Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
A PARTNERSHIP WITH
FREE • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014
ELECTIONS
SPORTS
GOP takes key wins on 2014 Election Day.
Twins tackle familiar foe in Friday’s game.
SPOTLIGHT
PAGE 3
PAGE 12
PAGES 8
OUR TOWN + Photo Archives revises board The Plant City Photo Archives and History Center begins its 2014-15 season with new members on its Board of Directors and changes in its Advisory Council. Added to the Board of Directors are: Bill Thomas, director at the Improvement League of Plant City, and Marion Smith, current President of the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. The Advisory Council Executive Committee has added: Cassandra Banning, of the Plant City Garden Club; Charles Harris, owner of Holiday Inn Express; Jim McDaniel, retired from the City of Plant City; and Darcy Stottlemyer, owner of All A Bloom Florist. New to the Advisory Council this year is David Wolf, proprietor of Haught Funeral Home. For the season an ad hoc committee, the Select Committee on Sustainability, has been formed, and participants not listed above include David Miller, James Chancey and Al Berry.
PCHS student makes holidays merry for veterans.
awareness by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Cemetery trend affecting P.C. plots Families with plots must provide documentation before burial as to which relatives should be buried there. When Plant City resident Timothy Nelson and his family prepared Oct. 27 burial plans for a relative, they had no idea they were going to be required to show documentation to whom legally was allowed to be buried in the family’s plot. The family did not possess official records. The city also did not have the required records because they had been lost in a 1950 fire. The trend has been growing
steadily over the past several generations around the U.S. But city officials and area funeral home directors say there has been recently a higher number of cases in Plant City than usual. When families own cemetery property but have numerous members of the same generation, they sometimes have more heirs than cemetery plots. They must officially determine who will be buried in specific plots, because each member
of the inheriting generation legally has the same claim to the plots. Without official documentation, city officials will not allow the family to bury any potential heir in those plots. Usually, the family member who purchased the plots years ago did not outline in the deed, nor in his or her will, who exactly should inherit them. “They don’t think about it,” Catherine Sinclair
SEE PLOTS / PAGE 4
The city manages numerous cemetaries, including Oaklawn.
HOMETOWN HERO by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
local eats
by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Winn-Dixie recognized for local ag support The company was named Merchandiser of the Year for its focus on local produce.
+ Optimist Club honors students
, 3&
Catherine Sinclair
No one who sees Ralph Bradley’s truck would doubt that his faith is of the highest importance in his life.
CLOSER TO HOME There was one particular May day during the Vietnam War that Plant City native Ralph Bradley will never forget. As North Vietnamese fighters approached, they begun dropping bombs on an airstrip near where Bradley was positioned. Bradley and another soldier dug a foxhole and took cover. “Me and my buddy that were in the foxhole, we thought it was kind of funny,” Bradley said. “We were watching them and they were missing the airfield. All of a sudden, one of them hit the airfield, and a piece of shrapnel landed between me and my buddy in the foxhole. You could warm your hands from it.” Because he was in possession of the group’s only op-
erational radio, he had to stay amongst the fire until the captain left. He was one of the last soldiers to leave. “We left equipment behind,” Bradley said. “All we had was the clothes on our backs when we got on that plane.” Bradley was never the same after returning from combat in Vietnam, but the one thing that has stuck with him through the trials and trauma is his Christian faith.
LADY LOVE BACK HOME
Bradley grew up in Plant City and graduated from Plant City High School in 1967. He immediately joined the U.S. Army, and in 1968, he was sent to Vietnam, as part of the 196th infantry brigade.
He was initially glad to leave Plant City and join the Army, but when he got to Vietnam, he was lonely. His lack of companionship did not last for long, however. A young Plant City woman named Barbara was listening to the radio that summer and heard an address to which she could send letters for a Vietnam solider. Bradley was the recipient of those letters, and they meant the world to him. In the third letter he wrote back, Bradley asked the her to marry him. Before she could write back and answer the proposal, Bradley had bought rings and a suit in Vietnam and was on his way
SEE HERO / PAGE 4
I hear, ‘Welcome home, Vietnam vet,’ or someone tells me, ‘I appreciate what you’ve done,’ I feel I’m that much closer to home. — Ralph Bradley
The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association selected Winn-Dixie as Merchandiser of the Year at a ceremony Sept. 18, honoring the company for its dedication to supporting local agriculture. Winn-Dixie stores throughout Florida sell produce from 60 Florida farms. From six Plant City farms, Winn-Dixie offers strawberries, blueberries, vegetables and canteloupes, as well as from others in Lakeland, Bartow and Ruskin. Bob Denomme, Winn-Dixie’s vice president of produce, was present to receive the award. “We have a local strategy when it comes to supplying our stores with products so we can meet the diverse needs of our customers in each neighborhood we serve,” Denomme said. Denomme said he did not recall any previous years when Winn-Dixie had been honored as Merchandiser of the Year. One new way the company visually demonstrated its commitment to local agriculture this year was by featuring photographs of Florida farm families in stores around the state. Meredith Holland, a public relations manager working on behalf of Winn-Dixie, said the photographs were intended to help customers make connections with the real people behind the produce.
SEE WINN-DIXIE / 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.
This week’s winner is
Ana Boxtha
See her photo on PAGE 15.
“
Ralph Bradley joined the U.S. Army right after graduating from Plant City High School, and served in Vietnam and Germany. Every time
“
The Plant City Optimist Club recently held their annual Youth Appreciation Ceremony recognizing 10 local high school students for their outstanding accomplishments. A banquet in their honor was held Monday, Oct. 27. Eight students from the 2015 senior class at Plant City High School and two from the 2015 senior class at Lakeland Christian school were selected. Each student received an award for their deeds. The students are: Reid Adams, Cole Arn, Noelle Dietrich, Mary Futch, Jarrett Gillman, Jackson Hardee, Carly Knox, Carson Knox, Brittany Nesbitt and Kellie Pernula. The Plant City Optimist Club has been honoring local youth through the Youth Appreciation program for over 50 years. Youth Appreciation events are one of its most popular programs.
INDEX Calendar.......................2
Vol. 2, No. 16 | One section Crossword...................15
Obituaries.....................9
Weather ......................15
Sports.........................12
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
COMMUNITYCALENDAR FRIDAY, NOV. 7 Acoustic Happy Hour — live music takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Appointment with Death — play starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, to Saturday, Nov. 8, at Durant High School, 4748 Cougar Path. Christian Contemporary Music — takes place from 6:33 to 8:13 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220. Mama’s Kin Band — live music takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday, Nov. 7, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Tomlin Veterans Program — takes place from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. and 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at Tomlin Middle School, 501 N. Woodrow Wilson St. (813) 757-9400. Uncork Your Weekend with Skip Frye — live music from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 752- 9100.
SATURDAY, NOV. 8 27th Annual Pioneer Heritage Day — takes place from 10
Turkey Shoot — takes place from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Parkway Baptist Church, 4305 Jim Redman Parkway. The event is a fundraiser for the church and the public is welcome. Tickets are $10. Elmer Robbins, (813) 763-3134. Women’s Club Honors Women Vets — takes place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Veterans’ Monument Park. For more information, call Nancy Miller at (813) 754-2544.
