10.13.22 PLCO

HEARS REQUEST FOR REZONING

City commissioners took up two requests at this week’s commission meeting, both regarding the Futch Planned Development District. The first request was a comprehensive

plan map amendment request. The second was a request to rezone the property from Hillsborough County Agricultural Single Family-1 (allow ing one housing unit per acre) to Plant City Residential-4 (four houses per acre). Although the Residential-4 future land use designation is being

requested, the developer, Taylor Morrison of Florida, plans to build 200 single-family detached units or a gross density of 1.9 units per acre.

FOUR PLANT CITY POLICE OFFICERS DEPLOYED TO NORTH PORT

DEADLINE DATES UPCOMING FOR FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL QUEEN’S SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT

Deadlines are upcoming for any who wish to participate in the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s pageant.

Sponsored by the Plant City Lions Club — who will conduct the pageant through the selection of the fie finalits and the coronation ceremony of the queen and her court in January — a mandatory orientation for all applicants will take place at the Milton E. Hull Building, 2202 W. Reynolds St., on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24 at 5:30 p.m. or Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 5:30 p.m.

Applications can be obtained at www. fltrawberryfestival.com or www.plantcitylionsclub.com. The completed application, along with one identifiation wallet-sized photo of the applicant attached, a $25 entry fee, a document that shows permanent domicile address and a printed transcript with the applicant’s most current district GPA signed by registrar must be hand delivered to the Festival office, 303 Berryfest Pl., on or before Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 5 p.m.

Mailed applications will not be accepted.

Applicants must be at least sixteen years of age and cannot be older than 21 years of age by March 1, 2023. The applicant must also be a junior or higher and must be enrolled in and attending high school, a home school program or attending a post secondary education or training with a 3.0 weighted grade point average or higher. Their permanent address must also be within the pageant’s current area boundaries.

The pageant will be limited to 35 contestants that will be accepted on a fist-come basis. These will be kept on file and no contestant will be replaced if any of the 35 contestants drop out prior to, on or after Nov. 25, 2022.

For a comprehensive guide to the pageant’s rules, regulations, general information and deadlines, visit www.fltrawberryfestival.com/media-2/contests/

GENERATION’S RENEWED BRINGS NATIONAL WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA DAY TO PLANT CITY

Generations Renewed is looking for members of the Plant City community who wish to sponsor a wreath to honor local he roes alongside Wreaths Across America.

Throughout the year, WAA works in a number of ways to show veterans and their families that their sacrifies are not forgotten. Every year the organization celebrates National Wreaths Across America Da on December 17 where they work with volunteers and sponsors to place a wreath on the graves of Veterans at Arlington National Cemetery, in addition to more than 2,500 additional locations in all 50 states, at sea and abroad.

“While we have Veterans Day in the fall and Memorial Day in the spring, our servicemen and women sacrifie their time and safety every single day of the year, to preserve our freedoms. And in many homes across the U.S., every day there is an empty seat for one who is serving, or one who made the ultimate sacrifie for our country. That is why our mission to

Remember, Honor and Teach lasts all year long, far beyond the single day in December when we coordinate wreath-laying ceremonies,” says the mission statement from WAA.

This year Generation’s Renewed will be bringing the ceremony to Plant City and you now have the opportunity to sponsor a wreath to be placed on a veteran’s grave this December at local cemeteries.

Visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/ FL1006P to make a donation or contact local location coordinator Kimberly Kitchen at 813-562-4495 for more information.

LAWRENCE McClure

Attorney General Ashley Moody Sheriff Chad Chronister

Paid

Lawrence McClure, Republican,

The temperature may not feel like autumn and the leaves may not be chang ing colors but the calendar doesn’t lie; fall festival season is upon us. While we may not need to don a sweater, we can still throw on an orange or brown t-shirt and enjoy a fall-themed activity or two. There’s plenty of events happening in the next couple months from family-friendly corn mazes to spooky haunted trails. Here are a few that we have rounded up.

FOX SQUIRREL CORN MAZE

Location: 6151 Varn Rd., Plant City

Dates & Times: Open weekends from Oct. 8 - Oct. 23, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Cost: Adults $11/Children (3-17) $10/ Ages 2 & Under FREE

In its 11th year, this family friendly event includes unlimited maze time, hayride, games and more for one admission price. No pets allowed (except service animals). Visit www.foxsquirrelcornmaze.com for more details.

KEEL FARMS HARVEST DAYS

Location: 5210 Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City

Dates & Times: Every Saturday in October, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Enjoy fall fun that the entire family will love, from pumpkin painting, hayrides, a bounce house, farm animal interaction and more.

FALL FESTIVAL AT THE MARKET AT ST. MARTIN FARMS

Location: 4802 James L. Redman Pkwy., Plant City Dates & Times: Weekends until Oct. 30, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Cost: Free to attend, purchases extra Have some fall fun at Lum’s Farm & Farmer’s Market. Event features games, vendors, pumpkin carving, treats, boutiques, animal encounters and more.

CORKY’S CORN MAZE

Location: Keel Farms, 1603 Hawk Griffi Rd., Plant City Dates & Times: weekends, Oct. 8 - Nov., 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Cost: Adults $15/Children (3-12) $10/ Ages 2 & Under FREE

Ticket price includes parking, entrance to the corn maze, hay rides and family friendly activities. No pets allowed (except service animals). Visit www.corkysmaze.com for more details or to purchase tickets.

SIR HENRY’S HAUNTED TRAIL

Location: 2837 S. Frontage Rd., Plant City

Dates & Times: Weekends until Nov. 5, timed tickets

Cost: Advance purchased required, price varies per time, $27 - $99

Be prepared to be scared! An outdoor haunted attraction featuring an immersive experience with multiple interactive horror trails, escape games and laser tag. Beware of roaming scare actors! Visit www.sirhenrystrail.com for more information or to purchase tickets.

ABOUND IN PLANT CITY

PLANT CITY STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CRUISE-IN

Location: 102 N. Palmer St., Plant City Dates & Times: Sat., Oct. 15, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Cost: Free

Classic car enthusiasts can get their fill of fine auomobile craftsmanship at this event, which marks the 25th Anniversary of the show. Music provided by John Paul Gas playing a special playlist of hits from the last 50 years in honor of all the vehicles on display.

PLANT CITY BALLOON FESTIVAL

Location: Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds, 303 N. Lemon St., Plant City Dates: Fri., Oct., 21 & Sat., Oct. 22, gates open at 5 p.m.

Cost: Advance tickets: Adults $22/Chil dren (6-17) $10/Free for children 5 and under

Bring the family to this annual event to watch hot air balloons. It will also feature vendor markets, food vendors, live music, a kids’ zone, magicians, jugglers, roaming entertainers and other festival experiences.

THE ULTIMATE CORVETTE & CHEVY SHOW

Location: Stingray Chevrolet, 2002 N. Frontage Rd., Plant City Dates & Times: Sat., Oct. 22, 7:30 a.m.

Cost: Free but donations encouraged Chevy enthusiasts will appreciate this annual fundraising event, supporting Unity in the Community, the event features food trucks, door prizes, raffles, auctions, games and more.

