10.24.14 Plant City Times & Observer

Plant City Times &

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

A PARTNERSHIP WITH

OUR TOWN

Hope Lutheran’s Director of Music Ministries Christine Mansell, the Rev. Dean Pfeffer and District President Rev. Gregory Walton

+ Church workers honored for service

SPOTLIGHT

SPORTS

INSIDE

Runners do battle with Tactical Titan.

Tough Trojans stay ‘Corny’ festival competitive, despite offers plenty of 12-man roster. fall family fun.

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governance by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer

Walden Lake leaders select new management company The majority of the Walden Lake Community Association voted to negotiate a contract with Greenacre Properties Inc. The Walden Lake Community Association Board of Directors voted Oct. 20, to enter into a contract with a new management company for 2015.

The motion was to negotiate a contract with Greena-

Two staff members of Hope Lutheran Church received special recognition at the President’s Convocation of the Florida Georgia District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, held Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, in Orlando.

Christine Mansell, Hope’s director of music ministries, was honored for her 40 years of ministry at Hope and the Rev. Dean Pfeffer was honored for his 20 years of ministry (18 at Hope).

cre Properties Inc. Five board members, including President Jim Chancey, voted in favor of the motion. Three board members voted against it, preferring to continue management under longtime man-

agement company Associa.

A final contract with Greenacre has not been agreed upon yet, so many details are unclear.

The change in management companies will affect the four employees who work in Walden

ruff day by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer

+ Applications open for youth parade Applications are now open for the Florida Strawberry Festival Civitan Youth Parade.

The deadline for entering is at 4 p.m. Jan. 9, 2015. The theme is the same as that of the Florida Strawberry Festival: “Come Join the Party!”

The parade will be Feb. 28, 2015. Award categories include best club/group float, best church float, best marching unit and best band entry.

Applications are available at FlStrawberryFestival.com.

, 3&

This week’s winner is

Mimi Nguyen

See her photo on PAGE 17.

Lake. Under Greenacre, three of them — administrative assistant Bette Guarino, community administrator Marlene Merrin and grounds technician Larry Evans — could be employees of the association but paid under Greenacre’s federal identification number. Chanc-

SEE WLCA / PAGE 4

Catherine Sinclair

The WLCA voted to spend $10,000 on shrubbery to block a fence near the community’s east entrance, in hopes of preventing graffiti on the fence.

CLOSE CALL by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer

Blood-pressure check saves life at health fair The Woman’s Club sponsored a health fair, where one man’s dangerously high blood pressure was discovered.

+ Food bank kicks off Turkey Drive The second annual United Food Bank Turkey Drive will begin Nov. 1 and run through Nov. 25.

You can help by dropping off a 10- to 12-pound turkey, or several, to the food bank, 702 E. Alsobrook Street. The food bank is open on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The United Food Bank served more than 420 complete Thanksgiving meals to families in need in 2013.

This year, the demand on its pantry has almost doubled and it expects more families will need Thanksgiving meal baskets this year.

FREE • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014

Catherine Sinclair

Josh Harrell said there weren’t words to describe his gratitude for Chuck Sullivan’s compassion for his dog, Ellie.

DOG’S

BEST FRIEND When a pet dog was hit by a car, a complete stranger rescued her and helped her find her way back to her owner.

From being the victim of a crime, to suffering a possible concussion, and then losing his dog, October was not off to a good start for Josh Harrell.

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, someone broke into his house.

The whole place was ransacked, although fortunately, nothing seemed to be missing.

The next morning, his dog, Ellie, escaped from the fence in Harrell’s Plant City yard.

“She’s done it a couple times,” Harrell said. “I was afraid somebody had snatched her up.”

Harrell saw Ellie escape and ran after her, but he slipped and hit his head on the fence.

He went inside to lie down

and ended up unconscious for 14 hours, possibly suffering a concussion. His injury allowed Ellie plenty of time to explore the neighborhood unsupervised.

A few hours later, Chuck Sullivan was driving along Park Road and came across a dog that looked as though it had been hit by a car.

“She couldn’t move,” Sullivan said. “I think she was in shock, and she was certainly injured. Somebody had hit this poor dog and just left her, and that’s what really bothered me.”

Ironically, Sullivan’s own two dogs had gone missing just two days before Harrell’s.

WHAT TO DO

If your pet is lost, you can contact Hillsborough County Animal Services or search its online database of lost-and-found pets.

Another helpful resource that led to Ellie’s return is the Facebook page Lost and Found Pets of Hillsborough County.

The average cost to insert a tiny ID microchip under your pet’s skin is $45, but less expensive procedures can be found. For example, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay charges just $15 for microchipping at its clinic.

A man who lived in the Madison Park Road apartments, right near where Ellie got hit, had found the dogs and called Sullivan to return them.

“I wasn’t about to leave (Ellie) there,” Sullivan said. “My dogs had been gone, and I was in that mode.”

Sullivan wasn’t able to identify the 70-pound dog or her owner. Harrell doesn’t always keep Ellie’s collar on her, because she has a lot of extra skin

SEE ELLIE / PAGE 4

When the Plant City Woman’s Club hosted a health fair Saturday, Oct. 11, the organizer of the event did not know it would save her husband’s life.

Lynn Connor is the chair of the club’s Home Life Community Services program. The program focuses on a different aspect of home life each month, and October’s emphases were breast cancer and domestic-violence awareness.

Connor and other club members decided to organize the health fair to correspond with breast cancer awareness but also general wellness.

Vendors sold health and wellness-promoting projects, and nurses aboard the South Florida Baptist Hospital Wellness Wagon offered free checks at the fair.

Connor’s husband, Evans

SEE CROSBY / PAGE 4

crime by Dan Sullivan | Tampa Bay Times

Plant City boy, 16, accused of making child pornography PLANT CITY — A 16-year- Police about a computer old from Plant City is facing user from Plant City who was more than 100 adult crimi- sharing images of child pornal charges after nography via the Inauthorities accused ternet, officials said. him of making child They began investipornography. gating Henry.

Jared Kyle Henry, On Oct. 1, FDLE a student at Plant agents and HillsborCity High School, ough County Sherwas arrested Oct. iff’s Office deputies 19, on a warrant folcarried out a search lowing an investigawarrant at Henry’s tion by the Florida Jared Kyle Henry home. Inside, they Department of Law found numerous Enforcement, and U.S. Im- pornographic images of a migration and Customs En- child, officials said. A subforcement. sequent investigation found Local authorities received that Henry had molested the a tip in September from the Royal Canadian Mounted SEE HENRY / PAGE 4

INDEX Calendar.......................2

Crosby, had been at the fair early in the morning to help Lynn set up and run last-minute errands in preparation of the event. Crosby had been on medication for high blood pressure, but he took it irregularly.

“He would get a prescription for 30 days, but it would last him six months,” Connor said. “He was taking his blood-pressure medications

Vol. 2, No. 14 | One section Crossword...................17

Obituaries...................13

Weather ......................17

Sports.........................14

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COMMUNITYCALENDAR FRIDAY, OCT. 24

SATURDAY, OCT. 25

MONDAY, OCT. 27

Band Haven — 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday, Oct. 24, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

Christian Contemporary Music — 6:33 to 8:13 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 7521220.

Cracker Country Feast — takes place beginning at 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24, at the home of George and Cassandra Banning, 2506 Clubhouse Drive. The evening will benefit the United Food Bank of Plant City. George Banning, (863) 660-8979, or Doug, (813) 368-8084.

Non-GMO Dinner & Discussion — 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at Plant City Commons Community Garden, 309 N. Carey St. (813) 435-8111.

Trapnell Fall Festival — 5 to 8 p.m. Friday Oct. 24, at the school, 1605 W. Trapnell Road.

The festival will feature carnivalstyle games, face painting, a haunted house, cake walk and food. (813) 757-9313.

Uncork Your Weekend with Skylar Clark — live music from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. For more, call (813) 7529100.

Autumn Adventure Scavenger Hunt — takes place beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Dance Connection, 507 N. Wheeler St. Entry is $5. Teams of four will be formed and will look around Plant City for items in the hunt. Biertober Festival — 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752- 9100.

Blueberry Stomp Mud Run — 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 25, at Keel and Curley Winery/Two Henrys Brewing Company, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City.

(813) 752- 9100.

Junior Woman’s Club Golf Tournament — registration begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Walden Lake Golf & Country Club, 2001 Country Club Drive. (813) 997-3359.

Uncork Your Weekend — live music from 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 25, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City.

(813) 752- 9100.

Praize Kraze — 7 to 8 p.m.

Mondays and Thursdays, at HopeWeaver Community Church, 2203 W. Baker St. For more information, call (813) 928-9998.

SUNDAY, OCT. 26 First Thonotosassa Baptist Church Open House — 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, at First Thonotosassa Baptist Church, 10650 McIntosh Road.

TUESDAY, OCT. 28 HCC Open House — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at the John R. Trinkle Center, 2206 E. Cherry St. RSVP at hccfl.edu/openhouse. For more, email SHenderson20@hccfl. edu.

Sculpture Tour — takes place beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at the Photo Archives & History Center, 106 S. Evers St. The night will start with a wine and cheese reception and then progress to include a walking tour of the “Man on the Street” sculpture exhibit downtown.

THURSDAY, OCT. 30 Open House — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Children’s Board Family Resource Centers in East County, 639 E. Alexander St. (813) 752-8700.

Rep. Dennis Ross at Republican Women’s Club — takes place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, at the home of Judy Wise, 2706 Pine Club Drive.

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.

HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS FRIDAY, OCT. 24

FRIDAY, OCT. 31

22nd Annual Haunted Woods — 6 to 10 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 25, at Hillsborough River State Park. Kids 12 and under are free; 13 and up are $10. (813) 987-6771.

Book-o-Ween — takes place all day Friday, Oct. 31, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St. Children can receive a free book while supplies lasts.

(813) 273-3652.

Church of God Trunk or Treat — takes place beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at Plant City Church of God, 2103 Mud Lake Road.

(813) 752-4591.

Free Admission at Dinosaur World — takes place Friday, Oct. 31, and Saturday, Nov. 1, at Dinosaur World, 5145 Harvey Tew Road. Children in costume will be admitted for free with a paying adult.

(813) 717-9865.

SATURDAY, OCT. 25 Fall Festival — 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Hopewell Baptist Church’s pumpkin patch, 6001 C.R. 39 S. Halloween Party & Costume Contest — 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. First place is $200; second place is $100; third place is $50.

DJ Malado starts at 9 p.m. (813) 764-8818.

SUNDAY, OCT. 26 First Baptist Trunk or Treat — 5 to 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 26, at Plant City’s First Baptist Church, 503 N. Palmer St. (813) 752-4104.