MONDAY, NOV. 10
BEST BET Empty Bowls — takes place 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8 at McCall Park in Historic Downtown. With a donation of $10, receive a clay bowl made by local students and a lunch. There will be 17 different types of soups to choose from as well as entertainment from NRG and Ace Jackson and the Jump Kings. There will also be a new sidewalk art demonstration. The event fosters a love of art in area schools, brings awareness about hunger in the U.S., and all the proceeds benefit the United Food Bank of Plant City. (813) 762-0625.
a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the 1914 Building, 605 N. Collins St. Enjoy vendors, food including homemade ice cream, and see antebellum era dances, listen to folk music and tour the exhibits inside. (813) 7579226. Terry Cole Show — live music takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 8, at
O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. The Florida Opry — takes place at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the 1914 Building in Historic Downtown. The show will feature the Larry Mangum Trio from Jacksonville. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children. (813) 757-9226.
Garden Club Meeting — takes place beginning at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at Walden Lake East Community Center, 1304 Teakwood Drive. (813) 661-3963. Master Gardening Program — takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon Street. The program is entitled, “Attracting Wildlife to Your Backyard.” (813) 7579215. Veterans Brick Dedication — takes place beginning at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at Plant City Veterans’ Monument Park off Wheeler Street. For more information contact Jennifer Closshey at (813) 719-0201. Veterans Day Celebration — takes place beginning at 8:30
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. a.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at Bryan Elementary, 2006 W Oak Ave.
TUESDAY, NOV. 11 29th Annual Veterans Day Observance Celebration — takes place beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Veterans’ Monument Park. The event is hosted by Hopewell Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens. Octopus Car Wash Veterans Special — takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Octopus Car Wash, 1503 S. Collins St. Octopus Car Wash will be offering a free car wash to all military service members. (813) 7540777. Walden Lake Car Wash Veterans Special — takes place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Walden Lake Car Wash, 1413 S. Alexander St. Walden Lake Car Wash will be offering a free car wash to all military service members (813) 7527226.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12 Contact Breakfast — takes place beginning at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Building, 2301 W. Oak Ave. The guest speaker is new Police Chief Ed Duncan. RSVP by
Nov. 7. (813) 754-3707. Open Mic Night — live music takes place beginning at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.
THURSDAY, NOV. 13 Plant City Photo Archives Special Invitational Reception — takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Plant City Photo Archives & History Center, 106 S. Evers St. Wine and cheese will be offered during a fellowship time. RSVP at (813) 754-1578.
FRIDAY, NOV. 14 Christian Contemporary Music — takes place from 6:33 to 8:13 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220. Dancing with the Locals — takes place beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at the John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road. The event will include an open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a dance recital. Money raised will benefit the Noon Rotary Club. Double Barrel Band — live music takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday, Nov. 14, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
election results by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Ross, Higginbotham take election wins
Voter turnout in Hillsborough County was 48.93%. All over Hillsborough County, Florida and the U.S., political activists and candidates gathered to watch the polls during watch parties. Voters re-elected Republican Congressman Dennis Ross to represent U.S. House District 15 against Alan Cohn. Ross held his watch party at The Imperial Swan Hotel in Lakeland. He garnered a 3-2 majority and was optimistic with his wife by his side before the final tallies came in. “I’m excited,” Ross said. “We ran a very upbeat, positive, solution-oriented campaign. Now we just have to deliver on it the next two years.” Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham also claimed a win, but it was a close race between him and Democrat Patricia Kemp for the County Commission District 7 seat. He held his campaign party at the Hilton in downtown Tampa. “This is the culmination of many months of work by hundreds of volunteers who have given their time,” Higginbotham said as the results poured in. For the school board race, Melissa Snively, April Griffin and Sally Harris won their races. Among other victories include Gov. Rick Scott, who narrowly beat former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. Attorney General Pam Bondi will also return for another term, defeating Plant City native George Sheldon. Both Scott and Bondi stopped at Parkesdale Farm Market on the eve of Election Day to meet with constituents during their trek up the I-4 corridor.
Gov. Rick Scott talked with the owners of Parkesdale Farm Market on the eve of Election Day during his trip through the I-4 corridor.
Al Higginbotham and his wife, Devon, remained hopeful throughout the close race for the County Commissioner District 7 seat against Pat Kemp. One amendment was passed in this year’s election. Amendment 1 dealing with water and land conservation garnered 74.9% of the vote. Amendment 2 on the use of marijuana for medical conditions did not pass. Florida voters gave it 57.55% of the vote, but amendments require 60% to pass. In Plant City, voter turnout
Rep. Dennis Ross greeted supporters Mary and Art Wood at his watch party in Lakeland.
was slow but steady, according to poll worker Judy Wise. She and her husband, Ed, have been volunteering with politics for at least 25 years. She was at Evangelical Presbyterian Church, manning the stations, and attributes early voting to the slow day. “There was never a line,” Wise said. “It was kind of dis-
appointing to me. But then again, there’s 11 days of early voting, two weekends and mail-in votes, so there’s no excuse. People already voted.” Ed was at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center, where things were a little busier. “There was a little bit of a crowd right at opening,” Ed said.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS Below is a breakdown of how Hillsborough County voted on specific candidates. GOVERNOR Rick Scott (R): Charlie Crist (D): Adrian Wyllie (LPF): Farid Khavari (NPA): Glenn Burkett (NPA): Write-in: Total votes: 371,684
45.63% 48.27% 4.8% .34% .65% .31%
ATTORNEY GENERAL Pam Bondi (R): George Sheldon (D): Bill Wohlsifer (LPF): Total votes: 366,909
53.49% 43.41% 3.1%
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Jeff Atwater (R): William Rankin (DEM): Total votes: 356,382
59.37 % 40.63 %
AMENDMENT 1: WATER & LAND CONSERVATION Yes: 75.66% No: 24.34% Total votes: 350,386 Amendments require 60% to pass AMENDMENT 2: USE OF MARIJUANA FOR CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS Yes: No: Total votes: 362,160 Amendments require 60% to pass
57.85% 42.15%
AMENDMENT 3: PROSPECTIVE APPOINTMENT OF CERTAIN JUDICIAL VACANCIES Yes: No: Total votes: 342,200 Amendments require 60% to pass
46.01% 53.99%
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE Adam Putnam (R): Thaddeus Hamilton (D): Write-in: Total votes: 358,481
60.85% 39% .15%
STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 22 Jeff Brandes (R): J. McLauchlan (D): Total votes: 38,796
60.3% 39.7%
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS DISTRICT 15 Dennis Ross (R): Alan Cohn (D): Total votes: 121,252
58.74% 41.26%
STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 24 Tom Lee (R): Write In: Total votes: 110,990
94.28% 5.72%
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS DISTRICT 17 Tom Rooney (R): Will Bronson (D): Total votes: 38,643
61.25% 38.75%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 59 Ross Spano (R): Donna Lee Fore (D): Total votes: 46,751
58.23% 41.77 %
COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 2 Victor Crist (R): Elizabeth Belcher (D): Total votes: 102,306
56% 44%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 61 Edwin Narain (D): Write In: Total votes: 31,566
97.55% 2.45%
COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 4 Stacy White (R): Write-in: Total votes: 78,764
95.91% 4.09%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 63 Shawn Harrion (R): Mark Danish (D): Total votes: 46,134
52.58% 47.42%
COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 7 Al Higginbotham (R): Patricia Kemp (D): Total votes: 352,482
50.3% 49.7%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 64 James Grant (R): Miriam Steinberg (R): Total votes: 35,023
60.67% 39.33%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 70 Darryl Rouson (D): Philip Garrett (NPA): Write-in: Total votes: 2,424
59.58% 39.81% .61%
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 2 Sally Harris: Michelle Popp Shimberg: Total votes: 75,869
52.51% 47.49%
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 4 Terry Kemple: Melissa Snively: Total votes: 69,089
46.35% 53.65%
SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 6 April Griffin: Dipa Shah: Total votes: 319,379
64.92% 35.08%
SOURCE: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections
time to shine by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
‘Dancing with the Locals’ returns to benefit Rotary Club The competitive event will raise money for the club to use on its programs with local non-profit organizations. It’s that time of year again, when eight Plant City couples will put on their dancing shoes and twirl the night away at Dancing with the Locals, a fundraiser hosted by the Plant City Noon Rotary Club. The doors will open for the seventh annual Dancing with the Locals at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at HCC’s John R. Trinkle Center. The event is based on the competitive TV show Dancing with the Stars. This year’s judges are James Surrency, Traci Walding and Florida Strawberry Festival President Paul Davis. There is a trophy for the couple that wins Judge’s Choice. But, first-, second- and third-place winners will also be honored, based on the amount of money couples raise. The primary ways the couples have raised money is through sponsorships from local businesses and ticket sales. But audience members at the event can vote for their favorite dancers by giving donations in support of their acts, and those dollars are included in each couple’s overall fundraising, as well. The couples come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some have professional dancing experience, and others do not. But, the one thing they all have in common is a tie to Plant City. “We try to get them from different industries within the community here,” said Marcus Caswell, Rotarian and chair of the event. When the Rotary Club first started the event, the competitors were mostly Rotarians. But now, Dancing with the Locals has gained enough renown that people throughout the community volunteer to dance, Caswell said. Each couple has been taking dance lessons from an instructor provided by the Rotary Club for the past 10 weeks. Some of the dancers, such as David Chancellor, could build entire resumes of their dancerelated achievements. Others have limited experience, but are still going to give it everything they have to benefit the Rotary Club. “This is one of the Rotary Club’s premiere fundraisers, and all of the funds generated
IF YOU GO
When: 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 14 Where: John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road
MEET THE DANCERS Shannen Hagemann: Medicine student, HCC Matthew Pick: Business student, HCC
Simone Tolley: Co-owner, Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill David Chancellor: Owner and instructor, Fred Astaire Dance Studio (Brandon) Dayla Russ: Social services, South Florida Baptist Hospital Chris Russ: Fire medic, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, and paramedic, South Florida Baptist Hospital Jacquè Sufka: Dental hygienist, Dental Associates of Plant City Steven Wang: Dentist, private practice Lance Ham: Strawberry farmer, Farm N 4 U Crystal Eaton: Staff, Plant City Elks, and nursing student, HCC Roxanne Bufano: Optometrist, Family Eye Care Anthony Walkowiak: Special projects manager, HCI Group Jennifer Chamberlain: Account and office manager, FOCUS Magazine Stephen Rossiter: Vice president, Call the Doc Summer Prieto: Hair stylist and makeup artist, Ulta Salon (Brandon) Scott Prieto: Field supervisor, family construction company from this stay here in the community,” Caswell said. “A lot of it goes to several organizations here.” The Noon Rotary Club works closely with Unity in the Community, United Food Bank of Plant City, and other local non-profit organizations. Tickets for Dancing with the Locals are $100 each and can be purchased by calling Caswell at (813) 752-5111.
IN MEMORY by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
It was a bittersweet moment for Misti Whitfield’s loved ones.
Misti Whitfield’s family celebrates her life It was a tear-filled Sunday afternoon as family and friends of Misti Whitfield gathered at McCall Park to celebrate her life Nov. 1. Whitfield had been missing for over a year. Her body was found Oct. 24 near where she was last seen around Nautical Marine, in Tampa. “Obviously, this chapter is closed,” Mel Ardelean, Misti’s stepfather, said. “The mission to find Misti is a mission accomplished. But there is a part B unfortunately. It’s a bitter part, bittersweet situation we have going here; that there’s somebody still out there, people, individuals. We’re not sure. But we have to get to the bottom of what happened to Misti.” Whitfield’s oldest daugh-
Misti’s stepfather, Mel Ardelean, spoke for the family. ter and uncle spoke at the gathering. Attendees signed a guestbook and were encouraged to share their stories of her at a party at Cuzzins, a bar owned by the Ardeleans just a block away.
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
LOCAL GROWERS Winn-Dixie sells produce from these local growers: Astin Strawberry Exchange, Plant City BBI Produce, Dover Gulf Coast Produce, Dover Sizemore Farms, Plant City Sweet Life Farms, Plant City Wish Farms, Plant City
WINN-DIXIE / PAGE 1 Denomme said the company also had recently integrated full-time produce buyers, who are solely dedicated to developing local business. Each year, Winn-Dixie has an annual produce campaign that focuses on the growers with
HERO / PAGE 1 home for Christmas. She said ‘yes.’ Ralph and Barbara Ann Bradley were married Jan. 10, 1969. The week after, Bradley returned to Vietnam for eight months. His wife wrote letters to him every day, and he still has all of them except one that was destroyed. That fall, Bradley finished his service in Vietnam and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. “When I came home, there was no hero’s welcome,” Bradley said. “There was no parade. There was nothing, except people pointing fingers at me, because I was in the Americal division — the same unit that Lieutenant Calley was in, who was tried for war crimes.
PLOTS / PAGE 1 Haught Funeral Home owner David Wolf said. “It’s a small item.” For Nelson’s family, the city agreed to let the family bury Nelson’s relative in a family plot before the family could gather the necessary documents, but the whole family was still re-
whom the company works. “As part of the campaign, we interview local growers and visit their farms to take photos and become better acquainted with the owners, their products and the impact of their business in the community,” Denomme said. The photos have been used in advertisements, in-store signage and on the company’s social media profiles and website. “We aim to communicate to our customers that the produce from these local farms is grown close to home and sold in our stores to provide freshness, seasonal variety and a way to support the community,” Denomme said. The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association has served the state’s grower-shipper com“I have prayed that we never have another situation like Vietnam, with the American people turning their backs and denying the American soldiers ... because, in fact, that’s what they did,” Bradley said. Bradley left the Army in 1970, and he and Barbara Ann returned to Plant City.
NOT HOME FOR LONG
“I tried to get a job here ... But I couldn’t get on the police force, and I couldn’t really get a good job no matter how hard I tried,” Bradley said. So, he re-entered the military in 1973. He had two tours in Germany, and then was stationed at Fort Lee, Virginia. He was discharged for medical reasons. Bradley was exposed to quired to sign an agreement after the burial. “These are plots that have been here for generation after generation,” Nelson said. “Some of these people go way back in Plant City history, but they don’t have the papers.” The solution is simple, although it takes prior planning. All siblings who have legal
Bob Denomme, WinnDixie’s vice president of produce, accepted the award at the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association’s 71st annual convention this fall.
Courtesy photo
munity since 1943. The association’s 2014 convention, where Winn-Dixie was presented with its award, was held Sept. 17 to 19, in Naples. Speakers addressed association members
about the future of Florida agriculture, focusing on challenges and opportunities. Employees of local Winn-Dixie stores were not permitted to speak to the press.