MONSTER MASH AT THE PLANT CITY STADIUM

Location: Plant City Stadium, 1810 E. Park Rd., Plant City Dates & Times: Fri., Oct. 28, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Cost: FREE, $5 parking per vehicle, food for purchase

Presented by City of Plant City Parks & Recreation, this family-friendly event will feature free activities, trunk or treat, a scare zone, food vendors (for an additional cost), games and more. Don’t forget to wear your Halloween costume and bring a bucket to collect candy.

NELSON’S FALL FESTIVAL

Location: Nelson Elementary School, 5413 Durant Rd., Dover

Dates & Times: Fri., Oct. 28, 5:30 p.m.7:30 p.m.

Cost: Pre-order wristbands $10 per kid, $15 at the door

This family-friendly event will feature crafts, games, bounce houses and more. Additional fee for food and vendor merchandise.

LAST FRIDAY IN DOWNTOWN

Location: McCall Park, 100 N. Collins St., Plant City Dates & Times: Fri., Oct. 28, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Cost: FREE to attend, food for purchase

Grab your lawn chairs, come to downtown and enjoy to enjoy live music, market vendors and a food truck rally. This is a family & pet-friendly event. This month’s theme is “Nightmare on Main Street”.

FALL FESTIVALS

Location: Greater St. Luke M.B. Church, 108 S. Warnell St., Plant City

Dates & Times: Sat., Oct 29, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Cost: Free

Enjoy fun for the entire family at this festival, featuring food and drink, games, arts & crafts and trunk or treating.

Location: Hopewell Baptist Church, 6001 S. County Rd. 39, Plant City Dates & Times: Sat., Oct. 29, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.

A great family-friendly event featuring games, food, a bounce house and of course candy!

TRUNK OR TREATS

Location: Life Journey Baptist Church, 110 N. Forbes Rd., Plant City Dates & Times: Sat., Oct. 29, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Cost: Free

Bring your costumed kids to this walkthrough event.

Location: Hope Lutheran Church, 2001 N. Park Rd.

Dates & Times: Sat., Oct. 29, 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Cost: Free

Put on your Halloween best and enjoy trunk or treat, arts and crafts, food trucks, police cars, fie trucks and more.

Location: Calvary Fellowship Church, 1110 N. Gordon St., Plant City Dates & Times: Sun., Oct. 30, 4 p.m. Come out and enjoy this family-friendly activity featuring hot dogs, pumpkin painting, a bounce house and lots of candy.

Location: GraceWay Church, 3106 S. Wiggins Rd., Plant City Dates & Times: Sun., Oct. 30, 6 pm. - 8 p.m.

Bring the family for a safe and fun night of candy, music, games, food, fun and more.

Location: Liberty Southern Baptist Church, 2505 W. GranfieldAve., Plant City Dates & Times: Mon., Oct. 31, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Bring the costumed kiddos and enjoy free food, games and loads of candy.

Location: First Baptist Church of Plant City, Dates & Times: Mon., Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Cost: Free

Location: Eastside Baptist Church, 1318 E. Calhoun St., Plant City Dates & Times: Mon., Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Cost: Free Bring your costumed kids to this event as they give out candy and share Jesus.

HISTORIC HAUNTED HOUSE

Location: Glover School, 501 Horton Rd., Plant City Dates & Times: Mon., Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m.7:30 p.m.

Cost: TBD

MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER

Hosted by G.R.O.W. Plant City, this event will feature a haunted house, trunk or treat, games, food and more.

THE FANCY FLEA

Location: Strawberry Festival Fairground, 2866 Reynolds St., W., Plant City Dates & Times: Fri., Nov. 4 and Sat., Nov. 5, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Cost: $5, free parking

This event is a mecca for shabby chic lovers rejoice. Plant City’s Fancy Flea you will find furnitue, garden decor, repurposed items, antiques, original art, handmade clothing, artisan jewelry and soaps and more.

FORK RAN AWAY WITH THE SPOON 5K

Location: 102 N. Palmer St., Plant City

Dates & Times: Sat., Nov. 7, 7 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Cost: $35 per person includes a ticket to the United Food Bank’s Empty Bowls Project event later that day, same location

Lace up your running shoes to get some exercise and support a worthy cause. All fitnss levels are encouraged to participate. Proceeds from the event benefit the United Food Bank.

PIXIEROCK

Location: Wish Farms, 1301 S. Frontage Rd., Plant City

Dates & Times: Sat., Nov. 12, gates open at 4 p.m. - midnight

Cost: $125, 21+ only event, food and drink available for purchase

It’s a party you don’t want to miss. Local cuisine, beverages, nationally recognized live music artists, including ZZ Top, Bishop Briggs, Saint Motel, Blanco Brown, Kim Richey and Shevonne. One hundred percent of the proceeds benefit theWish Farms Family Foundation and other local charities.

PLANT CITY PIG JAM

Location: Randy Larson Softball Fourplex, 1401 Gordon Food Service Dr., Plant City Dates & Times: Fri., Nov. 18, 5 p.m. - 10 p.m., Sat., Nov. 19, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Cost: FREE admission, $10 parking per vehicle

Sponsored by Citizens Bank & Trust, don’t miss out on this Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned competition and enjoy mouth-watering BBQ, live entertainment, a kids’ zone, complete with a rock climbing wall and moonwalks.

PLANT CITY STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CRUISE-IN

Location: 102 N. Palmer St., Plant City Dates & Times: Sat., Oct. 15, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Cost: Free Classic cars and trucks will be on display at this monthly event.

This

bserver

OCTOBER 1

A BAD SIGN

E Sam Allen Rd. / N. Maryland

Ave

Criminal mischief: An officer met with a property group employee at the listed location in reference to a neighborhood sign having been shot.

SOMETHING BORROWED

1200 block of N. Gordon St. Recovered stolen fiearm: Offiered were dispatched to a separate location in reference to a shooting. During the investigation, a fiearm that was stolen out of the Hillsborough County Sheriff ’s jurisdiction was recovered at the listed location.

CHANGING LANES

W. Alexander St. / Donna Dr.

DUI: An officer conducted a traffi stop in reference to a vehicle that was failing to maintain a single lane. One individual was subsequently arrested for DUI and transported to Orient Road Jail.

OCTOBER 2

TOOL TIME

4000 block of Capri Coast Dr. Burglary: An officer met with the victim at the listed location in reference to a theft of tools.

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME

300 block of W. Bates St. Loitering and prowling: An officer responded to the listed location in reference to a suspicious person. One individual was subsequently placed under arrest for loitering and prowling and transported to Orient Road Jail.

OCTOBER 3

WIRE YOU DOING THIS

200 block of Lovely Ct. Theft: Officers met with the construction manager for a building company at the listed location who reported a theft of copper wire at the construction site.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL

3200 block of N. Park Rd. Theft: An officer met with the employee of a construction company at the listed location who stated that at sometime between Sept. 27 and Oct. 3 an unknown subject took a drill valued at $4,000 from an unlocked storage room.

BYE-CYCLE

1700 block of E. Spencer St. Theft: An officer made contact with the victim at the list location who advised that her son’s bicycle was stolen from the front porch of the residence.

OCTOBER 4

HOT STOVE

1400 block of Tahitian Sunrise Dr. Residential burglary: An officer met with a construction manager who advised that someone had entered one of the homes under construction and removed a stove valued at $800.

OCTOBER 5

MONEY PROBLEMS

2300 block of James L. Redman

Pkwy.

