Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2015
Rotary holds fundraiser for the food bank.
Athlete has solo shot at golf states.
PAGE 8
MUSIC FROM THE HEART by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Bluegrass concert planned for family The benefit concert will be Sunday, Nov. 8, at Shiloh Baptist Church.
IF YOU GO Benefit Concert for Lisa and Haley Brown
For more pictures of Halloween trunk or treats go to PlantCityObserver. com.
One Plant City girl is making a difference.
PAGE 6
PAGE 12
ONLINE
SPOTLIGHT
BENEFIT
SCORE
OUR TOWN
FREE
WHEN: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 WHERE: Shiloh Baptist Church, 905 Terrace Drive BANDS: Trust in Him, Sawgrass, Sassafras and The Austin Wilder Band COST: Free; a love offering will be taken up, with all proceeds going toward the Brown family. CONTACT: Sunshine State Bluegrass Association, sunshinestatebluegrass@gmail.com
When Ricky Young and Eddie Nelson helped to start the Sunshine State Bluegrass Association in April they also made a goal to help others through music. “If we can play music and help someone, it’s a win-win,” Young said. On Sunday, Nov. 8, the association will be hosting four bands at Shiloh Baptist Church as part of a benefit for Lisa Brown and her 12-year-old daughter, Haley
Brown. The single mother and daughter fell on tough times in September, when Haley was diagnosed with the heart condition paroxysmal atrial tachycardia. Because Lisa Brown had to take time off to care for Haley she lost both of her jobs prior to Haley’s heart surgery. As Haley recovers, Lisa Brown continues to look for a new home for her and her daughter. After hearing Brown’s story,
Young was reminded of a viral video he saw online. In the video, a young boy wore a garbage bag as a replacement for a jacket in cold weather. For four hours, people walked by the boy without stopping. The only person to stop and give the child his jacket was a homeless man. “It’s a shame that four hours went by and nobody offered them any help,” Young said. He then related the video back to Brown’s situation. “We’re no
SEE BLUEGRASS / PAGE 4
WATER WORKS
HOMETOWN HEROES by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Water quality project begins
+ Boy celebrates birthday
The project will improve water quality in the Midtown district.
Harper Oyola, the son of Javier and Lindsey Oyola, celebrated his first birthday Monday, Nov. 2. He is a sweet and happy boy who enjoys going on adventures and playing with his dog, Ella. He will be enjoying a sock monkey-themed birthday bash with friends and relatives Saturday, Nov. 7.
+ Contest for car show tickets Fall Florida AutoFest is offering a free family four-pack of tickets to its show Thursday, Nov. 12, to Sunday, Nov. 5, at the Sun n’ Fun complex, 4175 Medulla Road, Lakeland. All you need to do is submit a photograph you took of car, whether its a classic icon or a modern motor. Send photographs to Nikki McAlpine at nmcalpine@tampabay.com. We will draw the winners Tuesday, November 10. Regular tickets to Fall Florida AutoFest are $10 and include free parking. A daily event pass is $30. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, to Saturday, Nov. 14, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15. Fall Florida AutoFest has enough to keep guests entertained with a car auction, automotive swap, classic car show, food, games, displays, museum, helicopter rides and a fly over. Actor Burt Reynolds will be there Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, to sign autographs. For more information go to CarlisleEvents. com/Carlisle-Events/FallFlorida-Autofest/default. aspx.
different if we read about it and don’t try to help her.” The upcoming benefit for the Brown family is the second major fundraiser that the association has sponsored. Sunshine State Bluegrass held a fundraiser for the youth group at New Hope Free Will Baptist Church, where Nelson attends. The association raised $1,500 for the youth program.
Emily Topper
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Middlebrooks served as a chaplain in the United States Army before becoming a full-time minister at Hopewell Baptist Church, in Plant City.
COMING HOME
The Rev. Dr. Daniel Middlebrooks has ministered to soldiers all over the world. Now, he’s adjusting to ministering to a civilian country church in the town he loves to call home. SALUTE TO VETERANS On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Dr. Daniel Middlebrooks will be speaking at Walden Lake Elementary School as part of its annual Veterans Day program. On Veterans Day, he will be going to multiple speaking engagements.
T
he Rev. Dr. Daniel Middlebrooks is the pastor at Hopewell Baptist Church, but the Plant City native began his career in ministry as a chaplain for the United States Army. Inside his church office off South County Road 39, the shelves are decorated with memorabilia from his military days: his Army green chaplain kit, a neatly folded American flag. Middlebrooks doesn’t look at himself as a home-
town hero — just a hometown boy who has come home.
AROUND THE WORLD
As a teenager, Middlebrooks followed in the footsteps of his father and brother, who served with the National Guard Armory, in Plant City. “Heroes need heroes,” Middlebrooks said. “My heroes are my dad and my brother.” Middlebrooks began to feel a pull toward a life in
ministry as he was growing up, but decided to become a physical therapist technician. In 1987, he entered active duty and worked as a physical therapist technician for four years at Fort Jackson, in South Carolina. Still, he felt that same pull toward a faith-driven career. In 1991, Middlebrooks earned his master’s of divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and then en-
SEE HERO / PAGE 4
HOMETOWN HEROES EDITOR’S NOTE: Hometown Heroes is a recurring feature in the Plant City Times & Observer in which we profile veterans from Plant City. If you have a loved one currently serving or who has served in the past, please contact Managing Editor Amber Jurgensen by email at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com or by phone at (813) 704-6850.
INDEX Calendar........................2
The City of Plant City has begun the Westside Canal Project to improve water quality in Midtown, an area south of Historic Downtown that is being enhanced for further development. The water quality project is not to exceed 90 days and is expected to be completed before Jan. 30. The construction process directly affects Washington and Hunter Streets. A 60-inch wide reinforced concrete pipe will be installed at Washington Street, instead of an open ditch. The pipe is 346 lineal feet and will run from Washington Street north to the existing pipe on Ball Street. Another 747 lineal feet of 24-inch wide reinforced concrete pipe will be installed at Warren Street and will run south to an existing pond. The pond that will receive the water runoff is located adjacent to Hunter Street and is specifically designed to improve water quality. As part of the project, the pond is being enlarged by between 0.25 acres and 0.5 acres. A variety of plants are being added to the pond, including pickerelweed, golden canna and alligator flag. The new plantings will cover about 0.35 acres of the pond. The plants will absorb some of the pond’s phosphorous and nitrogen loadings, creating a long-term improvement to Midtown’s water quality. “This I believe is the last (stormwater) capital improvement project that has a direct relationship to the Midtown
SEE WATER / PAGE 4 Vol. 3, No. 14 | One section
Crossword....................15
Obituaries....................11
Sports..........................12
Weather.......................15
PlantCityObserver.com