Hope Trunk or Treat — takes place beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at Hope Lutheran Church, 2001 N Park Road. (813) 752-4622.

Rocktoberfest — takes place beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at Church on the Rock, 301 E Alsobrook St. (813) 7523740.

UMC Trunk or Treat — 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, at First United Methodist Church, 303 N. Evers St. (813) 754-3519.

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back in time by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer

Church hosts annual Antioch Days The festival promises historical family fun for little to no cost.

East Thonotosassa Baptist Church is gearing up for its ninth annual Antioch Days, a pioneer-themed festival focused on fun and affordability.

“It originated as a celebration of the founding of the church, which was in 1854,” lead pastor Jim Brady said.

“But it evolved into a community festival, whereby the church could give back to the community.”

There will be food, rides, games and a parade, but all with a historical flavor.

“Everything here is periodrelated,” Brady said. “There’s no bouncy houses or anything like that, that you’d see at a carnival.”

Instead of standard carnival

Catherine Sinclair

Pony rides at the festival are free, like all other rides and games. rides, Antioch Days will offer rides on covered wagons, a six-car train, paddle boats

and horses. There will also be fishing in the pond, a shooting gallery and archery. And, all of

these activities are free.

The only aspect of the festival that is not free is the food, which includes barbecued ribs and hamburgers, kettle corn, funnel cake, roasted corn, boiled peanuts and more. For dessert, festival-goers will enjoy ice cream that was handmade on-site with an antique churn.

Still, all of these items will be much more affordable than at typical fairs, Brady said. The church spends about $5,000 each year to provide Antioch Days for the community, and it makes back that cost through food sales and sponsorships.

With an average of 5,000 visitors to the festival each year, food prices can be kept low.

At 10 a.m., a parade will be-

gin at Charro Lane and Knights Griffin Road, and travel west down Knights Griffin Road about a mile to East Thonotosassa Baptist Church. Anyone can be in the parade, but Brady said viewers can expect to see at least a few antique cars, some local politicians and much more.

“We have large floats that the children ride,” Brady said. “We have an antique fire engine. We have an antique sheriff’s car ... and the list goes on. Some folks even decorate the lawnmower.”

To reserve a spot in the parade, there is a required deposit of $20, which will be refunded seven days after the festival, as long as the registrant did participate in the parade.

Shopping enthusiasts can browse the rows of antiques

IF YOU GO WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 1 WHERE: East Thonotosassa Baptist Church, 12735 Knights Griffin Road, Thonotosassa COST: Parking, entrance and activities are free.

Food prices vary.

CONTACT: (813) 9246251 INFO: antiochdays.com and crafts at the festival. Brady expects between 40 and 60 vendors. Vendors can reserve a space for $35 until Oct. 29., and $50 after.

“It’s a family fun day, and it costs next to nothing,” Brady said.

For more information and to view photos from previous years’ festivals, visit antiochdays.com.

Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.

FAITH by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer

RED CARPET by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer

Lebanon Baptist welcomes new pastor; remembers 73 years Tim Partridge started his position just in time to celebrate the church’s anniversary.

Courtesy photo

This isn’t the first time local Rotarians have hosted counterparts from Russia.

FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE

Physicians and dentists from Russia stayed with Rotary members last week and learned from clinics throughout Plant City.

The Rotary clubs of Plant City hosted a cultural exchange this month by inviting a group of professionals from abroad to visit Plant City.

“They’re young, and they’re from all over Russia,” said George Banning, a Plant City Daybreak Rotarian who hosted two of the delegates.

This year was the second time the clubs have worked with a group called the Center for Citizen Initiatives to host a group from Russia.

The first time was in 2006. In 2011, Banning went to Russia through the program, with Alan Feldman from the Rotary Club of Brandon.

Banning said the biggest thing he learned while in Russia was that there were significant similarities between the two cultures.

“Basically, they have the same values we do,” Banning said. “They are friendly, and it’s amazing to see how they have gone from a communist society to a free market society.”

This year’s group of dele-

gates comprised eight dentists and two doctors. Accompanying them was an interpreter who was born in Russia but lives in Portland, Oregon, and a trip coordinator, Nataliya Ivanova.

“The main idea is to learn new practices and new technologies,” Ivanova said. “All the innovative things you have here.”

But, of course, the American professionals who they met learned from them, as well.

Ivanova is a full-time business consultant, but she started organizing trips to the United States for Russian groups in 1995.

“It’s my hobby to take people here,” she said. “Not necessarily medical professionals, it could be any professional, for the exchange of learning in the U.S.” Ivanova led the delegates who visited Plant City in 2006.

That trip was such a success that she wanted to return to with another group.

The delegates stayed with Rotarian host families in

Plant City from Oct. 5 to 10.

Ivanova said staying in American homes instead of hotels was one of the delegates’ favorite parts of the experience. Some of the delegates she brought in 2006 are still in contact with the Floridian families who hosted them.

Similarly, some of the Floridians they met that year have gone to Russia to see them again, like Banning did.

Each full day of the trip included a visit to a dental or medical business in the daytime, and social activities in the evening.

All of the delegates are managers or owners of the clinics where they practice. Ivanova said they were mostly interested in how leaders of American clinics and hospitals organized and managed their practices.

Ivanova specifically targeted Florida for this trip because of its lifestyle and culture.

“I’m glad that I took them to Florida, because people here are special,” she said. “They are warm, they are hospitable

ITINERARY Oct. 6: Arrival at Tampa International Airport.

Reception at George Banning’s home.

Oct. 7: Visit to the Tooth Caboose. Meals at Buddy Freddy’s and O’Brien’s Irish Pub. Oct. 8: Visit to Derek Busciglio’s orthodontics office. Meals at Wasabi and the home of Rotarian Sharon Philbin. Tours of City Hall, Train Depot and Veterans’ Memorial.

Oct. 9: Visit to South Florida Baptist Hospital.

Oct. 10: Breakfast at Plant City Photo Archives.

Travel to Lakeland for the next leg of the trip.

... they are more relaxed here in Florida than in other places in the U.S.” The delegates stayed with members of the Lakeland and Brandon clubs before heading back to their home country.

Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.

Lebanon Baptist Church, a country congregation of about 30 that meets in a historic building on Forbes Road, celebrated its 73-year history Oct. 19. And, the church’s new pastor, Tim Partridge, was installed just in time to be at the reunion to meet the generations that have worshipped at Lebanon before him.

Partridge has a distinct employment history compared with many pastors who conventionally came into the ministry. Before he felt called to guide people into eternal life, he worked full-time saving their lives — as a paramedic for 25 years. His first three years were with Polk County EMS and the remaining 22 were with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

In 2006, he switched gears completely when he became as assistant pastor at Alafia Baptist Church in Lithia, where he also had been a deacon and Sunday school teacher.

“It was something that was hanging in the back of my head for a long time, and I finally just surrendered to actually listen to what God was calling,” Partridge said.

Partridge had heard from a friend that Lebanon’s previous pastor of 17 years had retired last fall, and the church had an interim pastor while it sought someone to take the position full-time. He applied, was selected and started at Lebanon Sept. 1.

Partridge said his goals are to determine how the church can meet the needs of its community and how it can grow.

“Starting in January ... we will be striving very hard for 12 new professions of faith and baptisms through our evangelistic efforts,” Partridge said.

This equates to one new believer each month for a year. One of Partridge’s pastor

Courtesy photo

Lebanon Baptist is the first church at which Tim Partridge has served as a lead pastor.

friends recommended a focus on small, concrete efforts as stepping stones to greater church growth.

He also hopes to have church members connect with neighbors through doorto-door visits.

HOMECOMING

Each year, Lebanon commemorates its anniversary with a reunion gathering. This year’s Homecoming was on Sunday, Oct. 19, in honor of the church’s 73rd year.

Margaret Watson, one of Lebanon’s church clerks, has been at the church for 48 years and always looks forward to the autumnal celebration.

“People come and go, you know, and on Homecoming, a lot of them come back that day,” Watson said. “I love seeing the people, and I just love the church.”

The Homecoming offered music from the Woodards, a family of musicians who do not attend the church, but play and sing at Lebanon’s special events. The guest speaker was Elvin Hall, who pastored the church in the 1950s.

The celebration concluded with a potluck dinner.

Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.

on the hunt by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Dance Connection to host scavenger hunt fundraiser Clogging Connection, a team affiliated with Dance Connection, won 22 awards at a recent competition. They need help covering the costs of the trip and new uniforms.

They came, they saw, and they clogged their way to a carload of awards on Oct. 4.

Now, the Plant City Clogging Connection needs help covering the costs, and the team wants to show everyone a good time in doing so. The team, in conjunction with Dance Connection, is hosting an Autumn Adventure Scavenger Hunt fundraiser this Saturday, Oct. 25, starting at the studio.

The goal is to raise money to cover the costs from attending the competition, which was held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and also for

new team uniforms. Clogging Connection was able to make the trip and win 22 awards, competing against nine other teams. It needs about $800 to finish paying for expenses.

It’s the team’s 26th year of existence, according to team director Debbie Conn, and it currently comprises 16 members as young as 5 and as old as 45. The team usually gets out to three or four competitions every year but, as clogging isn’t exactly in the limelight among dance competitions, it often has to travel to places such as Georgia or the Carolinas.

HAPPY HUNTING WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 25.

Registration begins at 9 a.m., hunting begins at 9:30.

WHERE: Dance Connection, 507 N. Wheeler St. COST: $5 per person This is the first fundraiser for the team, so Conn and the cloggers wanted to make it memorable.

This scavenger hunt is open to anyone, for a $5 fee, and

participants will be paired into teams of four. It’s also a photo scavenger hunt, meaning that teams are going to need to take pictures of certain things around downtown Plant City and report back to the studio with their findings. Awards will be given to the top three teams.

Because of the nature of the hunt, Conn and Clogging Connection are keeping the rest of the details under wraps. Many people probably have photos of some of the local landmarks already saved on their phones, but is that sculpture near Snellgrove’s or something near the Railroad Museum on the list?

The only way to know will be to participate on Saturday.

That’s not all. There also will be a large yard sale as well as a raffle with donations from

Courtesy photo

Plant City’s Clogging Connection team won 22 awards at a recent competition. local businesses. On Monday, Conn estimated the raffle had roughly $250 to $300 in prizes.

Prizes include gift baskets and cards from businesses like

Buddy Freddy’s, Nick’s Pizzeria, Pampered Chef, Origami Owl and more.

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

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WLCA / PAGE 1

Chuck Sullivan said he couldn’t resist the plea for help in Ellie’s eyes.