Fraud: An officer responded to a business at the listed location in reference to fie counterfeit $100 bills being used.

TO ADVERTISE Call (813) 704-6850

Advertising / Richard Brame richard@plantcityobserver.com

Karen Berry

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The site is a 105+ acre parcel located south of Midway Rd., east of Charlie Taylor Rd., north of Swindle Rd. and west of Polk County and in close proximity to Varrea, a mixed-use development planned in northeast Plant City.

The developer’s proposal includes allowing up to forty, 50-foot wide single-family detached lots (or 20% of the built lots, whichever is less), allowing five-foot side yard building set backs for lots less than 60-feet wide and allowing for garages to protrude more than three-feet forward from the main struc ture where garages that protrude

more than five feet shall be lim ited to 20% of the built lots. Addi tional plans for the development include plenty of open space, three different park facilities for residents and clustered wetlands and stormwater ponds.

Speakers who made the case in favor of the rezoning included Robyn Baker, senior planner in the Plant City Zoning Depart ment, Mark Hudson, executive planner at Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commis sion and Alexis Crespo, AICP of RVi Planning.

“We want to work within the bounds of Plant City’s northeast master plan and maintaining the character of Plant City,” said Cre spo. “We understand that Plant City doesn’t want to look like the rest of Hillsborough County.”

To battle monotony, Taylor Morrison will offer 11 home plans in the community, each with sev eral different elevation options, some of which incorporate a craftsman style facade.

“We believe this will be a good partnership between the devel oper and the city,” she said.

Not everyone attending the meeting supported the rezoning.

Longtime Plant City resident Corky Findley expressed her con cerns about possible traffic con gestion caused by the increase in population. “I object to all of this,” she said. “We’re like caged animals in a zoo with nowhere to go.”

City commissioner Bill Dodson heard enough to vote yes to the proposals. “It’s not exactly what I would’ve preferred as far as lot

sizes for the entire community but they did agree to place larger 75’ lots abutting the property’s larger lot neighbors which is help ful to those who live on adjacent parcels of land,” he said. “This is a significant improvement from where we started.”

In addition to these measures to accomadate residents’ concerns, the applicant also agreed to pre serving a large number of trees and clusters of trees throughout the site, per Plant City’s zoning code. Plant City city manager Bill McDaniel said the property own ers walked the parcel with city planners, who helped determine which trees would remain on the property to better adhere to the city’s tree preservation ordi nances. Hillsborough County’s population is growing rapidly.

Plant City officials are taking a measured approach to growth.

“I think it’s easy to drive around and look at the accelerated growth in our county,” said McDaniel. “We’re not anti-development, you need growth to thrive as a community but as a commis sion we’re seekers of quality over quantity.”

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE STRIKES DOWN HILLSBOROUGH’S ALL FOR TRANSPORTATION REFERENDUM

On Monday, Hillsborough Circuit Court Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe invalidated the November ballot question seeking to levy a one percent sales tax for 30 years.

According to language on the bal lot, the referendum question asked, “Should transportation improve ments be funded throughout Hills borough County, including Tampa, Plant City, Temple Terrace, Brandon, Riverview, Carrollwood and Town ’n’ Country, including projects that: build and widen roads, fix roads and bridges, expand public transit options, fix potholes, enhance bus services, improve intersections and make walk ing and biking safer, by levying a one percent sales surtax for 30 years and funds deposited in an audited trust fund with citizen oversight?”

Gaylord Moe, who heard arguments in the case of Karen Jaroch vs. Hills borough County, agreed with Roach’s attorney, Samuel Salario, who claimed the language is misleading.

Supporters of the surtax aren’t happy.

“The only losers today are the resi dents of Hillsborough County who have again had their opportunity to fix our broken transportation system delayed,” said All for Transporta tion co-founder Tyler Hudson. “We will continue to pay the high price of doing nothing and the call for action will only grow louder.”

Hudson hopes the County Com mission will explore every legal ave nue to bring this question to the voters in a few weeks.

So, if the referendum question is invalidated, what happens to the more than 324,000 ballots already mailed that contain the verbiage?

Chief communications officer Gerri Kramer with Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections said it’s too late in the process for the ballots to be changed.

“When a public measure is ordered to be removed, we post notices pur suant to the order that votes for that measure won’t be counted,” she said. “Have no fear, though, because the rest of your ballot will be counted.”

This isn’t the first attempt at a transportation surtax in the county. Hillsborough County voters approved a 1% sales tax in 2018 that was over turned by the Florida Supreme Court in 2021. Justices said the tax was unconstitutional because it conflicted “with a state law that gives the County Commission the authority to allocate such funds.”

Before that surtax was struck down, the county collected approximately $500 million in taxes (approximately $6 million of those earmarked for Plant City) from the All For Transpor tation sales surtax. That money has been sitting in limbo, however it was ruled in July that those funds will be spent on a list of projects to be deter mined by state legislators.

Plant City’s annual budget for street maintenance is approximately $2 mil lion.

Bill McDaniel, Plant City’s City Manager, said the judge’s ruling is an unfortunate development because the money could’ve had a positive impact on residential and commercial dis tricts.

“With that money we’d be able to do a lot of improvements, not just filling potholes but resurfacing entire stretches of roadways,” he said.

While the referendum would’ve increased the speed at which road way improvements are undertaken, McDaniel said the city has already approved several road improvement projects, thanks to funding from a one mil portion of the city’s property tax rate being dedicated solely to street resurfacing and related maintenance.

The judge ruled the language in the ballot question was misleading.

The Plant City Police Department has deployed four officers to North Port to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Resi dents there are continuing to recover from storm-related issues of flooding, roads blocked by downed trees and power outages.

Hurricane Ian ripped through southwest Florida, leaving homes, businesses and beaches devastated. More than 100 people were confirmed dead in Florida due to the storm.

PCPD Sergeant Paul Tester and Officers Justin Castro, Vincent Wise and Samuel Shireling, along with 42 Tampa Police offi cers and two officers from Tampa Interna tional Airport, relieved 40 Tampa Police officers and 15 Tampa firefighters deployed to North Port immediately following the storm. The officers are assisting with clear ing debris, traffic support and providing various assistance to residents in need.

All four officers are members of PCPD’s Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), a 10-person special operations group who have received tactical training in the han dling of especially hazardous police duties.

The team, established in January 2022, is called upon to handle assisting in emer gencies such as hostage or barricaded sus pect situations, high-risk warrant services and other situations involving anticipated extreme danger. The team trains with sev eral other local police agencies, including Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough and Polk County Sheriff’s Offices.

Before leaving for North Port, the team assisted with hurricane cleanup efforts in Plant City, helping to clear roadways of debris. PCPD Chief Jim Bradford said the

four volunteers were asking to be part of the team deployed before the logistics had been finalized. “These officers are the epitome of service and sacrifice because they put the needs of others before themselves and help make our community a better place,” he said.

Most are leaving behind friends and fam ilies to work 12-hour shifts in less-thanhospitable conditions.

“I’m very proud of them for their com mitment and willingness to answer the call to serve not only the citizens of Plant City or Hillsborough County but to other Floridians that need help,” he said.

Bradford commented that of the thou sands of applications he has seen for posi tions with the Department, the one com monality is that the applicant, and those who are hired, have a strong committment to serving their communities.