Agent Orange in Vietnam, and he also suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, in addition to other health issues that resulted from his service. Bradley said that though many military personnel return to U.S. ground physically, they might not mentally return home for a long time, or ever. But the community’s gratitude can help with the healing process. “Every time I hear, ‘Welcome home, Vietnam vet,’ or someone tells me, ‘I appreciate what you’ve done,’ I feel I’m that much closer to home,” Bradley said. “I wish that Plant City and other places would give the honor to the Vietnam veterans that they deserve.” Bradley held a number of jobs in and around Plant City
since he finished his service, but he has now reached a point where his disabilities have made it impossible for him to work. His wife also has developed health issues, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. “But she has been so wonderful,” Bradley said. “Even though she has Parkinson’s and everything, she handles the checkbook and pays the bills.” Though Bradley is still healing from some of the devastating effects his Army career has had on his life, he is proud of his service and wouldn’t trade it for anything. “I loved the military,” Bradley said. “I wish I was still in it.” Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
claims to the property, whether or not they want the plots, must sign a document that specifies who will be buried in their family’s remaining plots. But, it is often difficult to work out the details while emotionally processing a recent death. “It all makes perfect sense when you’re talking about it when there’s not been a death,” Wolf said. “You have a death occur, and those same people that were reasonable yesterday ... now there’s a panic about it, there’s urgency, and emotions are high.” Wolf said it is important to develop and sign a contract long before any potential heirs die, to avoid that last-minute panic and rush. Families can work with the city attorney’s office, often through a funeral home director, to develop the correct
documentation. “In some of the cases, the people were given deeds,” City Attorney Ken Buchman said. “They were told to record the deeds. If they were not recorded, then we just have to base it on the records that we have.” In this situation, the family must develop a contract. “It’s not a difficult thing, but you’ve got to be very sensitive about it,” Buchman said. “Most of the time, it’s not a problem.” Nelson hopes that other families will learn of the issue to avoid what his family had to go through. “I just think families ought to know,” Nelson said. “Be prepared — you might have to face this when you go to bury your loved one.” Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
FARM-HAND by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
‘Cattle Kids’ wrangle counselor’s cancer Students from the Hillsborough County Junior Cattlemen’s Association and their parents wanted to give back to Susan Harrell, who had given them so much of her time throughout the years. Every year around Christmastime, members of the Hillsborough County Junior Cattlemen’s Association do a community service project, which usually involves providing gifts and meals to a family in need. But this year, as one of their beloved leaders, Susan Harrell, fights lymphoma, the students are doing something a little bit different. “The students wanted to focus their attention on giving back to Susan,” said Stephanie Conrad, who started up HCJCA’s chapter in 2009. “She’s very highly regarded. They love her.” They decided to form Team Susie and make their beloved mentor t-shirts, as well as start a fundraiser for her. Over the years, Harrell has poured out her time to students through HCJCA, FFA, 4-H, the Florida State and Hillsborough County fairs and more. She is known throughout the county for her dedication to young people and agriculture. “She called them the ‘Cattle Kids’ — that’s how she affectionately referred to them,” Conrad said about Harrell’s relationship with the members of the HCJCA. One of Harrell’s sons, Jimmy
Catherine Sinclair
Team Susie set up a table outside of Beef O’Brady’s in Brandon Wednesday evening to increase support for the fundraiser. Harrell, recently posted a request on Facebook, asking the community to respond with ways his mother had impacted their lives. “I can’t recall a moment in school, the show ring, or any barn at that, when Susan did not have a smile on her face and a heart full of love and support,” Jesie Andrlik wrote. “My children consider her their second mom, but so do
many people in Hillsborough County,” John Butts added. Dozens of other comments revealed Harrell’s reach throughout the county and how she has made differences in the lives of countless youth involved with agriculture. Harrell discovered this summer that she would have a long battle ahead of her with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. She has been
going through treatment for the disease, but she contracted pneumonia this fall and was in the hospital with complications for more than a month. When the members of HCJCA and their parents gathered to brainstorm ideas for this year’s community service project, there was a consensus that the best thing to do would be to organize a fundraiser for Harrell.
“We brought it up, and the kids ran with it,” Conrad said. “It meant a lot to me because that just shows how special she is. It wasn’t something they were forced to do.” The group decided first, to make and sell t-shirts. Some local sponsors covered the cost of producing the shirts, which means 100% of proceeds from their sales will go to helping Harrell with her non-treatment expenses while she fights the disease. The t-shirts say “Team Susie” and feature an awareness ribbon that is green, the color for lymphoma. They also have the text of a Bible verse. “Susan has a very strong faith, and we wanted to put her favorite verse on there,” Conrad said. “But because of how sick she was, we weren’t able to get that information.” Conrad said. Instead, they chose Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. “It’s a verse of strength and hope, and holding on tight to the promises that she’s going to be well again,” Conrad said. There will be a fundraiser at Beef O’Brady’s in Valrico, where the restaurant will donate 10%
TEAM SUSIE BENEFIT EVENT Where: Beef O’Brady’s, 2561 E. State Road 60, Valrico When: 12 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8 Write “Team Susie” at the top of your bill to make sure your donation is accounted for. For t-shirt orders, attend the fundraiser at Beef O’Brady’s or call (813) 393-8695. of every bill to Harrell’s cause when customers mention Team Susie. It will also feature a silent auction of donated items. The students will distribute t-shirts that were preordered, and have extra shirts to sell. If they sell all of the shirts they have already ordered, they will order another batch. T-shirts are $15 each. Another fundraiser at Beef O’Brady’s in Brandon was held Nov. 5. Harrell, who was just released from the ICU, wrote in a September Facebook post: “I could not believe my eyes when I saw that Team Susie had been established. As the balance grew, I was even more surprised, humbled and thankful. I know you all love me but was really taken aback by your generosity and the widespread participation.” Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver. com.
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
berries and beer by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Keel & Curley Winery gets messy with mud run Keel and Curley Winery had a double feature event Saturday, Oct. 25. Athletes from all over Tampa Bay came out for the annual Blueberry Stomp Mud Run. The race took runners through the grounds of the winery. At the finish line, they were met with more than a medal. After hosting the Blueberry Stomp Mud Run, Keel and Curley Winery switched gears to its Biertoberfest. The festival exclusively carried Two Henrys Brewing Company creations, including 20 beers to choose from - even a roasted jalapeñoblueberry porter. Smokin’ Aces BBQ hosted a King of the Wings eating competition, offering both $100 and a gallon of beer to the winner, and the Apple Butter Express took the stage to play the music.
Mark Simmons, Chevelle Anguish, Shelby Cone and Brice Alumbaugh
George Quintero, Sharon Krichman, Kaley Roe and Brittany Fox enjoyed their free drinks after finishing.
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.
110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A Plant City, FL 33563 (813) 704-6850 www.PlantCityObserver.com &RS\ULJKW 3ODQW &LW\ 0HGLD //& $OO 5LJKWV 5HVHUYHG
TO ADVERTISE
Call Veronica Prostko, (813) 716-0007, or Joanna Verga, (813) 451-6489.
SEND US YOUR NEWS
We want to hear from you. Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements. To contact us, send your information via: Email: Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@ PlantCityObserver.com. Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563
Scott Bole, Diana Landess, Richard Melendi, Catherine Miller, Anthony Adduci, Abi James and Rose Morales
Clay Keel and Larry Minich served beers outside. Left: Michael Lovera and Kristina Carrillo
CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Fridays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City. The Plant City Times & Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A. If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.
The Two Henrys, Plant and Flagler, were happy to attend the event.
Plant City Times &
Observer
General Manager/Executive Editor / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com General Manager/Advertising / Stacey Hudson, shudson@tampabay.com Managing Editor / Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, jeng@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writers / Justin Kline, jkline@PlantCityObserver.com; Catherine Sinclair, csinclair@PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, vprostko@PlantCityObserver.com; Joanna Verga, jverga@tampabay.com Circulation/Office Manager / Linda Lancaster, llancaster@PlantCityObserver.com
“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” — Friedrich Hayek, “Road to Serfdom,” 1944
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
ª
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
simpler times by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
VERY MERRY VETERANS by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Antioch Days goes back in time
P.C. High student collects Christmas gifts for veterans
East Thonotosassa Baptist Church became a little pioneer town for the ninth annual Antioch Days celebration Saturday, Nov. 1. Guests
Blake Stafford wants to make sure patients at James A. Haley VA Hospital are not forgotten during the holidays.
licked up hand-made ice cream and were able to ride trains and ponies. One popular activity included trying to catch a greased pig.