ELLIE / PAGE 1 around her neck that makes it uncomfortable. But, despite the consequence of getting blood on his clothes and car, Sullivan loaded the dog in and took her to the Animal Clinic at Southside.

At first, the veterinarian suggested euthanizing Ellie.

To Sullivan, this was unacceptable.

“I said, ‘I’ll pay for it.

Just take care of her,’” Sullivan said. “It’s not that I’m in the habit of paying for other people’s pet care, but she was just so sweet, and I couldn’t look past her pleading eyes.”

Ellie had no broken bones, but she did sustain other injuries.

“Her heart got pushed up into her chest,” Harrell said. “Her shoulder was all messed up, and she had bruised ribs.”

Sullivan paid for Ellie’s $300 treatment without a second thought. And, he would have been willing to adopt her, if her owner had not been found.

REUNION

After Harrell regained consciousness, he began searching for Ellie and posting notices on social media platforms. The next day, Friday, Oct. 3, he got a call from his mom. She had seen a post on a Facebook page, Lost and Found Pets of Hillsborough County, that had a picture of a dog she thought was Ellie. Harrell’s mom found out that the dog was at the Animal Clinic at Southside, and she told Harrell, who rushed over.

“When I went in there and she heard my voice, she starting yelling at me, like barking,” Harrell said. “You could tell she was hurting, but she was definitely excited to see me.”

Sullivan had gone back to the clinic to check on Ellie, and Harrell arrived around the same time. Harrell expressed his gratitude to Sullivan for rescuing his canine companion. Sullivan did not make Harrell reimburse him for the treatment fees.

Ellie’s recovery took a few days, but now she is at home, safe and sound — and maybe the traumatic experience will deter her from venturing out of her yard the next time she considers it.

“She is a doofus,” Harrell said. “She has a hound-dog personality — dopey, but super sweet and loving.”

Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.

ey said until the contract is set and signed, it is unclear what will happen to the employees.

They could be trained by Greenacre and undergo a 90- to 120-day evaluation. If Greenacre managers notice only “gaps” in the employees’ performance, they will bring their concerns to the board. Otherwise, the board will have minimal involvement in disciplining and training the employees.

But, it is certain Lee Weiss will no longer be Walden Lake’s on-site property manager after the new contract is signed.

Greenacre will screen its available property managers and allow the WLCA board to meet and interview three potential candidates from which to choose.

“I do not see any current Associa managers as a candidate,” Chancey said.

Employees from Greenacre and Associa met with the board at a special workshop Oct. 15, to answer the board’s questions before Monday’s vote.

“We have experience; we have technology; we have a willingness, and we would love to be your management here and be a part of this,” Greenacre CEO Jeffrey Greenacre said at the workshop.

The company, headquar-

tered in Tampa, will be celebrating its 40th year of business this fall. It manages about 60,000 homes belonging to about 140 associations, all of which are in Florida. Walden Lake will be one of its largest communities.

Some board members who voted in favor of a contract with Greenacre lauded the company for its status as a debt-free, family-owned business.

LANDSCAPING

The board also discussed its contract with Complete Landcare at its October meeting.

WLCA has been in contract with Complete Landcare for about 10 years. Eddie Evans, vice president and director of operations for Complete Landcare, attended the meeting.

“Our guys know the property inside and out,” Evans said.

The landscaper is responsible for the annuals at each of the community’s five entrances. If the association had not extended the contract and attempted to maintain those plants independently, the cost would have reached about $29,000. Evans offered to absorb those expenses, as well as take off $1,000 of maintenance charges per month, if the contract was extended.

The board voted unanimously to extend the contract

with Complete Landcare.

Another topic of discussion regarding landscaping was a row of wax myrtles that block the view of a white fence on the outside of the east entrance from Charlie Griffin Road. The board voted to replace the wax myrtles with viburnums.

“The viburnums are a much better-looking plant than the wax myrtles ever were,” said board member Jan Griffin, who offered the Landscape Committee report.

Without any plants in that location, the fence would be exposed, and Chancey said there have been problems of people painting graffiti on it.

Evans said the labor cost for replacing the plants would be $375. He charges $10 more per viburnum than his company paid for them, which, in this case, will cost the association $25 per plant. The project requires 375 viburnums, so the total cost will be $9,750.

The motion for this project passed with six approving votes. Terry Murphy was one of the two board members who voted against it.

“I just feel that that $10,000 could go a lot further in other areas of the community,” Murphy said.

Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.

WARNING SIGNS High blood pressure is usually a symptomless condition. However, in cases of hypertensive crisis, such as Crosby’s on the day of the health fair, symptoms might include: • Severe headaches • Severe anxiety • Shortness of breath • Nosebleeds

CROSBY / PAGE 1 like he would take headache medicine.”

Connor suggested Crosby get his blood pressure checked while he was at the health fair.

The nurse seemed nervous after reading his result, and she told him it was 192/108.

“I said, ‘Is it bad?’ She said, ‘Yes, it’s really bad,’” Crosby said.

Crosby went to Urgent Care, where a physician wrote him another prescription for his blood pressure.

“But, as I sat there, it got higher,” Crosby said.

He was showing signs of someone who had had a stroke or was about to have one.

Crosby checked into the emergency room at South Florida Baptist Hospital. A doctor examined Crosby and told him he had deposits of copper on the blood vessels in his eyes.

And, his kidneys were functioning at only 50% capacity.

HENRY / PAGE 1 child to produce the images, officials said.

He was initially charged as a juvenile with nine counts of promotion of sexual performance by a child. In the

Courtesy photo

Evans Crosby was in the hospital for three nights after his alarm at the health fair.

That afternoon, while Connor was finishing up at the health fair, she got a call from her husband. The hospital had admitted him as an overnight patient. She gathered his things from home and rushed over.

Crosby underwent tests and treatments until he was released Tuesday, Oct. 14. He was sent home with eight new prescriptions. Getting checked at the health fair might have been a life-saving decision.

And Crosby wasn’t the only one to benefit from the fair.

Connor said the nurses on the Wellness Wagon had been so busy the day of the fair, they didn’t have time for breaks.

“They considered it a very successful event, from their

perspective,” she said.

Although Connor was disappointed that more visitors had not browsed the tables of vendors, she was glad that meant the vendors had time to get checked, as well.

Next month’s Home Life theme is Alzheimer’s disease awareness. In 2015, healthrelated foci will include mental health (January), heart health (February) and high blood pressure (May). Once each month, members of the Woman’s Club wear ribbons of a color that corresponds with the current issue and walk the trail at Brewer Park.

Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.

weeks that followed, the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office added 93 adult charges of child pornography possession and four counts of lewd and lascivious molestation.

Henry was booked Sunday in the Hillsborough County

Jail. He was being held Tuesday on $802,000 bail.

Authorities think Henry may have molested other children. Anyone with information can contact FDLE special agent Michael Miller at 1-800226-1140.

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COPS

PLANT CITY

The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Plant City Police Department.

CORNER at him and grabbed his shirt through the window. The two engaged in a brief struggle outside of the vehicle before police arrival. Neither party was injured and did not require medical attention. A battery report was completed with waivers of prosecution.

OCT. 10

MOWER REMOVED

1310 block of Louisiana Street. Theft of Lawnmower. The officer met with the victim, who advised that her red Murray push mower with a 22-inch cut blade was stolen from her porch overnight.

OCT. 10

PLASTIC PROBLEMS

1700 block of East Warren Street. Fraud. The victim stated unknown suspect(s) used his debit/credit card online at attempted to charge $114 worth of merchandise. The transaction was stopped, and the victim was refunded his money. A fraud report was completed.

NICE TRY

FIVE-FINGER DISCOUNT

1400 of South Collins Street.

Retail Theft. The suspect was caught attempting to steal $49.53 worth of merchandise.

She was detained, arrested and released with a court date.

DEEP POCKETS

2600 James L. Redman Parkway. Retail Theft. The suspect attempted to steal merchandise valued at $113. He was charged with retail theft.

STOLEN CELL PHONE

600 block of North Pennsylvania Avenue. Residential Burglary. The victim stated he returned home to find an LG2 phone was taken from a night stand. The phone was valued at $500.

OCT. 11

CLOSE CALL

20 block of Euclid Avenue.

Deadly Missile into Occupied Dwelling. The victim stated an unknown suspect threw a brick

through her bedroom window, while she and her children were in the home.

OCT. 12

TOOLS TAKEN

1300 block of Crum Street.

Vehicle Burglary. The victim stated an unknown amount of coins and an unknown amount of tools, possibly a wrench or jack, were taken from behind the driver’s seat of his gray Chevrolet pickup.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

3220 block of Pineclub Drive.

Information. The victim was returning home via his vehicle, and a male walking his dog without a leash entered a crosswalk in the path of the victim’s vehicle. He had to stop suddenly to avoid striking the dog. The male walking the dog walked over to the victim’s door, yelled

1100 block of West Risk Street. Vehicle Burglary. Unknown suspect(s) attempted to steal the victim’s 1995 red Ford pickup. Entry was made through the sliding rear window. The vehicle had extensive steering column damage.

Nothing was taken from the vehicle.

MISSING WHEELS

410 block of Walter Drive.

Petit Theft of Bicycle. 410 block of Walter Drive. The victim reported that her red threewheeled bicycle with front and rear baskets and a cup-holder was stolen.

TABLET TAKEN

300 block of West McClendon Street. Theft. The victim reported unknown suspect(s) stole a “Nook� tablet. The tablet was later recovered.

THAT BLOWS

1000 block of North Warnell Street. Residential Burglary. A Toro leaf blower, and a women’s 24-inch mountain bike were stolen from an open carport.

The leaf blower was valued at $100. The bike was valued at $150.

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE! Plant City’s First Baptist Church of Plant City recently sent this group to teach (Southern) English in Uherske Hradiste, Czech Republic. It was an awesome experience making friends with the young people and adults who attended. These Plant City residents were blessed by the warm reception received by the gracious and humble Czechs. Front row, from left: Rick Phillips, Anne Phillips, Martha Sue Skinner, Ashlyn Robinson, Mamie Robinson and Sandy Cook. Back row, from left: Mike Young, Ken Skinner and Steve Morris.

Photo by interpreter Iveta Prochazkova.

The Plant City Times & Observer and Cruise Planners have partnered to present our monthly It’s Read Everywhere Photo Contest. Each month, we will select one winner, whose photo will be featured in the newspaper.

Entering is easy! Just snap a photo of you with the paper at your destination of choice and email it to Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver. com. Make sure you include your full name and where the photo was taken.

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opinion | our view

It’s all about performance We often have noted that elections are referenda on incumbents’ performance.