For Wise, helping people is what his job is all about. “It’s why we’re here,” he said. “While we normally serve residents in Plant City, this time we’ll be helping the residents of North Port.”

Tester agrees. “We go where we’re needed most,” he said.

When the officers return to Plant City, they will have a debriefing and a chap lain will be available to speak with them if needed.

Bradford and other police leaders were on hand Friday morning at the Tampa Police Training Facility, located at 116 S. 34th St. in Tampa to “clap out” the convoy as it began its journey to North Port.

They won’t be the last.

“This is the first group of many who will assist in these ongoing efforts because we can do more and we will do more,” said Bradford. “We’ll keep sending as many offi cers as often as we can.”

GEM SHOW ROCKED PLANT CITY

w off

College students Maggie Nestor and Cami Schachtele love rocks. And jewelry. And rocks that can be made into jewelry.

The pair, self-proclaimed rock hounds (amateur rock collectors), attended the Plant City Gem Show last weekend at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center, hop ing to score a bit of pink amethyst, labradorite or malachite to set in a piece of jewelry.

“I really like labradorite because of its flashes of color,” said Schachtele. “I’ve only been col lecting rocks for a year but it’s such a fun hobby.”

For H & R Gem Show owner Jerri Heer, host of the show, what was once a hobby has become a career.

Her interest in rocks and gem stones began when she was home schooling her three children.

“There were so many different types and colors of rock speci mens that I studied with my chil dren and it was fascinating,” she said. “Nature made them all and that just amazed me.”

She started H & R Gem Shows to share her passion for jewel ry, gemstones, rocks, minerals, beads, crystals and fossils with others. Thirty-three vendors from all over the country displayed their merchandise at the show, from Plant City’s Robbins Jewelry to Healing Nature based in Gig Harbor, WA.

“I tried to put together a diverse show with lots of different types of gems and rocks so that every visitor could find something intriguing,” said Heer.

One intriguing booth was oper ated by David Peters, owner of Leesburg-based Gettin’ Stoned. His display included various specimens of fossils, crystals and geodes picked up during his trav els around the globe. Prices on his merchandise ranged anywhere from one dollar to a couple thou sand dollars.

“Minerals are one of mother nature’s art forms,” said Peters. “It’s fascinating how they form.”

He was particularly proud of several dozen geodes he found in a creek while driving through Ken

tucky (he won’t divulge its exact location). Crack open the large brown hollow stones to discover an array of colorful crystals.

Robbins Jewelry, located at 814 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., was on hand with a vari ety of custom gold mountings, in addition to a huge selection of colored gemstones, so attendees could turn their treasures into one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces.

“We created personalized piec es for customers while they vis ited the show that they could take home with them the same day,” said owner Jimmy Robbins.

Heer also wanted her show to make a difference for the people affected by the hurricane. In that vain, twenty-five percent of the proceeds from the event, totaling $766.04, were donated to Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humani tarian organization sending vol unteers to assist with Hurricane Ian relief operations.

For more information about H & R Gem Shows visit www.hrgem shows.com.

selections from throughout the world.

PLANT CITY BALLOON FESTIVAL TAKES FLIGHT

music, a kids’ zone, magicians, jugglers, roam ing entertainers and other festival experiences.

The musical group The Fifth Dimension’s 1967 hit “Up-Up and Away” had everyone add ing a ride in a hot air balloon to their bucket list.

If lifting off the ground in a wicker basket sus pended from a nylon envelope being filled with heated air via a propane burner sounds like a fun thing to do, then you’ll want to attend the Plant City Balloon Festival, coming to the Strawberry Festival grounds, located at 303 N. Lemon St., on Fri., Oct. 21 and Sat., Oct. 22. Gates open at 5 p.m.

Twice each evening, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., the Night Glow and Laser Show will showcase towering hot air balloons’ burner flames, highpowered lasers and pyrotechnics all synchro nized to heart-pumping music to light the night.

“This event is such to be an epic experience and fun for the entire family,” said Hot Air Bal loon Management director Jeremy Kwaterski.

In addition to balloon displays, the event will feature a vendors market, food stalls, live

Advance ticket prices are $22 for adults and $10 for kids age six -17. (plus processing fee) Kids five and younger are free. Ticket prices at the gate will be $30 for adults and $15 for kids aged six - 17. Fast pass tickets are $50 per person, which gives the holder the right to go directly to the front of the line on all rides (this is not a tick et for any of the rides, it’s simply a fast pass to avoid the lines). Rides are an additional charge. General parking is free. VIP and handicap park ing is available.

Bring a blanket or lawn chair to make yourself more comfortable but no outside food, bever ages or alcohol is permitted.

If you want to check a tethered balloon ride off your bucket list, the cost is $25 per person.

For more information about the Plant City Balloon Festival visit www.balloonshows.com. To purchase advance tickets visit www.freshtix. com/events/plantcityballoonfest.

Our Physicians Lead the Nation in the Quality of Care They Deliver to Patients of

Dr.

Hillsborough County 4-H was in a rough spot. A local farmer who had volunteered his field for a U-pick fundraiser had to back out at the last minute.

Hillsborough 4-H Foundation leader Betty Jo Tompkins turned to Carl and Dee Dee Grooms with a request—can we send a few hundred people to your farm to pick your bushes clean and keep for 4-H the money they spend for the berries? Just one time.

To Carl and Dee Dee, berries are business. But they’re also service.

When Dee Dee took that call from Betty Jo, they were 25 years into a 4-H friendship that began with Betty Jo’s club gleaning the Fancy Farms fields to supply food banks and other charities with berries.

And, after all, it was just one time.

Betty Jo called again the next year. And the next. And the next. They knew Betty Jo would be call

FAMILY INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME

ing again this year. But this time she wanted to surprise and honor them. She needed to see them in person.

It was easy to find them. The Grooms family has won so many awards for their service to the agriculture industry that all Betty Jo had to do was show up at a ceremony where they were already being honored by some one else.

She went to the Regent in Riverview, where Carl and Dee Dee’s family was being honored for 2022 Outstanding Project of the Year Award from the Hills borough County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Sixteen annual calls later and $100,000 raised for 4-H since

Betty Jo’s just-one-time request, she asked Carl and Dee Dee to bring the family to Gainesville in July to be inducted into the Flori da 4-H Hall of Fame.

Carl explained from the stage last month that he never belonged to a 4-H club but that he got the lessons of 4-H at home on the farm from his dad. Today, he sees

4-H and his berry fields as tools to teach youth those same lessons. The U-picks teach adults as well, name ly, where their food comes from, how much work goes into producing it, and how important it is that Florid ians support agriculture.

The Grooms family’s gen erosity has paid for a lot of residential summer camp scholarships and 4-H Uni versity scholarships, trips to Tallahassee for 4-H Leg islature, as well as trips to state, regional and national judging events.

Betty Jo has dropped all pretense by this point. In fact, she doesn’t even call Dee Dee. Carl and Dee Dee’s son Dustin runs the farm now.

Though Dustin was never for mally in 4-H, he was raised the same way his dad was. He got those 4-H lessons at home on the farm. Only he had hundreds of 4-Hers coming to his home and

farm to learn those lessons, too. Dustin’s always ready for Betty Jo’s call, and he always says yes. She and 4-H long ago taught him the true meaning of “Just one time.”