Jai and Rebecca Buttram
Geno Rodriguez taught his daughter, Jazmin, how to shoot a bow and arrow. Left: Kids could try their hand at catching greased-up pigs in a small arena.
Patients at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa will have something to look forward to this Christmas season, thanks to Blake Stafford, a senior at Plant City High School. Stafford is organizing a collection of Christmas gifts for veterans. He hopes not only Plant City will jump on board, but also other residents across Hillsborough County. “I’m doing it mainly because I just absolutely love the veterans, and I think they’re underappreciated this time of year,” Stafford said. Stafford and other volunteers will be at Stingray Chevrolet from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, to collect unwrapped items. There are several other dropoff locations, as well. Plant City’s Winn-Dixie will serve as a drop-off location for donations between Nov. 8 and Dec. 1. Winn-Dixie will be preparing gift bags that customers can purchase at the checkout line throughout the month of November. Stafford is working on securing a drop-off location in Tampa, too. And PCHS students and parents can bring items to the school’s guidance office. There is a particular veteran who attends Stafford’s church who was part of the inspiration for the project. “I’ve grown up seeing him all my life,” Stafford said. “I don’t personally know him on a deep level, but I know his name, and I still appreciate what he did.” Stafford also has a cousin who serves in the military. After taking inventory of what has been donated, Stafford hopes to gift wrap the items. Stafford has been promoting the collection through his school’s monthly newsletter, by word of mouth and flyers.
Courtesy photo
Blake Stafford wanted to organize a project to personally thank veterans living in the Tampa Bay area. On Dec. 1, Stafford and his family and friends will transport the donations to the hospital, and they will personally distribute the gifts Dec. 13. Surplus items will be stored at the hospital for future use. Stafford hopes the distribution day will be fun and special for the patients. He and his friends might even double as Christmas carolers. “We’ll be dressed up and be very festive, to be a blessing to the veterans,” Stafford said. “We’re going to tell them how grateful we are for them.” Stafford requests items that will provide entertainment and comfort, such as books, puzzles, board games and stationary. But he is also collecting
JAMES A. HALEY VETERANS’ HOSPITAL
James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital opened in 1972. It is a teaching hospital and offers a full range of patient care services. The hospital provides training to 183 University of South Florida residents and fellows, as well as hundreds of other health care professional students. It has 533 authorized beds.
necessities, such as shampoo, toothpaste, shaving cream, tshirts of assorted sizes and hats. Any items that can be easily transported are welcome.
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
OBSERVEROBITUARIES Charlotte A. Allen
Charlotte A. Allen, 92, of Plant City, died Oct. 24, 2014. Ms. Allen was born to Roy and Viva (Griffin) Alexander. She is survived by her loving family. Condolences may be offered at www.wellsmemorial.com.
Ruth M. Brown
Ruth M. Brown, 84, of Plant City, died Oct. 28, 2014, at her home. Born July 15, 1930, in Atlantic, Idaho, she was the daughter of the late Jacob and Milda Hass Pieken. She was the wife of Howard Brown for 62 years; he survives. Ruth was a member of Hope Lutheran Church and was retired after 26 years from Principal Financial Group. Surviving are sons, Duane Brown, Jeffrey Brown and Douglas Brown; daughter, Victoria Ricketts; sister, Janice Blake; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. The family will be having private services. Online condolences may be made to the family at HaughtFuneralHome.com.
William Paul Christian
William Paul Christian, 68, born in Syracuse, New York in 1946, died Oct. 28, 2014. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Barbara J. Christian; children, Casey W. Christian (Tonya), Ryan P. Christian (Donna), Jamie E. Gevedon and Maxwell J. Christian; grandchildren, Courtney, Bryar, Jacob, Trey and Sam; and brother, Steven Christian (Valerie), of Syracuse. He enlisted in the Army in 1965 and served in various assignments. Following his discharge, he attended the University of Southern Colorado, graduating in 1974. He received his master’s degree in Middle Eastern area studies at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. As a foreign affairs officer to the Middle East, he was stationed with the United States Central Com-
mand. He served in both Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During his service he was awarded many medals, but most notably the Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in a designated combat theater and the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding achievement and valor to the United States. He was nominated for Florida citizen of the year in 1990. After his 1991 military retirement, he taught at Turkey Creek Middle School for 12 years. He also coached girls softball for Pinecrest Little League. A celebration of life was held Friday, Oct. 31, at Hopewell Funeral Home. Interment with military honors will follow at Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123, www. cancer.org. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral. com.
Randall L. Cooper
Randall L. Cooper, 54, of Plant City, died Oct. 30, 2014. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. He is survived by his children, Randall L. Cooper Jr. (Marie), of Stuart, Justin Don Cooper (Jessica), of Plant City, Amy Jo Cooper, of Plant City and Alexis Ariana Cooper, of Plant City; mother, Helen Davis, of Plant City; sisters, Vicky Sawyer, of Plant City and Sharon Strout (Lou), of Plant City; and 11 grandchildren. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Jeanne Ann Giberti
Jeanne Ann Giberti, 92, of Plant City, died Oct. 29, 2014. Along with her husband of 58 years, Bill, she is preceded in death by parents, William Gledhill and Grace Kelly Gledhill Basta; step-father, Felix Basta; brother, Don Basta; son-in-law, Roger W. Ayers; granddaughter, Courtney Liann Giberti; and her in-laws, Charles and Margaret
Giberti, whom she loved dearly. Survivors include sister, Pat Martyn; sons, William C. Giberti (Jan Ray), of Mulberry and Charles A. Giberti (B.J. Courtney), of Deland; daughters, Kim Giberti Ayers Wright (Skipper), of Plant City, Deborah Giberti Hayden (William), of Lutz and Margaret (Peggy) Giberti Jordan (Wilbur), of Plant City; and 11 grandchildren and 18 greatgrandchildren. Mrs. Giberti was originally from Easton, Pennsylvania. She and Mr. Giberti were residents of Plant City since 1947, and were the former owners of Bill’s Texaco, which was located at the current site of the City Hall, as well as the A&B Diner and Bill’s Bar & Lounge. She was a devoted wife, mother and Nana, taking great pride in her family while giving them unconditional love and remarkable memories. Her wisdom and humor will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Heartfelt thanks are extended to the staff of Coventry Assisted Living, especially Yolanda for the care she provided. A celebration of life was held Saturday, Nov. 1, at Hopewell Funeral Home. Private interment will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at WoundedWarriorProject.org or Meals on Wheels of Tampa at MOWTampa.org. She will continue to watch over us. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Belva Stalvey Lamb
Belva Stalvey Lamb, 92, died Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014, of natural causes. She was born Aug. 21, 1922, in Plant City, and went to Lakeland as a child. Mrs. Lamb was a homemaker, and a member of New Home Baptist Church. She enjoyed being with family and friends and having family reunions. She was known for her coconut cakes. She liked going fishing at her place on Lake Walk-In-Water. She was preceded in death
THIS WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS
by her brother, Benny Stalvey; and sister, Evelyn Driggers. She is survived by her husband, James Lamb; daughter, Glenda Pierce (Henry); grandsons, Kevin Green and Alvin Green (Lynn); great-granddaughters, Amanda Green, Hannah Green and Jade Green; and brother, Bobby Stalvey (Mary Ann). Services were Thursday, Oct. 30, at New Home Baptist Church. Interment was in New Home Cemetery. Lanier Funeral Home.