If they have performed satisfactorily and competently and continue to offer a governing philosophy that aligns with our nation’s founding principles — that is, a defense of and promotion of our unalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness and freedom from the despotism of the tyrannical “state” — those candidates, in our view, deserve another term.

So block out the ads; turn off the TV and radio. Take the time to evaluate the performances of the candidates up for re-election and whether their opponents have demonstrated better competence and that their ideas will further or reduce your liberty.

Who has more of what it takes to lead?

That analysis is the framework for deciding every election — particularly the elections of Florida’s four executive positions — governor, attorney general, chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner.

GOVERNOR

By now, most voting Floridians likely have consumed more than enough information to know the stark differences between incumbent Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist.

They know the differences in their public personalities.

We’ve said it before: Scott is stuff; Crist is fluff.

Crist is the quintessential, smooth SCOTT politician who molds his persona to appear as the populist, the likable man for the little guy. Everybody loves Charlie.

He cares about CRIST you, and he cares about Florida — more than anybody. That’s the act.

Scott is all business. Goals, objectives, benchmarks,

ELECTION 2014 measurements and accomplishments drive him. Nice guy one-on-one, although challenged for much of his first term with connecting with Floridians. On a surface level and on TV, Crist beats Scott on the likability factor.

But imagine you’re buying a stock. And when you buy a stock, you are buying a company’s CEO. Which one do you want: the nice-guy CEO who is smooth in public with customers and with employees, or the one who generates results, growth and shareholder return?

Remember, you’re buying a stock for your future.

Which one would you pick?

When Charlie Crist traveled with Florida CEOs to Brazil during his term as governor, a CEO who accompanied him reported to us Crist “was an embarrassment.” The Tampa Bay Times reported this summer: “Crist horrified staffers, who say he acted on the trip more like an entitled frat boy on spring break — skipping meetings with dignitaries, showing up late to scheduled events…

“The aerospace conglomerate Embraer, a major employer in South Florida, laid out a fancy lunch spread for the governor and his delegation at its headquarters in Brazil. Crist stunned attendees when he suddenly excused himself barely 10 minutes into the meeting, telling (George) LeMieux he was bored.”

Contrast that with Scott, who spends time each week personally making sales calls to CEOs in other states to persuade them to move their businesses to Florida.

This is fact: No governor in a quarter century has spent more time focused on creating and bringing more jobs to Florida.

To be sure, Scott cannot take all the credit for Florida’s economic recovery.

But his efforts have set the tone. Since his election in 2010, Florida has generated the third-highest number of jobs among the 50 states —

625,000, according to U.S. data. He promised 700,000 in seven years.

Now consider philosophical direction. Crist described his platform recently with this vague platitude: “Charlie Crist will have your back.”

When you delve into specifics, nearly everything Crist wants to do as governor is expand the state Leviathan and restrict your freedom: reduce school choice; force taxpayers to subsidize lower property-insurance rates and take on insurance risk (a tax on your property insurance bill); increase government Medicaid spending; build a taxpayer-funded high-speed train (see California for reference); subsidize renewable energy with your money; and on and on.

Every inch that state government expands is a lost inch of liberty.

Scott, on the other hand, has stayed focused on creating a climate to encourage economic growth. It’s a page from the political formula of Abraham Lincoln: “The leading object” of government, Lincoln wrote, is “to lift artificial weights from all shoulders — to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all — to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life.”

Jobs allow this to happen.

We’ll take more jobs over Charlie Crist having our back.

Recommendation: Scott

ATTORNEY GENERAL

If you relied on the descriptions of incumbent Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi by the opinion editors of most of Florida’s big daily newspapers, you probably would conBONDI clude she deserves a failing grade. They don’t like her priorities. And they hate her politics.

After all, she’s a conservative constitutionalist, which is anathema to their view of the world.

They love her opponent, Democrat Party nominee George Sheldon.

He’s a good guy, a career government man. A former state representative from Plant City, Sheldon also served as a top aide to former Democrat Attorney General Bob Butterworth; the No. 2 in the Department of Children and Family Services under Butterworth; as Gov. Charlie Crist’s secretary of DCF; and, until recently, an assistant secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Sheldon, of course, has portrayed himself as Charlie Crist did when Crist served his one-term stint as attorney general: tough on whitecollar crime and the consumer’s best friend.

But Sheldon also showed his own nasty political side when he accused Bondi last fall of making an investigation of a Donald Trump-affiliated business “evaporate” — Sheldon’s word — after she received a $25,000 contribution to her campaign from a Trump business.

Those were fighting words.

Be sure to watch the video referenced in the accompanying box all the way to the end. When a reporter at an Associated Press conference asked Bondi about Sheldon’s accusation, she let loose with a response that pretty much sums up how Sheldon’s candidacy should be viewed.

Said Bondi: “It’s untrue, it’s offensive and it’s despicable for someone running for chief legal officer [to] say such a lie.

He needs to know his facts before he talks …

“That I would make an investigation evaporate? You want someone like that to be your attorney general? … It’s completely false … For him to say an investigation was pending when I took a campaign contribution and that it evaporated — it’s despicable and disgusting.”

And let’s do set the record straight. Sheldon and the opinion editors make Bondi out to be ineffective and mis-

directed, focusing too much on fighting the federal government. They give her grudging credit for ending Florida’s pill-mill crisis and attacking the trafficking of teenage girls.

And they slap her for postponing a death-penalty execution because it conflicted with a political event.

They’re right on the latter.

Bad “optics,” as they say in Washington.

But they fail to mention barely a “smidgeon” of what Bondi has accomplished in her first term. We urge you to watch the YouTube video.

Her accomplishments are many and signficiant.

Recommendation: Bondi

THE PAM BONDI STORY To understand what Attorney General Pam Bondi has done in her first term, we highly recommend your viewing this video. You won’t get this side in the mainstream press: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qHwb1HnWJoE

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER

One of the oddities of Florida government is its elected Cabinet.

Although many people believe Florida’s governor has the same powers and authorities as the president of the United States, in fact, the governor shares authority with the three Cabinet members ATWATER — attorney general, chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner.

They vote on such things as the location of electric power plants; PUTNAM the control and disposition of all stateowned property; and they serve as the collective head of Florida’s Department

of Law Enforcement. They wield a lot of power as a Cabinet and in their respective domains.

The chief financial officer is not only charged with managing Florida’s tax revenues, disbursements and borrowing, but also he’s the state’s top regulator over the banking and insurance industries. The agriculture commissioner oversees more than cattle and citrus; he’s the state’s chief consumer protector and regulates anything connected to the growing, distribution and handling of food. He also regulates fuels and pesticides.

In CFO Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, both Republicans, Floridians have two of the most competent people to have occupied their positions in a quarter century.

Atwater is a former bank president from North Palm Beach. He rose from vice mayor there to become a state representative and eventually Florida Senate president from 2008 to 2010. His great-grandfather, Napolean Broward, was Florida’s governor from 1905 to 1909.

Atwater’s opponent, Democrat Will Rankin, is an Army veteran and former chief asset manager for the state of Ohio. A former Republican, Rankin lives in Deerfield Beach.

Agriculture Commissioner Putnam, 40, has been a political meteor in Florida ever since being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1996 at age 22. At age 26, the fifthgeneration Bartow native was elected to Congress, where he rose to the No. 3 position in the Republican-controlled House.

Coming back to his roots, Putnam ran for agriculture commissioner in 2010.

Given his family’s agriculture background and his legislative experience, few are more suited for the state’s agriculture commissioner, and he has been living up to expecations. Send him back for a second term.

Recommendation: Atwater and Putnam

MY VIEW

Kudos to those who are ready to serve Election time is approachment with politics from overing, and I am deciding how to coming us. cast my vote. I like to remind In Plant City, we find ourmyself that voting still matselves blessed to have fine ters, and that all of our elected officials who votes taken together render commendable make a difference. I service. This serves us like to give my vote the well, because we know consideration it is due. our local leaders best I may be in a minorand they know the ity when I say that I adneeds of our commumire people who put nity in a more personal themselves forward to way. serve. They sacrifice This reminds us SCOTT their time and privacy to pay attention to TOLER for the advancement candidates who run of the general good. for wider offices and Although this statement sum- may be less familiar figures. marizes an ideal that fallible The importance of deciding leaders do not always reach, it how well someone might repis still worth making. resent a constituency in the This year, we will elect peomost balanced way becomes ple who advance the ideal of paramount. The character of public service and those who the candidate plays a role in fall short. This is the acceptthis regard, because special able price of the freedom we interests sometimes hold enjoy to vote for the candidate sway over someone’s view of of our choice. Remembering the office they want to hold. this point keeps disillusionRegardless of party affilia-

Plant City Times & Observer Locally Owned by Ed Verner, Nate Kilton and Felix Haynes The Plant City Times & Observer is published by Plant City Media LLC, a joint-venture of the Tampa Bay Times and Plant City Observer LLC.

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We want to hear from you. Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements.

To contact us, send your information via: Email: Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@ PlantCityObserver.com.

Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563

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.

tion, the ability and desire to represent as many constituents as possible needs to act as part of the motivation for public service. Many people enter public life to advance a particular political agenda, but this need not stand in the way of representation of voters.

We need to determine our definition of the public good, and we need to elect people who take positive actions for the good of the public. The daily give and take of politics makes it easy to lose sight of our general well-being, but we increase the beneficial effects of political life when we do this.

Our elected officials represent people, not just the ideas or vision they want to implement. The American political system remains one of the finest and most reasonable forms of government devised in history. We inherited a

tradition of selecting public servants that requires our continued involvement and thoughtfulness. Any signals of apathy we send do a disservice to the free society that benefits us.

Each of us needs to feel our vote matters. Voting becomes the expression of a choice we make about who leads us, and the results of an election determine the direction we go as a community in this country.

As a boy, I stood beside my dad as he recorded his vote on those now infamous punch-card ballots. I learned that voting and the people for whom we vote play a vital part in furthering and preserving the liberties we treasure. This inspiration lives now in every vote we make.

Scott Toler is a licensed mental health counselor and a lifelong resident of Plant City.

He can be reached at etoler25@ tampabay.rr.com.

Plant City Times &

Observer

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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HONORING OUR STUDENTS by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer

Independence students collect gifts for veterans Middle-school students at Independence Academy were inspired to help local veterans after reading about a Marine who was injured in Afghanistan.

Patients at a Tampa VA hospital will receive individual, hand-picked gifts this Veterans Day, thanks to the concern and initiative of students at one of Plant City’s smallest schools.

It all began in Melanie Weitz and Donelle Casselman’s language arts classroom at Independence Academy. Weitz and Casselman had their eighth-graders read an article from Scholastic’s Scope Magazine about a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps named Jose Armenta.

