 Tien ___ (Asian range) 66 “Did that really happen?” 68 Pub quaff 70 Post-toast sound apt for this puzzle 71 Conclusion beginning
72 74 75 76 79 80 82 83 84 85 86 88 89 92 95 96 97 98 100 102 103 105 106 107 109 111 115 117 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126
Work with a wok Feels under the weather Knife part Snitch Vocal composition Baby toy Nature writer and environmentalist John “___ dreaming?” Opera highlight Hardly a beeline Roofing problems It’s smashed in a lab Ran amok en masse Hip-swiveling Hawaiian dance Pizzeria product ___-Roman wrestling Material for a toy soldier High-___ photos Writing utensil Inmate’s hope Gavel pounder’s demand These might be about nothing Mexican money unit Give new directions to Prolonged gaze Norman of golf Sentence structure? Certain member of an orchestra Symbol of thinness Istanbul native Express checkout units It precedes Febrero American automaker, once Eyelid affliction Determine if it’s gold, e.g. “Not a problem”
DOWN 1 High range? 2 Rebuilder of Rome
SUDOKU PACIFIC Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 24 26 31 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 46 48 50 52 53 55 58 60 61 62
Work up a sweat To such a degree ___ Tome and Principe (African nation) Cattle breed Extol Ocean’s hue Implant deeply Lengthen (with “to”) British rule in India Build up, as a fortune Strikes hard, biblically Suave or judicious Burning Word with “primary” and “day” Race car driver Ricky “Annie” couple? “It’s ___ of your business!” Bunch of sitcoms? Perform in a play Black-eyed ___ Joule fragment Pay by mail Plant-swelling problem Downsizing result? Composure Get smaller Reduced to nothingness One of the haves Send a thrill through Joey of New Kids on the Block Skipper’s assent “M*A*S*H” extra Pepe le Pew’s emotion Like old London streets Former Austrian prince Utilizing a parasail Relax and kick back Gretel’s brother Word with “tube” or “sanctum”
© 2013 Universal Uclick
67 69 70 72 73 75 77 78 81 87
Shield for Zeus or Athena Reward for Rover Greasy-spoon freebie Intelligent Shinto temple entrance WWW letters Exxon competitor Meerkat in “The Lion King” Cigarette’s end Apostolic messages
88 90 91 93 94 96 99 101 102 103 104
More than snooty Dashing actor Flynn Subtracts Grazing area Coupling conjunction Neon or oxygen Begin traveling Math groups Chick’s utterance Postgrad grillings Towel off again
106 107 108 110 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
Pedestrian, as text Authentic Wife of Geraint ___ mater Some whiskeys Saarinen, the son Really get Opp. of amateur ___ out (just manage) U.S. spy grp. Hawaiian garland
C RY P T O G R A M S 1 . Q F N S DV N Q O N N I G N O N M K DV Z X H W N X V J S K E Q F N E KO N I Q . X W K R N W L I H K Q H F S DV N Z X R N KO M N O I : “ L N G I G N N S Q F N W N X R N I X V M D ’ W W I S O J H N J S Q F N H K V N I .” 2 . N I N B Q D R Q N F Z L E H B X N Z S N B K - B O Q D R L F O Q N F H S S H A N AO K Q H A D D H F A H AC O T R I Y N B E . D H F T R I Y C N H BA : “ E R L KO O K I O Q S R B X ! ”
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