Leucadia Ramirez
Leucadia Ramirez, infant daughter of Juve Marcos and Leucadia Ramirez, died Oct. 31, 2014, at South Florida Baptist Hospital in Plant City. The family is planning private services. Online condolences may be made to the family at HaughtFuneralHome. com.
THIS WEEK’S CRYPTOGRAM ANSWERS 1. A bridge foursome got fairly disturbed when a new player at north started protesting that he wasn’t a dummy! 2. A multi-colored alien, arriving to live on earth, was interested and amused by the use of the term “green thumb”. He would certainly fit in!
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
UNTIL NEXT TIME by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Arts Council hosts closing tour of 2014 sculptures On Tuesday, Oct. 28, the Arts Council of Plant City offered a reception and tour of the sculptures on loan to the city from Sculpture Foundation, an organization based in Santa Monica, California. The sculptures arrived July 25, and were uninstalled Nov. 1, but city officials have decided to host a new set of sculptures next year.
Gil Gott, director of Plant City Photo Archives, led the tour. Left: LaVerne Cribbs viewed the photo contest entries, including some photos with her grandchildren in them.
Sports
YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Rising cross country star finishes seventh in district meet. 14 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
SIDELINES
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014
GAME OF THE WEEK by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Friday night notes
Do you have a good sports scoop for us? Contact Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.
VOLLEYBALL
+ Thornton, Miltner earn honors Hillsborough County’s volleyball coaches got together for the annual Western Conference Volleyball end-of-year awards, and Plant Cityarea teams have made their mark in two of the three divisions. In the Federal division, which includes Durant and Plant City, Lady Raiders Head Coach Jessica Thornton was named Coach of the Year for 2014. Two of her players, Kasi Maguire and Kellie Pernula, won first and secondteam All-Star honors, respectively. For Durant, Rachael Rice and Lindsey Robinson earned firstteam honors, and Madison Adkins was named to the second team. In the National division, Strawberry Crest’s Morgan Miltner was named Coach of the Year. Two Lady Chargers were named to All-Star teams, with Terra Brooks making the first team and Jailene Caraballo making the second team.
+ Durant falls in regionals For the second year in a row, Durant’s playoff run has been stopped by Steinbrenner. Playing in Tampa on Tuesday night, the Lady Cougars were swept, 25-15, 25-21, 25-23. Durant held leads in the final two sets, but the Lady Warriors’ attack was enough to swing the momentum each time.
CROSS COUNTRY
+ PCHS advances to regionals The Plant City cross country team keeps on proving that it can go the distance. At last Saturday’s district meet, both Raider teams recorded top-five finishes and advanced to Saturday’s regional meet at North Port High School. The boys placed fourth overall, but sophomore Luke Whitmore won the whole thing — his time of 17:04, while not a new personal record, was a full eight seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Cody Facer, Plant City’s second-fastest finisher, placed 13th overall with a time of 18:20. The girls placed third overall, thanks to sophomore Hannah Stowe and freshman Cassie Highsmith finishing seventh and eighth with times of 22:26 and 22:27, respectively. Madison Manley was the team’s third-fastest finisher, finishing 15th overall in 23:46. In tomorrow’s action, the girls will begin running at 8:30 a.m., followed by the boys at 9:10 a.m.
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?
Bryce and Chase Blackmon transferred from Armwood to Strawberry Crest after the 2013 football season.
Justin Kline
FAMILIAR FOES As a nationally-known football force, everyone around here knows Armwood. But no Chargers players know that team better than ex-Hawks Bryce and Chase Blackmon.
Every football team in Plant City starts its Mondays in the film room, getting to know its opponents for the week. But when it comes to Armwood, the Strawberry Crest Chargers might be more familiar on all levels with the Hawks than anyone. Several of the coaches have worked there. Head coach John Kelly also played there in the mid1990s. And now, two of the players are familiar with the system. Bryce and Chase Blackmon, who transferred from Armwood to Strawberry Crest after the 2013 football season, have been looking forward to this game ever since they first pulled onto Gallagher Road. “I’m looking forward to seeing some old friends and having a good game against them,” Bryce says.
GETTING EXPOSURE
The Blackmons, a pair of twins, are identical even beyond physical appearances. Both split time at running back and linebacker — Chase has gotten 16 touches to
Bryce’s seven. And both wanted to be able to step right in and help a team out as soon as junior year began. “I knew I had a better opportunity here,” Bryce says. “I had a great chance of starting, and to try and make a name for myself.” Strawberry Crest proved to be an attractive destination. In addition to starting right away, the brothers will be a part of a program actively taking strides to improve itself sooner than later. “It’s exactly what I expected,” Chase says. “I’m playing all around the field. I’ve enjoyed it.” Their biggest impact has been on defense. The twins are two of Crest’s top five tacklers this season. Chase’s 55 is good for third on the team, and Bryce’s 48 is good for fifth. Chase has two sacks, a forced fumble and a recovery this season, while Bryce has forced and recovered three fumbles of his own. The Blackmons’ parents are Armwood alums, as is a cous-
in, but the boys expect their family to pull for the home team on Friday night. “It was a little while ago (that they attended Armwood), so I think they’ll be on our side,” Chase says.
Having just come from the school, the twins have a pretty good idea of what the Chargers are up against this week. They certainly remember some of the 2013 playbook, but know that certain things could have changed since they were Hawks — and probably did. As far as player traits and tendencies are concerned, though, that’s a different story, and they’re letting their young teammates know what to prepare for. “The big offensive line — the speed and strength,” Bryce says. “They’re a real strong team and fast.” The play calls have probably changed, and there are some new players on the varsity squad, but the foundation is the same. It’s always been the same — just ask someone who’s played for coach Sean Callahan. Kelly, who graduated from Armwood in 1997, can vouch for that. “There’s no secret to what they do there, at Armwood,”
THE GAME
SEE FOOTBALL / PAGE 14
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS All games begin at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted:
NOV. 7 Durant (BYE) Plant City at Gaither (16200 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa), 7 p.m. Armwood at Strawberry Crest (4691 Gallagher Rd., Dover)
NOV. 14 Tampa Bay Tech at Durant (4748 Cougar Path, Plant City) Plant City at Sickles (7950 Gunn Hwy., Tampa)
I’ve been writing about prep football teams losing for the last few weeks, for the most part, so it’s nice to talk about a win. Even better when there are two wins to talk about! I guess you could say that last Friday made up for much of Durant and Plant City’s tough luck lately, as both teams won when they absolutely had to and locked up a couple of playoff spots. The Cougars, whose regular season ended last week, JUSTIN now have KLINE two weeks to prepare for a Tampa Bay Tech team they’ve already beaten on the road. The Raiders, on the other hand, will play Gaither and then prepare for a rematch with Sickles — the team that knocked Plant City out in the first round last postseason. That’s all I can get into for now, though, because I’ll be talking to both teams next week for a G.O.T.W. double feature. It’s time to talk about last Friday. Durant abandoned the “air it out” game plan from the Hillsborough game and went back to basics against East Bay. As you can see, it worked quite well. There were only four passes thrown during the game. One of them — Crispian Atkins’ 35-yard touchdown — was a screen pass, which is about as close as you can get to a running play without actually calling for a running play. Atkins had himself a pretty solid game, catching three of those four pass attempts for 37 yards and a touchdown, and rushing 21 times for 122 yards and a score. He had 869 rushing yards before the game, and ends the regular season with 991. The last Cougar to rush for 1,000 yards was Jamarlon Hamilton, in 2012. Whatever Durant did in practice to improve everyone’s discipline largely
SEE KLINE / PAGE 13
golf by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Lady Raiders make states This year wasn’t an example of Murphy’s Law — everything went well for the Plant City girls golf team in 2014, ending the season with a state championship appearance. It was a fun year to be a Lady Raider. Having fun, above most things, was what helped the Plant City girls golf team make a deep playoff run and get back into the 3A state championship tournament. “We had fun, and we won,” sophomore Savannah Kummelman says. Following a 13th-place finish at Deer Island Country Club, the girls are back in town and, before getting ready for next year, are looking back on this year, as a whole, with nothing but good memories.