Armenta worked closely with a bomb-sniffing dog in Afghanistan. One bomb was buried too deeply for the dog to sense it, and it exploded when Armenta walked over it.

He lost both of his legs.

Armenta returned to the U.S., but his dog was required to stay in Afghanistan. Armenta missed the dog’s support and companionship.

“I thought it was really cool that they had an unbreakable bond,” said Haley Garrett, an eighth-grader in the class.

The magazine suggested students write to their congressmen and congresswomen, telling them of the importance of keeping veterans and their work dogs together.

Weitz and Casselman’s students wrote letters to Congressman Gus Bilirakis, but

Haley Garrett, center, was among the group of students in Melanie Weitz and Donelle Casselman’s eighth-grade language arts class who first discussed the shoebox idea. they wanted to take their action a step further.

After a thorough discussion among Weitz, Casselman and their students, a big idea was born. The students wanted to collect shoeboxes full of items for the veterans at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa. They first set their goal at 700 boxes.

There are only 594 students at Independence Academy.

“We talked them down to 500 (boxes), but it took some convincing,” Weitz said.

“Knowing our school, we can reach it, or even exceed

it,” Casselman added.

Between its main hospital and on-site nursing home care unit, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital has 533 beds.

“I was really excited to do the shoebox project, because I thought it would be really cool to donate to the veterans at the hospital, since they did so much to fight for us,” Garrett said.

She brought in four boxes within the first week of the project.

If the class meets or exceeds its goal of 500 boxes, Weitz and Casselman will need

Photos by Catherine Sinclair

Emily Little, Madysen Boggs, Morgan Taylor and Mason Narramore are in the sixth grade at Independence Academy. some extra help transporting the boxes to the hospital.

“We’re not quite sure how we’re going to get them there,” Casselman said. “We know where and when, but we don’t know how.”

Students, faculty and parents at Independence Academy have been notified of the shoebox project via flyers and emails. But, Weitz and Casselman hope churches and other organizations outside of the school will reach out and join in.

“I want the kids to see the

power of community,” Weitz said.

Weitz herself is a veteran of the U.S. Marines. She served as an active duty sergeant from 1996 to 2000, and in the inactive reserves from 2000 to 2004. She said Armenta’s story made an exceptional impact on her because of her own experience.

The class will be collecting shoeboxes through Nov. 7, and the boxes will be delivered to the hospital in time for Veterans Day, Nov. 11. To contribute, bring boxes to the

main office at Independence Academy, 905 W. Terrace St., Plant City. The campus comprises portable buildings behind Shiloh Baptist Church.

Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.

SUGGESTED ITEMS Independence Academy suggests filling shoeboxes with the following items: • Bottled body wash • Toothpaste • Combs and shampoo • Card games • Letters and cards • Packaged snacks (without allergens such as peanuts) • Other similar necessities or comfort items

HOW TO HELP

To contribute, bring boxes to the main office at Independence Academy, 905 W. Terrace St., Plant City.

The campus comprises portable buildings behind Shiloh Baptist Church.

O

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HEALTH MATTERS by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer

Myra Hough offered hats and bags that she decorated from Head Quarters.

Upper right: Woman’s Club members Janice Kimbro, Nancy Miller, Bonnie Troy, Lynn Connor and Patricia Tillman showed their support with breast cancer ribbons.

Woman’s Club of Plant City promotes healthy lifestyle at fair The Woman’s Club of Plant City hosted a health fair Oct. 11, to promote both physical and mental health.

Lynn Connor, chair of the club’s Home Life Community Services program, organized the event. The Home Life program supports a different initiative each month. For October, breast cancer and domestic violence are the issues.

Visitors to the fair received pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness.

Health care professionals from South Florida Baptist Hospital offered free checkups.

Nancy Ross served samples of nutritional products from Usana Health Sciences.

Left: Diana Castillo stopped

by Origami Owl’s booth, and Denise Franklin talked to her about charm jewelry that can tell a story.

Rhonda Harvey, a BayCare nurse, explained health-test results to the guests.

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overcomingobstacles by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor

Runners do battle with Tactical Titan

Climbing, running and lifting were common themes.

The sister to the Mud Titan, Tactical Titan had everything adventure runners could wish for, including plenty of obstacles. But the Oct. 18 run was unique in one way: It didn’t have mud. Tactical Titan brought out those ďŹ tness fanatics who wanted to skip the dirt and get right to the punch to raise money for The Youth Alliance. The 5K snaked through the grounds of the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds.

Right: Angie Frierson, Katrina Avery and Sandi Nelson

The race was for young and old alike.

Mary Buchis

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LOST CAUSE by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor

Brian, Avery and MJ Kopakin enjoyed the day together.

Sophia Mears spent some time in a sandbox filled with corn.

Brenda Crawford found the perfect pumpkin at the Fox Squirrel Corn Maze pumpkin patch.

Visitors complete maize maze at farm There’s only one more weekend left to wind your way through walls of corn at the 2014 Fox Squirrel Corn Maze.

Visitors to the farm off Charlie Taylor Road in North Plant City not only found their way out of the maze on Saturday,

Joey, Demi and Debbie Serman had a blast navigating their way through the maze.

THIS WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS

Oct. 18, but also shopped at the country store, played fun games, picked out pumpkins at the pumpkin patch and ate snacks from some local vendors.

For more information, visit FoxSquirrelCornMaze.com.

Declan and Aidan Willis loved the view from above the maze.

THIS WEEK’S CRYPTOGRAM ANSWERS 1.

2.

Children tested their roping skills at this year’s maze.

People, dogs, horses and heifers all get up at a reasonable hour. But ducks always wake up at the quack of dawn. It’s quite annoying!

A triathlete was well-known for his fine running ability. And because he told pretty bad jokes while jogging along the route, he was also known as the cross country punner.

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Brownlee Garden Center & Mimi’s Place Antiques

#WE’VEGOTTHIS by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer

Q&A WITH PATTY BROWNLEE

The school surprised the students with the T-shirts and rally.

How did your business?

Our business actually started from another business shutting down. My husband is a third-generation citrus dealer. We had been in the citrus business for 31 years. With the decline of orange groves in Hillsborough County, we knew we needed to find something else. Andy and Shelby Bender are friends of ours and told us they were closing down Gro-Mor. We thought there was a need, so we opened up Brownlee Garden Center and Mimi’s Place.

ers, and antique and furniture consignment. We also have the strawberry onions and strawberry plants, and we have seed potatoes certain times of the year. If we don’t carry what you want, we will try to get it.

We are also here to help our customers with problems in their garden and in their yard.

What is your background?

My husband has always been in agriculture. I have had to learn from him. Both my dad and granddad were pharmacists, and I didn’t know anything about farming.

With more people getting into gardening, we see ourselves being here to help them. The Lord placed us here for a reason, and I hope we make Him proud of us.

Can you describe your clients/customers?

We have great customers.

There is always someone saying, “We are so glad you are here.” Our customers range from the backyard gardener to big acreage farmers.

What services does your business offer?

We offer vegetable seeds, vegetable plants, citrus and fruit trees, fertilizer, chemicals, pine straw, plants and flow-

What specials are you running?

We have specials in our business. We have tomato plants and pepper plants on sale this week (Oct. 20 to 24).

Simmons Career Center supports students on test day Students at Simmons Career Center have two opportunities each year to take the FCAT. For the Oct. 8 test day, the school administration organized a rally

to show its support. Parents and faculty lined up outside of the testing area and cheered for the students as they walked through. Chief of Police Ed Duncan and

Assistant City Manager for Public Safety Bill McDaniel also came out to support the students. The school provided T-shirts featuring the hashtag, “#We’veGotThis.”

How many employees do you have?

There are only three employees — my husband, myself and our daughter.

Robert Eaton studies agriculture at Simmons.

Are you on social media?

Brownlee Garden Center and Mimi’s Place are both on Facebook.

Zachary Thompson high-fived the faculty on his way to the test room.

Principal Cleto Sundy Chazares was one of the first in the line and greeted students with a fist bump.

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OBSERVEROBITUARIES Barbara Balfour Brown

Barbara Balfour Brown, 72, died Oct. 18, 2014, of cancer.

She was born in Suffern, New York, and was of the Catholic faith. Mrs. Brown was predeceased by her husband, Robert Brown; and sister, Diane Nash.

Survivors include daughters, Roberta Houseman (Anthony) and Jackie Hendrix (John); sister, Roberta Straut (Donald); and grandchild, Anna Houseman (Craig Custer).

A funeral service was held Oct. 23, at Wells Memorial and Event Center. Burial at Mt. Enon Cemetery.

Condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.

William Wayne Carr

William Wayne Carr, 77, died Friday, Oct. 17, 2014.

He was born March 16, 1937, in Paducah, Kentucky, to Maryellen Bryant and William Matthew Carr. He was a 1955 graduate from Turkey Creek High School in Plant City.

He retired from Tampa CocaCola Bottling Company as a Division Manager and pioneered the “tell-sell” system that is now used worldwide. Mr. Carr was an active member of Wellborn Baptist Church and loved his church family. He enjoyed singing in the choir and listening to gospel music. He was an avid Miami Hurricanes fan.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jo Anne Gillette Carr, of Wellborn; sister, Lucille Williams, of Plant City; sons, Robert Wayne Carr (Mary), of Tallahassee, and Jeral Wade Carr (Patricia), of Wellborn; daughter, Robin Lynne deDood, of New Port Richey; Kimberly Annette Frost (Russell), of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and daughter-in-law, Heather Carr, of Wellborn. He is also survived by grandchildren, Jessica Anne Meredith, Ashlee Vivian Barnett, Justin Ivan Ravenel, Wade Matthew Carr, Kyle Logan Carr, Tiffani Ann Carr, Isaac deDood, Maryellen Grace Carr, Ian Wayne Carr, and Riley William Carr; as well as great-grand-

son, Ryan Meredith; and many nieces and nephews.

He is predeceased in death by son, William Matthew Carr and daughter, Cynthia Kay Kirkland.

A funeral service for Mr. Carr was held Oct. 23, at Wellborn Baptist Church. Interment followed in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to: Florida Baptist Children’s Home, 2300 Bartram Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32207.

Thanks to the staff at Gentiva Home Health and The Club at Columbia County Enrichment Center for their care and support.

Condolences may be made at GatewayForestLawn.com.

Oct. 20, at West Oaklawn Cemetery, Plant City. If so desired, donations may be made to the Humane Society.

Condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.

Sue Greene

Paul Collins, 58, of Plant City, died Oct. 15, 2014, at his home.