J. Scott Angle is the University of Florida’s Senior Vice Presi dent for Agriculture and Natural Resources and leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

J. SCOTT ANGLE

OVERHAULED SUBARU

Its kind are few and far between. It only has to be noticed by potential buyers and they would line up to buy one, i.e. the Subaru WRX. The totally redesigned highperformance sports sedan for 2022 is a fun and enjoyable ride, especially for your daily roundabout. Standard all-wheel-drive system should be an impetus on top of it all.

Out goes the previous 2.0-liter to be replaced by a more potent 2.4-liter horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder engine (intercooled and turbocharged) that blasts off a halthy 271 horsepower (up by 3 from previous) @ 5600 rpm and 258 poundsfeet of torque @ 5200 rpm. Power routed through a flwless 6-speed manual auto gear box contributes to a sporty and exciting performance. The WRX’s exceptional stopping power comes from robust 12.4inch ventilated front and 11.4-inch solid rear discs.

Ensconced on the unitized body structure is a traditional hexagonal grille with centered Subaru star cluster insignia, which is flaned by C-shaped LED headlights. You cannot help but notice the bulging but functional and broad scoop atop the aluminum hood. A twin cockpit with electroluminescent gauge displays for speedometer, tachometer, fuel and coolant temperature give the cabin a rich feel. The power-tilt moon roof is a nice touch too. As are the ultrasuede seats with red stitches. Further enhancing the appearance is a matte dark gray metallic finish on the center dash panel. Tossed out is the small 7-inch touch screen for infotainment controls to be replaced with a 11.6-inch tablet-style vertical display. And what driver wouldn’t appreciate a 10-way power

IS

seat? And if you like physical buttons for audio volume, tune, temp control, this is yours to keep! Other standard niceties include dual auto a/c, 60/40 fold rear seat, fla-bottomed leather steering column, aluminum alloy pedals, 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and rear seat armrest with dual cup holders.

Standard are dual front and side airbags, side curtain airbag, driver knee airbag, four-wheel antilock brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist, vehicle dynamic control, active front seat head restraints, blind spot detection, lane departure and change alert, rear-cross traffi alert, rearview camera, remote keyless entry, tire pressure monitoring system and daytime running lights are standard.

Thanks to the total overhaul, the WRX is an even more appealing ride than ever before. It’s the perfect choice for any sport sedan buyer who likes a certain thrill on the road. Who doesn’t want a robust engine, luxurious cabin, affordable price and standard all-wheel drive? It is just perfect for the everyday chore.

WRX LIMITED

Tires:

Wheelbase:

PROPOSITION

Nitish S. Rele operates motoringtampabaycom and Khaas Baat, and was an automotive editor/columnist for the Tampa Tribune. Email him at motoringtampabay@gmail.com.

CUTEST CRITTER

DAISY: Mary Wayne sent us a photo one her two year old goldendoodle Daisy, who loves spending the day watching cows in her backyard pasture!

SPORTS

After a narrow win over Sumner to open district play last week, Durant headed over to the western side of Hillsborough County this week and cruised past Sickles with a 24-7 victory to move to 6-1 on the year.

“We knew that we were going to have to come over here and claw one out,” head coach Claybo Varnum said. “We definitely knew that. We played Sickles last year and they were very physical, they threw the ball extremely well, Brandon Royal is a heck of a quarterback and I hate that he’s only a junior. We had to get gutty. We had some injuries and some guys stepped up to the plate and answered the call. We weathered the storm in the first half, came out swing ing in the second half and came out with another win.”

Sickles lined up to receive the opening kickoff following the coin toss but Durant was able to steal a possession early by recov ering an onside kick. They took advantage of the opportunity and cashed in with points, driving right into Sickles territory and ulti mately converting a field goal attempt off the foot of Mike Ryan to take a 3-0 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Sickles hauled in another short kickoff attempt to take over at their own 38-yard line. Despite a holding penalty pushing the Gryphons back on sec ond down and a tackle for loss moving them even further back on third, they were able to convert for a first down on a long completion to the Durant 46-yard line. But that would be it for Sickles’ offense as they punted back to the Cougars three plays later.

On their second drive of the night, Durant would take over at their own 24 and imme diately break off a big completion to Jayden Cornelius up to the 45. Cornelius would then take a first down carry across midfield for six yards, followed by a three-yard carry from Jarelle Franklin to set up a third-and-one. On third, Gines ran a curl route passed the sticks to beat his defender but was unable to haul in the pass from Ryan, he made up for it on fourth down however as he got another target and converted with a reception up to the Sickles 37. Zaevion Jordan added nine yards on the next carry and Ryan kept the chains moving on second down with a quar terback keeper for 10 yards, taking Durant into the red zone and down at the 18-yard line. Three plays later, facing a first and goal from the six, Ryan once again kept the ball on a read option and scampered untouched into the end zone to give the Cougars a 10-0 lead. The two teams would go on to exchange punts before Sickles tacked on seven to get

themselves on the board late in the second quarter. After taking in the short kick and working their way right down the field and into Durant’s red zone at the 14, an illegal substitution penalty on the Cougars set Sickles up with a first-and-goal at the nine.

One play later, Royal found receiver Isaiah Hudson in the back of the end zone for the score, cutting the Durant lead to 10-7 with under six minutes remaining in the half.

Each team would stall out on two more short drives before heading into the locker room at the break with the game still sitting at 10-7.

In the second half, Durant would begin to pull away. The Cougars began their sec ond drive of the third quarter at the Sickles’ 48-yard line, gaining five yards on a first down carry before Ryan dropped back on second and found Gines sailing over the middle of the field for a 43-yard touchdown to extend their lead to 17-7.

The touchdown catch capped a big offen sive showing for Gines, hauling in four recep tions for a team-high 74 receiving yards on four receptions.

And late in the fourth, after Durant moved all the way down to the seven-yard line before missing the field goal attempt and turning the ball over to Sickles deep in their own territory, Gines would come up with a huge defensive play as well as he intercept ed the pass from Royal and returned it to the 13-yard line.

“Jeremiah’s a good athlete,” Varnum said. “We think he’s just as good as a defensive back as he is a receiver. He’s just got some natural ability, he knows how to get open, he’s natural to the football and good things happen when you’re a guy that’s used to the game.”

One play later, Franklin would battle through tacklers and into the end zone to put a cap on Durant’s 24-7 win.

With injuries to the starting running back duo of Calub Connell and Alex Daley, Franklin has been thrust into a major role in Durant’s offense as a sophomore as he has split backfield duties with Jordan over the past two weeks. After two fumbles against Sumner – one lost – he bounced back with a strong performance, finishing the contest with a team-high 78 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, also adding one reception for 21 yards. Alongside Franklin, Jordan totaled 61 rushing yards on a teamhigh 16 carries.

“Both of those guys have stepped up,” Varnum said. “Last week Jarelle had a bit of a fumbling problem, he had four carries, two fumbles and he came to us Monday and said, ‘Coach, I will not fumble.’ You have to

trust your guys at the end of the day, you can’t pull them out of the ground so I’m very proud of Jarelle’s effort tonight but I’m really proud of him emotionally, keeping it together. I thought he matured this week and he ran hard, he’s going to he hard to handle one day.”