GETTING THERE
Plant City teams have been known to rely on a strong senior core in the past, but the 2014 team was much younger. In fact, the only senior in the entire program — boys and girls — was team captain Lindsey Box. The other veteran roles on the team were filled by juniors Kendall Johnson and Kaylee McIntosh, who were often Plant City’s lowest scorers. Kummelman and fellow sophomore Emily Walker also qualified for the state tournament, and freshmen Abigail
Devane and Arden White are waiting in the wings. Solid team chemistry helped the girls reach the district tournament again, where they went in with a goal to get back to the regional tournament at all costs. Plant City ended up in first place, leading by a comfortable margin of 22 strokes. “We destroyed everyone — let’s just put it that way,” Kummelman says. “Not ‘destroyed’ in a bad way — we just put ourselves out there to go to regionals. We accomplished
SEE GOLF / PAGE 13
Courtesy photo
The Plant CIty Lady Raiders were happy to make the 3A state tournament.
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
GOLF / PAGE 12
KLINE / PAGE 12
what we set out to do.” As much fun as the team had all year, it was difficult to hide the nerves going into regionals.
worked. For once, the refs threw more flags against the opponent than the Cougars. The only penalty that really affected the home team was an offensive holding call in the second quarter, which negated both an 85-yard Atkins touchdown and a 1,000-yard season for the senior. At least they got the score a few minutes later, after setting Kamerron Joyce up at the goal line to punch it in. The defense was awesome again, stuffing the Indians at virtually every opportunity. By the time East Bay could make anything happen — an Ian Kuykendall QB sneak for a touchdown — there was only 1:10 left in the game. Now, that’s how you knock out the defending district champ. Also: I’m glad that it’s finally starting to feel like football weather outside. (This Buffalonian’s idea of football weather, anyway.) I get that Floridians are used to blistering heat and ridiculous humidity levels, but it looked like half of the home fans already brought their winter hats, heavy jackets and boots for this one. As proof that Florida weather’s not so bad, here’s a picture of my best friend’s dad getting ready to grill outside last Christmas:
SMOOTHER SAILING
Last season, the Lady Raiders fell victim to a perceived scorecard error and a questionable ruling on behalf of the FHSAA, which eliminated them from the state tournament they’d qualified for. “We were nervous going into regionals because the same team was there,” McIntosh says. “But, after all the nerves were gone, we were just happy that we were able to make it to states this year.” Knowing that Venice — the team responsible for setting off that chain of events — was back in the tournament wasn’t exactly comforting to the girls, especially since McIntosh’s scorecard was the one that was called into question. Fortunately, Manatee High School hosted the tournament. “That was (Venice’s) punishment — that they’re not allowed to host any events,” head coach Meg Jordan says. Plant City once again played well, finishing second overall with a 353. Johnson led all golfers with a 74. This was good enough to get the team back into the state tournament for the first time since Box was a freshman.
Erick Davis got back to his usual scrambling ways against East Bay.
FOOTBALL by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
Durant Cougars going to playoffs
THE BIG ONE
If anything, it seems like the girls felt less pressure at states than they did at regionals. Perhaps it’s because they had already achieved what they set out to do — getting to regionals, and then making states with no snags. They played loose, and they played well. “It was kind of nerve-racking, but I didn’t really feel like I had a lot of pressure because I wasn’t expecting myself to win,” Kummelman says. “I just kind of went out there to shoot two good scores, and ended up OK.” To take some of the edge off, the team rented a house instead of a few hotel rooms and bonded over home-cooked meals and Netflix. “It’s a tiring three days,” Jordan says. “The fact that we had the option to do that just made it nicer, more relaxing. They do that a lot at college events.” There was some homework that got done, too, but no one’s going to remember bonding over a math assignment. The girls placed 13th with a total score of 730, led by Johnson’s 151. Her score was good for seventh place individually. With the exception of Box, every member of this squad will be back next season, and they’ve just started thinking about next season. They’d all like to go back, and Johnson’s other goal is to break the school record for lowest round before graduation. She’s tied at a 34 with Jordan, Kellyanne Hurst and Kelsey Jensen, and is determined to hit a 33. “It’s happening,” she says. Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
LINDSEY’S LAST DANCE
Plant City captain Lindsey Box, the team’s only senior, ended her golf career at states. Box has no plans to join a collegiate team, instead hoping to focus on her studies in a business marketing major. “I’ve always looked at (golf) thinking, ‘I’ll have this forever,’” Box says. “It doesn’t matter if I go to college for it or not.” Monday afternoon, in an interview, was the first time she realized that her golf career was over. Things got a little emotional in the room, but not in a bad way — Box is pleased with all that she’s done. “I think, looking back, I’m proud of how I’ve done throughout all of the years,” she says. “Freshman year was a good start. Sophomore and junior year, we still went to regionals, and we were very close to going to states. That’s also an accomplishment, to at least be close. Ending it all as a senior, it was nice to be able to go to states. Overall, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
Jalen Forte breaks off a defender.
East Bay couldn’t stop Durant’s run game — only contain it.
Mike Gottman almost couldn’t have asked for a better pair of birthday presents. On the eve of his 50th birthday, his Durant Cougars team locked up a playoff spot with a dominant, 28-7 win over East Bay. Soon afterward, Wayne Ward’s Plant City Raiders scored a 20-14 win over Brandon that handed the Cougars the district championship. Down at Cougar Place, quarterback Erick Davis put the home team on the board early with a 53-yard keeper in the first quarter. East Bay nearly tied it up at 9:17 in the second, but a big red-zone stop by the Durant defense led to a turnover on downs, and the Cougars took a 14-0
lead six minutes later with a Kamerron Joyce goal-line punch. Crispian Atkins scored his first touchdown of the night on one of Durant’s only pass plays of the game, a 35-yard screen. He did it again in the fourth quarter, scoring on a two-yard run to make it a 28-0 game. Atkins finished the game just nine yards shy of becoming the first Durant running back to run for 1,000 yards since Jamarlon Hamilton did it in 2012. After Indians quarterback Ian Kuykendall scored on a goal-line QB sneak with 1:10 to play, Atkins wasn’t inserted in the lineup as Durant killed the clock.
Just give the cold a chance — you’ll learn to like it.