Born Feb. 28, 1956, in Plant City, he was the son of the late L.A. and Evelyn Morris Collins.

He was the husband of Joan Caldwell Collins; she survives.

Also surviving are brothers, Donald Collins and Daniel Collins; children; grandchildren; and great grandchildren.

Condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.

Sue Greene, 73 of Plant City, died Oct. 14, 2014, at Health Center of Plant City.

Born April 26, 1941, in Plant City, she was the daughter of the late Sidney Carter and Celia Carter Crosby. She was the wife of Richard Greene; he survives.

Also surviving are son, Tim Greene; daughter, Cindy Cigarran (Jerry); brother, Raymond Crosby; sister, Frances Batchelor (Bill); grandchildren, Alexis and Danielle Greene, and Paul and Chris Cigarran.

Mrs. Greene was a member at Northside Baptist Church, and owner of Greene Poultry Farm and PayPhones Plus. She was a homemaker, and loved music and dancing.

A funeral service was held Oct. 18, at Haught Funeral Home, Plant City. If so desired, donations may be made in Mrs. Greene’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.

Geraldine Bates Demming

Thomas E. Herring

Paul Collins

Geraldine Bates Demming, 84, of Fort Myers, died Oct. 15, 2014, at Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers.

Born Jan. 16, 1930, in Plant City, she was the daughter of the late Gerald and Lorene Waver Bates. She was the wife of the late Gerald Demming and Leon Long.

Mrs. Demming was a member of Plant City’s First Baptist Church, NEA, FEA, CTA and Junior League of Orlando. She was a historian of the Historical Society and graduated from the University of Florida.

Survivors include son, Gerald (Anne) Demming; sister, Lorene Bates McCall; and grandchildren, Allison and Jarrod Demming.

A graveside service was held

Thomas E. Herring, 86, died Oct. 15, 2014, in Blairsville, Georgia.

He was born in Miami. Mr. Herring attended Plant City High School and quit in the 11th grade to join the U.S. Navy, in which he served from 1944 to 1964, on the U.S.S. Yellowstone and the U.S.S. Franklin D. Roosevelt (among others). He retired as a chief petty officer.

He then worked in agriculture from 1964 to 1999 in Ft. Lonesome and then retired to Blairsville.

He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Irene Taylor Herring; sisters, Margaret Gibbs and Laverne Robinson; nephews, Jack Gibbs, Ricky

Robinson and Roy Robinson; nieces, Peggy Gibbs and Tobe Robinson; and several greatnieces and great-nephews.

A funeral service was held Oct. 20, at Wells Memorial and Event Center. Burial followed at Fellowship Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery.

Condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.

Audrey Coleman Long

Audrey Coleman Long, 84, of Lithia, died Oct. 12, 2014.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Louis Long; and children, Patricia Collins, Hilda Murphy and Robert Long.

She is survived by her children, Fred Murphy, of Plant City, Larry Murphy (Linda), of Lithia, Arlene Southall, of Prattville, Alabama, Jeannie Jones (Earl), of Tavares, and Wayne Long (Janeen), of Lithia; sister-in-law, Mae Ellen “Cookie” Coleman; grandchildren, Patricia, Leslie, Samantha, Tracy, Tommy, Donnie, Susan, Bonnie, Ginger, Sarah, Elizabeth, Lynn, Didi, Derek, Kevin, David (Leann), Corey, Kayla, Dorothy, James and Bethany; 23 greatgrandchildren; and nine greatgreat-grandchildren.

A celebration of life was held Oct. 17, at Hopewell Funeral Home.

Condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.

Annie Mae Mejia

Annie Mae Mejia, 80, of Plant City, died Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014.

Born March 11, 1934, in Plant City, she was the daughter of the late John L. and Annie Wright Kemp.

Survivors include a daughter, Rhonda Crosby; brother, Charles Sullivan Kemp; sisters, Mary Elizabeth Blevins and Minnie Lee Parker; 20 grandchildren; 58 great-grandchildren; and 62 great-greatgrandchildren.

She was predeceased by daughters, Marie Andino and Betty Ruth Walls.

A funeral service was held

Oct. 21, at Haught Funeral Home Chapel.

Condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.

children; and many other loving family and friends.

Condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.

Kathleen Nance

Jimmy Eugene Perkins

Kathleen Nance, 64, died Oct. 15, 2014.

Ms. Nance, loving mother and grandmother, is survived

by Sarah Opliger, Christopher Nance, Rebecca Nance and Daniel Nance; grandchildren, Jacob, Lily and Alexander; siblings; and many friends.

Said John Keasler, her father: “Sadness by anyone, it is hoped, will be tempered by remembering my own firm conviction that death is not the end of anything; merely a part of life. My family is urged to remember that our love and experiences together existed a long time before we re-met in this lifetime and will exist a long time after this death time.

Handle yourselves according.”

Donations may be made to H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa.

Thomas Abelardo Nolasco Jr.

Thomas Abelardo Nolasco Jr., infant son of Abigail Galarza and Thomas Abelardo Nolasco, died Oct. 16, 2014, in Brandon.

He is survived by his parents; paternal grandparents, Crystal Serrano and Abelardo Nolasco; maternal grandparents, Marisol Aguirre and Carlos Galarza; and aunts and uncles, Alexis, Angelina, Jessica, Marissa, Alissa, Miranda, Abiel, Erik and Carlos.

There will be a visitation from 1 to 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at Wells Memorial and Event Center, 1903 W. Reynolds St., Plant City. A funeral service will take place at 2 p.m. Burial will follow at Springhead Cemetery.

Condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.

Frances Marie Pelfrey

Frances Marie Pelfrey, 82, died Oct. 16, 2014, in Plant City.

She is predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Farris George Pelfrey.

Survivors include children, John Pelfrey (Jan), Van Pelfrey (Sharon), Ricky Pelfrey (Pam), Marie Hobkirk (Frank), Eva Ammons (Jim) and Estelene Little (Geddis); several grand-

Jimmy Eugene Perkins, 78, of Plant City, died Oct. 15, 2014, at Sun City Center Hospice House in Ruskin.

Born Dec. 4, 1935, in Bright, Indiana, he was the son of the late Hubert and Thelma Keyes Perkins. He was the husband of Nancy Mobley Perkins; she survives.

Mr. Perkins was a member of the Plant City Church of Christ and retired from TECO. He loved camping, hunting and fishing. He was an avid golfer.

He raced cars and was a NASCAR fan. He was also an artisan who made knives, cast nets, lures and flies, and turkey calls, Mr. Perkins volunteered for the Florida State Park Service.

Also surviving are sons, Steve Perkins and Jason (Candy) Perkins; brother, Tommy (Sue) Perkins; and grandchildren, Shannon Hogan, Desirae Perkins Blanton, Janice Perkins and Regan Perkins.

A memorial service was held Saturday, Oct. 18, at Haught Funeral Home. Donations may be made in Mr. Perkins’ memory to LifePath Hospice.

Condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.

Linda Faye Sutherland

Linda Faye Sutherland, 61, died Oct. 14, 2014, in Plant City.

Mrs. Sutherland was born in Lakeland to James Alcus Hall and Lela May (Huggans) Hall.

She was one of 14 children.

She was a devout Christian, enjoyed riding Harleys and loved her Australian shepherd, Bear.

Mrs. Sutherland is survived by her husband of 23 years, Ronnie Sutherland; and sisters, Carolyn Taylor (Tommy) and Altha Mae Wasden (Obie).

She is predeceased by sisters, Dottie Avery, Selma Lloyd, Nellie Webb and Melba Nelson; and brothers; Alton Hall, Junior Hall, Hubert Hall, Virgil Hall, Richard Hall, Raymond Hall and Preston Hall.

A funeral service was held Oct. 20.

Condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.

Sports

YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Dawson Traffanstedt huge in Dolphins win over Brandon Lions. 16 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.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014

TURKEY CREEK 12

FOOTBALL

+ Schools roll out anti-texting initiative Hopefully, everyone knows to put their phones away while driving. If not, then everyone at tonight’s Strawberry Crest football game will get an extra reminder.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with AAA and Hillsborough County Public Schools to create an anti-texting initiative called “Friday Night Lights,” traveling to various high schools in the area and spreading the word.

According to figures released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 421,000 people were injured and 3,328 killed by distracted drivers in 2012.

Public-service announcements geared towards safe teen driving will be announced during games. School resource deputies will launch T-shirts with the antitexting message into the crowd as students voluntarily take the anti-texting pledge.

The number of people killed in car crashes in 2012 by a distracted driver was 3,328, and an estimated 421,000 people were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

GOLF

+ Lady Raiders going to states The Plant City Lady Raiders have qualified for the state championship again, placing second in the Class 3A Region 5 tournament. Unlike last year, though, everything worked out for the team.

The 2013 team, which also finished second in regionals, was knocked out of the state tournament by a controversial ruling at the last minute.

Last week, the Lady Raiders hit no such snags. The team finished with a 353, edging out third-place Manatee by ten strokes. Kendall Johnson led the team — and the entire field — with a 74.

The state tournament will be held from Oct. 28 to 29, at Deer Island Golf and Lake Club, 18000 Eagles Way, Tavares.

VOLLEYBALL

+ District tourney comes to PCHS Plant City High School hosted the Class 7A District 7 tournament this week, which saw Durant and Strawberry Crest advance to the championship game.

On Oct. 21, Plant City defeated Brandon, 3-0, while East Bay defeated Tampa Bay Tech, 3-1. The following day, Strawberry Crest defeated East Bay, 3-0, and Durant bested Plant City, 3-1.

Thursday’s championship game was not played until after press time.

football by Justin Kline | Staff Writer Justin Kline

The Turkey Creek Trojans Varsity team has done big things with a little roster.

Many football rosters are somewhere around the 50-player mark. The Turkey Creek Trojans’ Varsity roster has 12, and they’re making the most of it.

Playing football is a grind, even for athletes who only play on offense or defense. That’s why youth rosters usually have around 30 kids and why higher levels add more players.

So, imagine how the Turkey Creek Trojans’ Varsity team feels about having 12 players in an 11-man game.

These kids are on the field for the full 40 minutes every weekend, which is incredibly demanding for a sport played in heavy gear. But, with the way they’ve been playing, one

would never guess that they’re staffed so low if they saw the record books.

According to the Tri-County Youth Football and Cheerleading Conference website, these Trojans are 6-1 on the season — good for third place in the overall standings, as the East Bay Bucs and Brandon Lions are tied for first. And, they can win big: This past Saturday, they traveled to Brandon to play the Cowboys and won, 4819.