But Durant is dealing with injuries far beyond just their two top running backs as starting middle linebacker Jacob Reed left the game with an injury on the opening kickoff. They once again had to also battle through the absence of starting wide receiv er Elian Gonzalez and offensive lineman Alex Smith. With a big Alafia River Rivalry match up against Newsome coming up this Friday, Varnum hopes to have Connell, Gonzalez, Smith and Reed back and healthy in time while Daley is not expected to be active.

Offensively, Ryan completed 12 of his 19 attempts for 159 passing yard, finishing the game just off of his season-high mark of 160 yards against Plant City earlier in the season. On the ground, he added another 17 yards on six carries. Behind Gines, Cornelius totaled 52 yards on a team-high five recep tions. Jayden Forte and Treon Williams each added one catch of their own for nine and three yards, respectively.

Defensively, linebacker Brant Bovee and edge rusher Ty Merkle paced the unit with a team-high six total tackles and two tackles for loss each, along with defensive lineman Gage Aroz who totaled five tackles and two tackles for loss of his own. Linebacker Luther Scarlett and defensive linemen Greg Smith and Jovan Ortiz added one tackle for loss each while Ortiz and Bovee each notched a sack, followed by a half-sack each for Smith and Aroz. In the defensive backfield, Gines and Peavy each had an interception on the night.

The win moves the Cougars to 6-1 on the season as they prepare to host Newsome on Friday.

“I was kind of hoping that we’d be 6-1 here,” Varnum said. “We circled some games on the calendar and we lost one, we won one, we won at Plant City so that was another one too, but I don’t project a whole lot. I kind of take it day-by-day with what we have and I like to take it day-by-day because when you project you typically get upset and if you overperform then it’s whatever. Our phrase is ride middle. Stay right here in the middle of it, don’t get too over the top, don’t go underneath, just go out and play and I’m just very proud of these guys and guys stepping up and continuing to battle.

Across town, Plant City had the week off following two consecutive wins over Hills borough and Alonso to leave the Raiders at

2-4 while Strawberry Crest hosted Middle ton, falling 12-8 in their second straight loss after a school record five straight wins to open the season, moving the Chargers to 5-2 on the year.

Offensively for Crest, quarterback Jor dan Lewis completed eight of his 20 pass attempts for 78 yards while also leading the Chargers’ rushing attack with 68 yards on 15 carries. Behind Lewis on the ground, Ryan Weems totaled 36 yards and a touch down on three carries, Devin Blunt totaled 29 yards on 10 carries and Gage Reibsome totaled 10 yards on two carries. On the out side, Marcus Springfield led all receivers with 58 yards on four receptions, followed by 11 yards on two receptions by Quincy Hart and 10 yards on one reception from Grayson Haynes.

Defensively, Steel Craig led the unit with a team-high seven total tackles and two tack les for loss while Malachi Johnson, Quintin Walker and Didier Godonou Dossou notched one tackle for loss each. Craig had 1.5 sacks on the night and Johnson had the team’s other half-sack.

This Friday Plant City will be on the road as they look to extend their winning streak to three games against 5-2 Plant High School while Crest will be looking to get back into the win column against a 5-2 Alonso High School that enters the week off of back-toback losses to Plant City and Riverview.

Taylor Jenkins

TAYLOR

The Strawberry Crest Chargers volleyball team fell to Wharton in three straight sets on Tuesday night, moving to 13-9 on the season and breaking a stellar run in which they had entered the contest off of three consecutive match wins and six over their previous seven.

“We tried a couple of different defenses to stop some super big powerhouses that Wharton has on the outside coming in and this is a good ball club,” head coach Robert Dodson said. “Their lineup has changed since the beginning of the season, they were able to add some players during the season and it’s made such a difference in their lineup. And Strawberry Crest hasn’t beaten Wharton lately, it’s just one of those things where it’s now become a bit of a men tal block and it took us a set and a half to kind of get moving but once we got going we went point-for-point with them.”

Crest battled to open the first set, keep ing pace with the Wildcats as the two teams found themselves knotted up at 5-5 before the Chargers pulled out to an 8-5 lead. But despite the early deficit, Wharton battled back to tie the set at 8-8 and the two teams again went point-for-point to 11-11. Wharton then began to rally as they soon held a 17-14

lead before eventually rattling off the final eight points of the set to take a 25-14 vic tory.

Moving on to the second set, it was once again tight early as the two teams sat tied at 5-5 but Wharton began to pull away quickly, jumping out to a 15-6 lead before the Char gers were able to stop the red-hot Wildcats’ run. Crest tried to claw their way back into the set but Wharton continued to thwart any hope of a comeback as they raced out to a 25-13 victory in the second set to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

The third set was by far the most tightlycontested set of the evening as both teams battled back and forth throughout much of the match, with Crest falling behind 7-2 early before rallying quickly to take a 9-8 lead. Neck-and-neck the teams found themselves tied up at 10-10 and once again at 14-14 before Wharton was able to respond with five unanswered points to ultimately outlast the Chargers’ last-ditch effort to take the third set 25-17.

But while the win moved Wharton to just 11-9 on the season, it’s come on the heels of a fantastic second half in which they’ve gone 8-3 over their past 11 contests after starting the year 3-6.

“This is this team’s first year in 7A and that was only our second regular season loss,” Dodson said. “All of our other losses we have are either in tournament play or in

extra matches we picked up to try and get something going. We’ve fought through the injury bug this season but if you look at our original regular season schedule, we’re 9-2. Not too shabby. That brings us to 13-9 on the season and no matter what happens at this point this team will be a winning team at the end of the year. We’re going to have a winning record no matter how the rest of the season unfolds and I’m proud of them because we graduated so many players last year and there were so many young players that hadn’t seen a lot of court time that got thrown into the fold, said go and I can’t be more proud of this Chargers team and how they’ve carried themselves.”

And for the Chargers, getting healthy has been a focus this year as some major players in senior captains Alissa McBee, Morgan McGuire and Brooklyn Zajac, along with sophomore Kiera Fulsom, have all dealt with injuries throughout the campaign. And with their strong regular season play setting them up for a first-round bye in the district tournament, it gives the Chargers even more valuable time to get fully healthy and prepared for the playoff games ahead.

“It looks like we’re going to be number two heading into districts so we’ll get a Monday bye and we can use that to kind of re-tool a couple of things. We’re nursing a couple of injuries so hopefully those can heal up with that bye too,” Dodson said. “We’ll play a Polk

County team that we really don’t have much information on and then we’re going to get a Winter Haven team that we’ve already seen once this year but when they saw us the first time we had one girl with a concussion, one girl with a shoulder injury and they’re two massive starters for us. So we kind of had to tool the lineup around that, do what we had to do and they’re going to see a whole new version of the Chargers and I think we can make a run at districts. The goal right now is a district title and beyond.”

The Chargers will end their regular season play on Thursday as they head to Sumner High School for a non-district match against the Stingrays before playoffs begin the fol lowing week.

“We’ve got so many bright stars on this team,” Dodson said. “The senior leadership is doing what they need to do and the future is so bright for this Strawberry Crest pro gram. I have no doubt that they will make their run, they will do what they need to do.”

TAYLOR JENKINS

Taylor Jenkins is the Sports Writer at the Plant City Observer. Email: tjenkins@ plantcityobserver.com.

Strawberry Crest volleyball falls to Wharton as playoffs creep closer The Chargers fell to Wharton in three straight sets on Tuesday night, moving to 13-9 on the season.