“You’d be amazed with what

they can do out there,” head coach Casey McClain says. “It’s impressive. It takes 11 to play and it takes 11 to want to win, and they’ve got it all. I wouldn’t trade anything for them.”

How do these kids do it?

ALL MARATHON, NO SPRINT

McClain and his coaching staff put conditioning on perhaps the team’s highest pedestal, sharing the logic of a boxing champion who, before a 12-round fight, trains to go for 15 or more.

“I believe that conditioning is everything to play football and, if you don’t get (the kids) in shape, they’re not going to be able to play football,” McClain says. “There’s no way. We go 30 to 45 minutes straight, just continuous calisthenics, push-ups, sit-ups — anything that’s going to physically get their bodies stronger.”

If a player misses practice with an illness, it’s on him to play catch-up when he comes back. It’s more of a necessity than anything else — it’s tough to run a 12-player football program efficiently. So far, though, the Trojans haven’t had a problem with that.

“They could play for 40 minutes, and you couldn’t even tell that they’re tired,” McClain

game of the week by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Crest, Plant City renew rivalry In the last area rivalry game of the 2014 football season, Strawberry Crest will host Plant City as both try to snap their losing streaks.

This certainly hasn’t been the kind of season John Kelly and the Strawberry Crest Chargers were hoping to have.

Now, with only a few games left to play, it’s visible out on the practice field. Even Kelly, who is normally as upbeat as they c o m e , sounds tired. Last All games w e e k’s begin at 7:30 loss to p.m. unless East Bay otherwise hurt the noted: Chargers, who are OCT. 24 now unHillsborough at likely to Durant; 4748 make it Cougar Path, into a disPlant City trict tiePlant City at breaker.

Strawberry “ A t Crest; 4691 times, we Gallagher did show Road, Dover great effort,” Kelly OCT. 31 says. “It East Bay at just hasn’t Durant; 4748 been conCougar Path, sistent.

Plant City T h a t ’s kind of Brandon at been our Plant City; 1 M.O. this Raider Place, year, unPlant City fortunateStrawberry ly.”

Crest; BYE A suc-

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Michael Eng

Brad Jackson led the Strawberry Crest Chargers onto the field for their Sept. 12 home game. cessful example of that effort was, most noticeably, senior running back Arjay Smith, who gained 115 yards on 18 carries and scored the team’s lone touchdown of the night.

Stopping the run has been a thorn in the side of Crest’s defensive efforts as evidenced by the 241 rush yards and two touchdowns by East Bay sophomore Anthony Hollingshed last week. The defense did force Hollingshed to fumble twice — both turnovers — but much of the damage was already done.

“Obviously, we were disappointed with our own play,” Kelly says. “Everything needed to get better — our coaching, our playing.”

Prior to this season, few expected Crest to repeat last year’s success. The 2013 team was loaded with senior leadership; the 2014 team has, by Kelly’s estimation, seven seniors who play. There’s talent on this team, just as there was last year, but the difference — from this outside perspective — is that last year’s seniorloaded team had the experi-

ence to maximize its talents, while this year’s team, which has more sophomores than seniors, is still raw.

But, that’s just what happens when a huge chunk of the team is lost to graduation, and many of those who step in to fill the shoes are getting their first experience playing varsity football.

“When you have that amount of youth, and that little of senior leadership experience, I’m not saying you can’t

SEE GAME / PAGE 15

says. “They could go 60 minutes before they start showing tiredness.”

Of course, being in great shape isn’t the only thing that makes this team work. Because of the small roster size, McClain is able to talk to all of the players on a more personal level — a habit that takes up the first chunk of every Monday practice.

“After every Saturday, we come back out on Mondays and, as a head coach, I want to talk to each individual kid and get their feedback on what they did good, what they did bad and what they could do better, as a player,” he says. “They tell me that and, me and the

SEE TROJANS / PAGE 15

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

Alternate jerseys mean Homecoming Plant City High School’s football team wasn’t big on special Homecoming traditions when Todd Long coached there.

He’s the athletic director at Durant now, though, where the football team does do something different for the occasion.

Most people probably think of Durant as a strictly navy blue-and-gold program. After all, those are two colors that the school uses for, well, just about everything. Branding, uniforms, websites — you name it, it’s covered in navy and gold.

That begs a question: JUSTIN How do those KLINE green jerseys fit in with the overall look of the program? I talked to Long about it some time ago, and it turns out that the color is more integrated into the school’s tradition than one would think.

“A lot of people think that our colors are Vegas and navy blue, and they are, but kelly green is also considered a school color,” Long says.

SEE KLINE / PAGE 16

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game film by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Raiders fall to Spoto in Homecoming game Patrick Colleran and those Plant City seniors were so close to getting their first Homecoming win, they could almost taste it.

Spoto, however, had other ideas.

The Spartans blocked a Plant City PAT that would have tied the game at 28, and held on for a 28-27 final score on the road.

Things got off to a good start for the Raiders, as linebacker Steven Ogletree scooped up a fumble and took it 55 yards to the house at the 8:08 mark. Spoto answered back with a 73-yard pass, setting up an eight-yard touchdown run by Jesse Holmes.

The Spartans scored on the first play of the second quarter, following up on a long drive with a

Kwest Fluitt was disappointed in the Homecoming loss. quarterback sneak into the end zone. Plant City missed a field goal on the following drive, but Markese Hargrove scored his first touchdown of the evening on an 11-yard run shortly afterward.

With the score tied at 14, and 56 seconds on the clock, Tammarrion Faison came up with a pick

The Plant City Raiders played tough all night but could not pull out a win.

TROJANS / PAGE 14 be successful — I’m not trying to sit here and make excuses — it’s that we’re trying to build,” Kelly says. “A relatively young program, a six-year school, is gonna have growing pains.

I still feel strongly about this program, and the future success that is possible here.”

It’s also important to remember that, along with all of the fresh faces on the roster, Kelly is working with a new offensive and defensive coordinator this season. It’s been a time of learning for everyone involved, and the Chargers hope to rebound next year as talents like Bryce and Chase Blackmon, Jordan Zilbar and others develop.

“I’m not disappointed in the development, both on the field and off the field, of our kids and our program this year,” Kelly says.

HOMECOMING

It’s been a little while since the Chargers have last won a football game, so they’re definitely looking to turn things around for tonight’s Homecoming crowd.

They’ll host Plant City, another team that’s been on a cold streak lately, albeit a shorter one.

The Raiders (2-4-1, 1-1 district) came one blocked extrapoint attempt short of taking Spoto to overtime last Friday, instead taking a 28-27 loss at their Homecoming game.

On the bright side, junior

GAME / PAGE 14 coaches, we build off of that.

We show them their mistakes and how to correct them. It makes them better players.”

None of this can work without the right group of kids, though, and these Trojans appear to be the right young men for the job. LeDarin Ragins and Dedrick Green, who have been in the Trojans’ program for three years, were unfazed when they first found out how small the roster was.

“I didn’t think it was a problem, because I’ve got a lot of drive — I really believe that we can win with 11 people,” Ragins says. “If we think we’re the best, we can do it.”

The players’ will to win is coupled with the fact that they love to stay on the field as much as they can, always hoping to make the big play.

“I like it because we get more playing time,” Green says. “And (we) don’t have to get off of the field for anybody else.”

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

that set up another Hargrove touchdown.

Spoto provided the only scoring play of the third quarter, a five-yard run, but missed the twopoint conversion.

The Spartans did, however, score on a 57-yard run early in the fourth quarter, this time succeeding on the two-point conversion. Down 28-21, Plant City ate up eight minutes and 40 seconds before Hargrove struck again from short. The PAT was blocked, though, and Spoto recovered the onside kick attempt.

Just when it looked like Plant City had a chance, forcing fourth down in Spoto territory, running back Todd Sims broke off a huge run into the Plant City red zone and sealed the deal.

In other area action, Durant was upset by Brandon, 21-18, and East Bay beat Strawberry Crest, 21-7.

MATCHUPS DURANT From a sports writer’s perspective, the surest way to tell that a team took a tough loss is when it’s a Tuesday, and the coaches still haven’t published the stats online.

Brandon was not expected to beat Durant on Friday night and did trail for much of the game. In the fourth quarter, though, the Eagles managed to pull ahead for good and shock the Cougars with a 21-18 win.

Durant running back Crispian Atkins led the team running back Markese Hargrove had himself a great game — 179 rushing yards and all three of the team’s offensive touchdowns. Linebacker Steven Ogletree scored the first, scooping up a Spoto fumble and taking it 55 yards to the end zone.

It was the second week in a row in which the Raiders lost by two points or fewer, and this loss especially stung the senior class — who have not won a Homecoming game — afterward. Those Plant City boys are not happy about that, and they’re not going to take this game lightly.

“There’s some things that we think we can do well against them, but they’re still a dangerous team,” Kelly says. “They have good ath-

Patrick Colleran (45) and the Plant City Raiders were ready to go to work on Homecoming.

Quarterback Corey King found some running room in the middle of the Spoto defense.

with 158 yards and a touchdown.

It won’t get any easier for Durant this week, as they’ll host a 6-1 Hillsborough Terriers team that hasn’t lost since Sept. 12, at Armwood.

Not counting that loss, a 26-0 shutout, the Terriers have scored an average of about 32 points per game.

Durant does have experience beating formidable teams this season, such as Sickles, so it’s not like a Cougar win is out of the question tonight. It’s just going to come down to how prepared the home team will be, and how well it can limit mistakes. letes in certain positions that they rely upon to make plays.

We’re gonna have to contain those guys as good as possible, and play with tenacity to overcome some hard-nosed kids on the defensive side, as well.”

Perhaps most importantly, the Chargers will need to feed off the energy of the Homecoming crowd — which could be the most energetic of the season, given the circumstances — and use everything they’ve learned this year to hold off the Raiders.

Otherwise, Hargrove and his teammates will celebrate a different kind of Homecoming win after the final buzzer sounds.

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

HONEY, I SHRUNK THE TEAMS Turkey Creek wasn’t the only program to see a smaller number of players, both new and returning, in 2014. It’s a common trend all over the country now, for whatever reason, and the lack of participation even killed the Antioch Redskins’ program before this TCYFCC season began.

“Over the years, it started out from 30 and just dwindled down and dwindled down,” McClain says.

“Before long, I don’t know if I’ll be down here doing it any longer, because there just won’t be any kids to do it for.”

McClain says the shrinking numbers are because of several circumstances.

One could be the season beginning in the middle of summer, when families go on vacation. Another could be that kids who enter high

school want to ditch the youth leagues and go straight to their high school teams, regardless of whether they’ll get to play.

One thing he didn’t mention is the growing opinion in society that football is a dangerous sport. Many of the NFL’s concussion problems have been magnified in recent years, thanks to a flurry of lawsuits, and parents aren’t comfortable sending their kids out on the gridiron.

“That’s going to eventually work me out of a job, unfortunately,” McClain says.

“I only have experience with youth football. I would love to go to the next level and follow some of these kids, and continue to build them up. They are the future, and that’s what I try to build out here with them. You just have to take what God gives you.”

Peyton Collins and Tammarrion Faison were fired up for Homecoming

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KLINE / PAGE 14 Besides on the gridiron, the color is most prominent during any given spirit week. As with many high schools, each class has its own identifying color. For Durant juniors, theirs is kelly green.

On the field, the team takes its cues from Notre Dame.

There’s nothing about the overall uniform that changes, besides the fact that the jerseys are a different color.

The players all seem to love the feeling of pulling that kelly green over their heads and getting ready to put on a show for the Homecoming crowd.

And, as someone with a rooting interest in the Fighting Irish, I hope Durant’s green jerseys aren’t cursed like Notre Dame’s. I’m pretty sure that they aren’t cursed, though, knowing that Durant’s first win of the 2013 season was a 26-0 Homecoming beatdown on Gaither. “They started wearing those, I’d say, eight or nine

years ago,� Long says. “The green was always an official school color, but nobody ever really emphasizes it. It seems like, once our football team started doing that, other teams in other sports started putting green in the jerseys.�

Strawberry Crest, another school that redesigned its uniforms for the 2014 season, doesn’t have an extra, somewhat hidden color in its visual branding.

Typically, a team that wears black or white jerseys, the Chargers have been known to break out a set of reds.

The fans could get a look at some new reds tonight, if a hint head coach John Kelly dropped to me holds up.

Apart from that, Crest has one extra Homecoming tradition that pertains to the football team — specifically, the jerseys. On the Friday of Homecoming week, the Crest faculty and staff wear Charger football jerseys over their clothes to get hyped for that night’s game. “That’s a neat show of

support from the staff, the faculty and administration, towards the football game and the football program as a whole,� Kelly says.

When I was in high school, we didn’t have anything like that. There were only two sets of uniforms, and the only time I can recall seeing the faculty in jerseys was when there was a general sports theme for one day.

None of them wore Lake Region jerseys.

Maybe the closest any big group came to putting on a Thunder uniform was in my senior year, but that was when the entire Varsity baseball team dressed up as the head coach/athletic director/ lunch detention overseer and stayed in character all day. That was hilarious, and I encourage any local high school teams with interesting head coaches to do the same — in good taste — when the opportunity arises.

Cougars and Chargers — have an awesome Homecoming weekend. Let’s play some football!

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM

DAWSON TRAFFANSTEDT The Plant City Dolphins’ Midgets team is in good standing right now, sitting at a 7-2 record going into the final game of the TCYFCC regular season. The boys just came up with a 30-6 win over the Brandon Lions on Saturday, Oct. 18, and head coach Eric Lawson credits middle linebacker Dawson Traffanstedt as a big part of that win.

How long have you been playing with the Dolphins?

Four or five years.

What do you like about playing football?

I get to hit people.

What’s your favorite movie? “The Waterboy.� I like the part when he finally gets to play in the last game.

He finally gets a chance.

Favorite book?

I like the Percy Jackson series.

What’s your favorite position to play?

Linebacker.

Is that where you usually play?

Yes, I usually play middle linebacker.

Favorite video game?

Call of Duty: Black Ops II. If you could play for any pro sports team, what would it be?

The Seattle Seahawks.

Do you like college football?

Yes, sir. I like the Florida Gators.

You guys have had a pretty good season.

Which game was your favorite?

I guess the Bucs game, because they were probably the hardesthitting team. You could feel how hard they hit.

We lost, but it was still fun.

If you could meet any famous athlete, who would it be?

Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks running back.

What would you want to talk to him about?

How he runs the ball.

What’s your favorite football team?

The Tampa Bay Bucs.

Who’s your favorite football player?

Derrick Brooks.

Do you play any other sports?

I played baseball and basketball. Football’s my favorite, though. I played baseball for the Plant City Little League, and basketball for Plant City ... something.

What else do you like to do for fun?

That’s pretty much it. I love sports.

What would you say is the coolest thing you’ve ever done on a football field?

When I ran the ball against the East Bay Bucs, and I knocked a kid’s helmet off.

(The play) was a blast, and I got the ball and ran over the middle linebacker. He started crying.

I scored — it was about 65 yards.

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PLANT CITY

RAIN

(INCHES)

WEATHER

THURS. Oct. 16

0.00

FRI.

TEMPERATURES

Oct. 17

0.00

SAT.

0.00

SUN.

Oct. 19

0.00

MON. 0.00

TUES.

Oct. 21

0.00

WED.

Oct. 22

0.00

OCT.

TO DATE

1.15 (2013: .85)

HIGH 82 83 85 86 87 84 85

Fri., Oct. 24 Sat., Oct. 25 Sun., Oct. 26 Mon., Oct. 27 Tues., Oct. 28 Wed., Oct. 29 Thurs., Oct. 30

Oct. 18

Oct. 20

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES Fri., Oct. 24 Sat., Oct. 25 Sun., Oct. 26 Mon., Oct. 27 Tues., Oct. 28 Wed., Oct. 29 Thurs., Oct. 30

SUNRISE 7:34 a.m.

7:35 a.m.

7:35 a.m.

7:36 a.m.

7:37 a.m.

7:37 a.m.

7:38 a.m.

SUNSET 6:51 p.m.

6:51 p.m.

6:50 p.m.

6:49 p.m.

6:48 p.m.

6:47 p.m.

6:46 p.m.

LOW 58 54 57 65 68 67 65

MOON PHASES

Oct. 8

Oct. 15

TOMATOES SHIPPING POINT: ORLANDO SIZE 5x6 size 6x6 size

YEAR

TO DATE 36.34 (2013: 36.14)

LOW $23.95 $21.95

HIGH $23.95 $21.95

Oct. 23

Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture

Oct. 1

, 3&

Mimi Niguyen sent us this incredible shot of a bee hard at work.

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.

DOLLAR SIGNS

By Gary Cooper | Edited by Timothy E. Parker ACROSS 1 Common seasoning 5 “Immediately!”

9 “___ does it” 13 Passing remarks?

17 Construction girder 19 Big name in mobile phones 20 Hornswoggle 21 Hardly gallant 22 Sports car feature 24 Matter for the gray matter 25 Chills, as a beverage 26 Some sorority women 27 Where to see piggies?

29 Three-handed card game 30 Identify 31 Lumber 32 In a high-minded way 33 Burnett or Channing 36 Amtrak stop 41 Kirby in “City Slickers” 43 “Darn it all!”

44 Collared garment 45 Frog’s relative 46 Pie ___ mode 49 Revolutionary silversmith Paul 52 Bone-dry 53 Kneeling spot 55 “Snake eyes” half 56 Penn, to Pennsylvania, e.g.

58 Winter footwear 59 Whetter’s concern 60 Bad thing to get in the Tropics 62 Have hands-on experience?

63 Altar locales 64 Affluent part of Georgia 70 Kind of renewal 73 Soprano’s showcase 74 Caribbean music style 78 Big woe of the big toe

79 81 84 85 87 88 90 91 92 94 95 97 99 100 102 104 106 107 111 114 115 116 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126

Compete with Place to go in the barrio Money of Romania Tears, in a way Something about you What a green light may represent Calligrapher’s purchase Having similar properties Muscle ailment Ill at ___ (uncomfortable) Table-setting item It’s dangerous if it strikes With ___ breath (anxiously) All tuckered out Females in wool Milky-white gem Word with “knee” or “mouse” Hubbub Microwave devices Moisturizer additive Prominent donkey features Raw recruit Eye of ___ (witch’s-brew item) Scot’s language White-plumed wader Operating handle Nine-digit IDs Deli loaves Many a freshman “Sure, why don’t we?”

DOWN 1 Brother or sister, for short 2 Be against 3 Poland’s Walesa 4 “Pay attention” 5 Hairy creature 6 Petty clash 7 Choir voice 8 Cancun cash 9 Phonograph inventor

SUDOKU PACIFIC Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 23 28 32 33 34 35 37 38 39 40 42 45 47 48 50 51 53 54 57 58 61 62 63 65 66 67 68 69 70

Part of A/V Leisure-time vehicle ___ and nays Prayer book selection Horse-drawn carriages Perfect in all ways A bit quick to be ticked It can be heavy or precious Give, as a penalty Scot’s topper Wee hour Stockings shade Kind of drive NBA venue “Bolero” composer “Easier said ___ done!”

Well-ventilated Apply scissors “Why, ___ be a pleasure!”

Sunbather’s “catch” Bridge guard of folklore Event at Sochi Dark and Middle Second showing of a TV program Kind of proportions One with idyll musings?

Way to maintain one’s credit rating Acorn product “Luck ___ Lady” Diminish U.S. pharmaceuticals regulator Rand McNally book Any port in a storm Memorable periods Feel under the weather Top blackjack card Language spoken in parts of India and Myanmar “Unattractive” Jamaican fruit

© 2013 Universal Uclick

71 72 75 76 77 79 80 81 82

Horse color Apply oneself with determination Feature on some skirts Have an inkling Exposed publicly Toothy garden tool A going concern?

Ward of classic TV’s “Batman” Kind of testimony

83

Agatha Christie or Myra Hess, e.g.

86 Deliver a tirade 87 Part of a play 89 High ground is above it 93 Right on time 96 Maps in maps 97 Finds another purpose for 98 Barbecue leftover 99 Herb used in cooking 100 Stretches across 101 Turns a whiter shade

103 105 107 108 109 110 112 113 117

Be the ___ for wear Golf score standard Certain thirst quencher Aid an arsonist, e.g.

Enormous Square measure Four-star review Proofreader’s mark Either of baseball’s Griffeys 118 Trauma centers, for short

C RY P T O G R A M S 1 . S W M S D W, P M Z F, L M U F W F J K P LW C H W U F J D D Z W B O S J B J U W J F M K JA D W L M O U . AO B P O I Y F J D V J E F V J Y W O S J B B LW R O J I Y M H P J V K . C B ’ F R O C B W JKKMECKZ! 2. U MEXUMJZDMD FUR FDZZ-APTFP KTE JXR KXPD EWPPXPS ULXZXMI. U P N L D O U W R D J D M T Z N Q E D M M I L U N G TA D R F J X Z D G T S S X P S U Z T P S M J D E T W M D , J D F U R U Z RT A P T F P U R M J D O E T R R O T W P M E I Q W P P D E .

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