SEPTEMBER 2022 Real Estate Transactions

Local September 2022 sales and trend information courtesy of The Crawford Group.

Rant or Rave, which side to take? Actually, both. There are so many inconsistencies in the headlines what is typically a good number like unemployment percentage declines is now atypical the Federal Reserve with raising interest rates to help reverse our inflation gowth wants the unemployment number to go up, causing pain to the individual and families alike. The Fed rates increases have a direct effect on the mortgage lending rates. As of 9/29, the average 30-year fied rates topped 6.7 percent, this in turn slows the housing market. Although this is not an exhaustive list of things to rant about and a simplistic viewpoint but sets up the narrative for the real estate market and a few things to rave about.

No, the real estate market is not crashing but getting to a more normal business setting. One of my biggest raves you find in my postings is securing an experienced Realtor to handle your real estate transaction. I can not say it enough, inexperience in the matters of real estate will cost you time and money. Almost every day we get calls from agents asking the listing agent to show the home to their clients because it’s too far to drive, or they don’t have a suprakey or real estate is their part-time gig. What these agents don’t realize, relationships with clients, having the tools of the trade and understanding the ins and outs of the contract are all part of the career. On a positive rave, as the market continues to get more normalized, many of these inexperienced agents will bow out.

As the ADOM (average days on market) increases both buyers and sellers will feel more comfortable with their pricing

decision. For example: when a seller received multiple offers on the fist day on the market, they would always contemplate did they set the price too low, or on the other hand when the buyer’s offer was accepted due to bidding up, they usually left the table thinking they offered too much, the win-win value determination between the parties was never established.

At the end of September, we finished the thid quarter for the year with 222 residential homes sold which was a 22 percent decline from the third quarter last year. The average sales price was $375,671, up 21 percent from last year and the ADOM more than doubled the time to contract from 11.1 days to 23.6 days.

As we continue to look at the Plant City housing data, in September, 2022, our market area sold 52 homes, about a 42 percent decrease from the previous month while the year over year numbers was down 40 percent and year-to-date down 11 percent, OUCH.

The average selling price per square foot was $207.36, which accounted for a 1.4 percent increase over last month, but when compared to the year-to-date average it accounted for a 3.1 percent gain. The average selling price was $359,349 in September or a 1.8 percent increase over last month and compared to the YTD average it amounts to a 0.5 percent decrease. Now it’s hard to define the tendline, but it appears that our market peaked in May and has starting to decline slightly. One of the factors of the supply demand model, with higher interest rates for mortgages you tend to see prices decline in relevance.

The active inventory decreased

this month but saw September’s month’s supply increase slightly to 2.3 over August’s 2.29. We are gaining ground on the equilibrium of 4-6 month’s supply levels.

Comparing the Median prices month over month data, September finished with a Median ales price of $342,995 which was 0.9 percent more than August’s and 1.5 percent increase year-to-date. The average days on market (ADOM) for September was 29.2 days, a 21 percent increase over last month.

What does the near future hold for our real estate market? 4th Quarter–2022, I believe we will see a decrease in units sold for the quarter and year. The average sales price will be flat or slight decline in value for the fourth quarter but the year-over-year numbers will show 18-20 percent increase over 2021. Hopefully the mortgage lender rates will stabilize so the growth rate for next year will be positive.

As always, if you are in the market to buy or sell your home … seek out an experienced professional realtor to assist you in this transaction process. There are too many consequences to go it alone without proper representation. If you have any questions, want to get a market value analysis of your home or just see what’s available to purchase, please reach out.

M Crawford Crawford Group

Sales Snapshot

The following residential properties were a sample listed as sold on the Greater Tampa Realtors Association MLS in September 2022 for the Plant City Market Area.

The home at 1106 East MLK Blvd sold September 14 for $114,000. Built in 1938, it has 3 bedrooms, 1 bath and 965 square feet of living area.

The home at 4631 Bethlehem Rd sold September 8 for $160,000. Built in 1972, it has 2 bedrooms, 2 bath and 1008 square feet of living area.

The home at 1608 W Ball St sold September 21 for $210,000. Built in 1960 it has 3 bedrooms, 2 bath and 1200 square feet of living area.

The home at 1404 E Laura St sold September 9 for $247,000. Built in 2005, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 bath and 1290 square feet of living area.

The home at 2713 Sparkman Rd sold September 27 for $295,000. Built in 2003, it has 4 bedrooms, 2 bath and 1976 square feet of living area.

The home at 1317 W Redbud St sold September 2 for $360,000. Built in 1984, it has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1388 square feet of living area.

The home at 5770 Harvey Tew Rd sold September 20 for $365,000. Built in 1940, it has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath and 1818 square feet of living area.

The home at 3419 Silverstone Ct sold September 2 for $398,000. Built in 1995, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1822 square feet of living area.

The home at 708 Oakland Heights Ave sold September 12 for $425,000. Built in 2007, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1726 square feet of living area.

The home 2746 Walden Woods Dr sold September 8 for $435,000. Built in 2011, it has 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 2736 square feet of living area.

The home at 3403 Aul Country Pl sold September 30 for $490,000. Built in 2002, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 2392 square feet of living area.

The home at 3511 Ranchdale Dr sold September 15 for $500,000. Built in 2016, it has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and 2304 square feet of living area.

The home at 2919 Forest Hammock Dr sold September 9 for $675,000. Built in 2001, it has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and 2624 square feet of living area.

The home at 3502 N Forbes Rd sold September 1 for $700,000. Built in 2006, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 3057 square feet of living area.

The home at 7816 Turkey Creek Rd sold September 27 for $730,000. Built in 1995, it has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and 1655 square feet of living area.

Data pulled from GTAR MLS as of 10/5/22 for the Plant City market area.

YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR

TOWN

“Henry Gross, Plug Me Into Something.”Larry Turner

“The Eagles, Take It Easy.” - Michelle Cacares

“Tower of Power, Funk the Dumb Stuff.” - Will Hudson

“Dreaming Tree by Dave Matthew’s Band.” - James Jackson

“George Jones, He stopped loving her today.” - Danny Harrod

“Willie Nelson, Seven Spanish Angels.”Er Toole

“Brothers Osborne.” - Victoria Crandon

“Honky Cat by Elton John, Cats the Musical, What’s New Pussycat by Tom Jones.” - Vicky Smude

We asked Plant City: Who is your favorite musical artist or band? What’s your favorite song by them?

Ricky ‘Bo’ Stepp

Ricky “Bo” Stepp, 45, of Plant City, Fla., born on Aug. 13, 1977, entered into eternal rest on Sept. 28, 2022.

Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral. com.

Melissa Margaret McCorkle

Melissa Margaret McCorkle, 54, of Plant City, Fla. was born on Oct. 31st, 1968 in Dunedin, Florida, entered into eternal rest on Oct. 8th, 2022.

of condolence

www.HopewellFuneral.

Beverley Wetherington

Field

Beverley Wetherington Field, 82, of Dover, Fla., born on Sept. 29, 1940 in Pontiac, Mich., entered into eternal rest on Oct. 7, 2022.

She was a member of Presbyterian Church of Seffne, a retired teacher for J.S. Robinson Elementary School, and enjoyed scrapbooking, volunteering, and socializing.

She is survived by children, Jerry Wether ington (Leah) of Ormond Beach, and Elizabeth Brown (Phillip) of Lithia; grandchildren, Brodie Brown, Brooks Brown, and Conner Wetherington; and other family and friends.

A memorial service will be held Oct. 15, 2022 at 1 p.m. at Presbyterian Church of Seffne, 1906 Lenna Ave, Seffne. Memorial contributions may be made to an Alzheimer’s organization of your choice.

Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

Baby Christopher Moises Molina Segovia

Baby Christopher Moises Molina Segovia, of Dover, Fla., entered into eternal rest on Sept. 20, 2022. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com

Marvin Clayton Lyon Jr.

Marvin Clayton Lyon Jr., 87, of Dover, Fla., passed away on Oct. 5, 2022. He also served in the Air Force for our country. The family will receive friends Oct. 13, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Haught Funeral Home Chapel, 708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m.

Josiah Asher Counts

Josiah Asher Counts, 17, born of the Lakota Sioux People, went to Heaven on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.

Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral. com.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www. haught.care.

ALL OBITUARIES ARE SUBMITTED AND EDITED BY FAMILIES OR FUNERAL HOMES

William (Bill) Thomas Marren

William (Bill) Thomas Marren, age 75 passed away on Oct. 1, 2022. Bill is originally from Ohio, but moved to Florida when he was 28. He was a motorcycle enthusiast and longtime musician. Bill was a singer, keyboard, guitar and saxophone player and was in numerous bands throughout his lifetime.

Bill has two daughters, Kimberly and Megan and fie grandchildren that he adored. He is also survived by his sister, Sandra and several nieces and nephews. Bill will be greatly missed by his family and many friends including his closest friend, Sondra.

Bill will be re-united with his mother, father, a brother and sister and many friends.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

CHUCKLE HUT COMEDY SHOW

7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 1501 N. Alexander St. The Plant City Elks Lodge will be hosting their annual Chuckle Hut Comedy Show fundraiser this weekend, raising money for the Martin P. Carroll Scholarship Fundraiser. The event will feature comedian Luke Trotta, as seen on the World Series of Comedy, and will be headlined by Chris Gorges, known for his work with Netflix and NBC Daytime. The event will begin at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6. Tickets are $25 and includes admission as well as a full spread of hors d’oeuvers for those in attendance to enjoy. Tickets can be purchased from any Elks Lodge member or by contacting loe@pcelkslodge.org. Tickets must be purchased in advance, no tickets will be available at the door.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

CHAMBER NETWORKING LUNCH

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds. The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Networking Lunch with Guest Speaker, Santiago Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay.

they celebrate the event’s 25th anniversary, with 55 Award of Excellence Trophies to be handed out.

CAR WASH FUNDRAISER

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1704 James L. Redman Pkwy. The IAFF Local 2103 Plant City Professional Firefighers present a Car Wash Fundraiser benefittingThe Foundation at South Florida Baptist Hospital. Stop by O’Reilly Auto Parts and have your car washed by Plant City’s finst. Any donation will get your car washed and all proceeds will go toward The Foundation to help with breast cancer awareness and research. You can also donate directly to The Foundation at www.sfbhfoundation.com.

HEALTHY LIVING OPEN HOUSE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

MOVIE TRIVIA NIGHT

7 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E J. Arden Mays Blvd. Bring your friends and family to grab a cup of coffee and head up to the loft to show off our movie knowledge, or just to cheer on your loved ones, with a chance to win a prize at this month’s Movie Trivia Night. As always, the event is familyfriendly and free.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CRUISE-IN

3 to 6:30 p.m. at 102 N. Palmer St. The Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-In is back on Saturday, Oct. 15, rain or shine. Cars and trucks manufactured in or before 1996 can register for free starting at 3 p.m. Live music by DJ John Paul Gasca. This month’s car show will be extra special as

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 307 N. Michigan Ave. Hillsborough County’s Healthy Living Program will host an open house this month at the Plant City Community Resource Center, offering free health screenings, vaccinnations, food from Feeding Tampa Bay Mobile Pantry, giveaways, kid’s activities and more!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27

FREE ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY VETERANS

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Federal, state and local opportunities are constantly changing. If you’ve served any time in the military, retired or non-retention, and would like to review your benefis please take advantage of free assistance at the Bing House Museum, 205 Allen St., every Wednesday. Walk-ins welcomed or call 813-704-5800 to set a specific tim.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28

LAST FRIDAY IN DOWNTOWN

5 to 9 p.m. at 110 N. Collins St. The Last Friday in Downtown Food Truck Rally is held with a new theme each month. There will be live music, market vendors and food trucks. The event is family and pet friendly and all are recommended to bring chairs and blankets. October’s theme will be Nightmare on Main Street!

PLANT CITY SOCIAL DANCE

6 to 9:30 p.m. at 4401 Promenade Blvd. DJ Ken will be hosting the Plant City Social Dance every Saturday throughout the month of November at the Strawberry Square Dance Center. Cups and water will be available and the event’s cost is $7 per person. For more information or a chance to look at sample playlists, visit www. djkenmiller.com.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Rally

OPEN MIC NIGHT

7 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Open Mic Night is back at Krazy Kup. Join them for a fun night where you get to be the star of the show. Come out, strut your stuff and show everyone what you’ve got.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29

FALL FESTIVAL

6 to 8 p.m. at 3005 Thonotosassa Rd. Mt. Zion Assembly of God will be teaming up with the Plant City Lions Club to host their annual Fall Festival. Activities will include food, carnival games, train rides, a rock wall, a balloon artist, candy and more. In addition to the activities listed, the Lions Club will be offering free eye screenings for children in attendance and diabetes screenings for all. The event is free of charge and all who wish attend are welcome.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5

BLUEGRASS JAM!

6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. This is an open invitation for local Bluegrass musicians and fans to come to the Krazy Kup loft and jam, clap hands, stomp feet and enjoy! Krazy Kup holds their Bluegrass JAM on the fist Saturday of every month.

FORECAST

THURSDAY, OCT 13

Thursday, Oct 13 7:28a

Friday, Oct 14 7:28a

Oct15 7:29a

Oct 16 7:29a

Oct 17 7:30a

Sunset

FRIDAY, OCT 14

Tuesday, Oct 18 7:30a 6:56p

Oct 19 7:31a 6:55p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, OCT 15

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, OCT 16

MONDAY, OCT 17

OKRA

Great health care is closer than you think.

South Florida Baptist Hospital is more than just a small community hospital. We’ve got a wide array of specialty care and surgical services that you don’t have to travel far to get. Our surgeons are experts in minimally invasive robotic surgical procedures that provide lots of benefits, including shorter hospital stays, decreased blood loss and smaller incisions that reduce the risk of infection. Plus, faster recovery times that mean you can get back to your normal activities sooner. You’ll find comprehensive orthopedic care—whether you’re an athlete who needs sports medicine services or you’re someone who needs a total joint replacement. Our all-inclusive gynecology program offers high-quality care to the women and mothers in our community with a variety of women’s care services. We’ve even been designated as a Center of Excellence for our weight loss surgery program, meeting nationally recognized standards and providing outstanding care to our patients. And all of this extraordinary care exists right here in Plant City. Learn more: SouthFloridaBaptistSurgery.org