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
FOOTBALL / PAGE 12 Kelly says. “They do what they do. They have a very successful model, and they have kids that buy into that model. It works for them.” It will be Kelly’s fourth time squaring off with the Hawks, and although it doesn’t feel novel anymore, he says that it’s “still awkward.” That’s probably true of any student-versus-teacher matchup. This year, Kelly says, won’t be the same as the others have been. “This year, it’s a little different,” he says. “The young team, going up against the very powerful, nationally-ranked team. Not that that’s the end-all, be-all, but they’re a very good football team. We always respect our opponents.” The key to beating a team like the Hawks isn’t just containment, but also playing as mistake-free as possible. Though many people have probably already written the
OTHER MATCHUPS PLANT CITY
As Durant’s bye week brings its regular season to an end, Plant City will wrap things up on the road. The Raiders’ 20-14 win over Brandon last Friday, sealed by a Sawyer Dawson fumble recovery in the end zone, put the Raiders in the playoffs and gave them a two-game winning streak. It was another solid game for running back Markese Hargrove, who went for 204 yards and two of Plant City’s three scores. Five sacks — three from sophomore Nathan Hamilton — set the tone for this game, forcing quarterback Isaiah Alexander to think on his feet and make too many mistakes. This was the kind of performance that the Raiders will look to replicate against a Gaither team with a similar 6-3 record. The Cowboys just beat Steinbrenner, 18-15, on the road, and likely have last year’s 28-20 loss at 1 Raider Place on their minds right now. Unlike last year, Gaither isn’t playoff-bound — an Oct. 24 loss to Tampa Bay Tech sent those hopes right out the window. This is going to be a battle of two teams with nothing to lose, save for either more bragging rights or revenge.
Chargers off on this one, the team’s not giving up hope on pulling off a massive upset. “We’ll send these seniors
out the right way,” Bryce says. “Hopefully.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
HANNAH STOWE It’s been a good season for the Plant City High School cross country team, which is set to compete in tomorrow’s regional meet at North Port. Sophomore Hannah Stowe, in her first season with the team, has been running well lately — most recently posting a seventh-place finish at last week’s district meet, leading the Lady Raiders. How was Saturday’s race? It was pretty long, but it was good. I enjoyed it.
the people who did things to get America to where it is today. I like American history.
What’s been your favorite race, so far? Probably the county meet. I got a 20:45, so I was really excited about that.
If you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be? Probably to fly. I would just want to fly around America and see everything.
What’s been your favorite course, so far? The second time at the county meet, I liked that one. It was really easy — it was really fast. Do you play any other sports? No, sir. This is all. When did you start running? Mid-summer. I just started running — not very far — and I realized I really liked it. So, my friend, Abby Miller, told me I should run (with PCHS), so I did. What are some of your other hobbies? I play the piano, but that’s about it. I’ve been playing for six years. I’m OK. My favorite thing to play is, probably, classical music. Do you have a favorite running spot? Not really. Just running here with my team — the normal path that I usually do. What are some of your favorite movies? I’m a fan of Disney movies. Lion King, Tangled — I like those. What’s your favorite subject in school? History, probably. I don’t know, just looking back at all
If you could be either rich or famous, what would it be? Rich, because celebrities don’t have any privacy. They can’t do anything without it being spread everywhere. If you could have lunch with anybody, and have a conversation with them, who would it be and what would you talk about? Billy Graham. I’d talk to him about how incredible it’s been to be where he is right now, and how many lives he’s saved. Who’s your favorite athlete? Lolo Jones. I really like Lolo Jones. Does that mean you’re considering joining the track team, too? I’m planning on running track. My coach said I should run 800s, but I don’t know. I don’t really want to run the really long ones, you know? I already run plenty!
ª
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª
PLANT CITY
RAIN
(INCHES)
WEATHER
THURS. Oct. 30
0.00
FRI.
TEMPERATURES
Oct. 31
0.00
SAT.
Friday, Nov. 7 Saturday, Nov. 8 Sunday, Nov. 9 Monday, Nov. 10 Tuesday, Nov. 11 Wednesday, Nov. 12 Thursday, Nov. 13
Nov. 1
0.00
SUN.
Nov. 2
0.00
MON.
3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
HIGH 79 78 70 77 80 79 75
Nov. 3
SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
TUES.
SUNRISE Friday, Nov. 7 6:44 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8 6:44 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9 6:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10 6:46 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11 6:47 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12 6:47 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13 6:48 a.m.
0.00
Nov. 4
0.00
WED.
Nov. 5
0.00
NOV.
TO DATE
0.00 (2013: 1.05)
YEAR
TO DATE 36.39 (2013: 37.19)
SUNSET 5:41 p.m. 5:40 p.m. 5:39 p.m. 5:39 p.m. 5:38 p.m. 5:38 p.m. 5:37 p.m.
LOW 55 58 47 51 54 51 52
MOON PHASES
Nov. 14
Nov. 22
PICKLES SHIPPING POINT: ORLANDO Size 150-200s: 200-300s:
PRICE $22.90 to $23.90 $24.90 to $25.90
Nov. 29
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture Dec. 6
, 3&
Ana Boxtha sent us this beautiful rainbow cloud in the sky. 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 Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com; subject line: I Love Plant City. Winners can pick up their prize at Grimes Hardware.
PAID TO PLAY
By Bill Bobb | Edited by Timothy E. Parker ACROSS 1 French clergyman 5 One who checks you out? 9 Dull pain 13 Petty quarrel 17 Quarters 19 Old Athenian marketplace 20 Tofu source, in London 21 Pretentious-looking 22 Surnames, e.g. 24 Boot camp lullaby 25 Circular band 26 Like images of false gods 27 Unwelcome one 29 Teenager’s facial problem 30 Campbell of “Party of Five” 31 Meteorologist’s word 32 Makes even or level 33 Provide for, as a party 36 Mob witness’s request 41 Kind of patch for a rabbit 43 Kind of agreement 44 Car dealer’s offering 45 Cow’s hurdle, in rhyme 46 Calendar abbr. 49 Creamy dessert 52 Ready to be picked 53 Training locale for athletes of yore (var.) 55 Sitter’s handful 56 “It was ___ coincidental” 58 Bigwig’s belt attachment, once 59 Sit for a photo 60 Pause in a verse 62 Sombrero feature 63 Heard, but not seen 64 Feature of good executives 70 Dinner rooster 73 Where the quarter goes 74 International agreement
78 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
Popular ‘60s hairstyle Let up Wear away through erosion Smeltery input Replenished the stock of Matter for the gray matter Public speaker Double standard? “... happily ___ after” Dunce cap-shaped Cold cuts shop Norse goddess of love Baton wielder Flummox Destroy documents, in a way Refrigerate Prefix meaning “half” Pay attention to Crowded Part of a baseball’s seam Baby’s nurse, in India Celebratory poems Clay pigeons, e.g. Change the decor Dried up Wading bird “___ not kidding!” “Meet Me ___ Louis” Bygone despot Requirement Egg container
DOWN 1 Dadaism founder 2 Bjorn of tennis fame 3 Crude dude 4 Selects, as a jury (var.) 5 It may be easily bruised 6 “___ better watch out ...” 7 Coastal predatory bird
SUDOKU PACIFIC Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
8 9 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 71
Brando’s vocal trademark Down the wrong path Animal with a flexible snout “I could eat a horse,” e.g. “___ on Down the Road” Much of Niger Person authorized to act for another Square things Composes email Cut in two Temper, as glass or steel Gun in a garage Frequently, in rhyme Fork feature Stand-up kind of guy? Appetite arouser Neutral shade “A ___ formality” Catch, as a criminal Spot in a crowd Perceive with the eye Lion’s sound Lava forerunner Bear in the air Highlander Brush off Continental capital “No ___, no gain” Coastal spray Brit fliers in WWII Paid player Hound’s trail ___-O-Honey Daisylike bloom “Poly” attachment Gravity-powered glider Grass square Pasture Get ___ shape Golfer’s transport Not many
© 2013 Universal Uclick
72 75 76 77 79 80 81 82 83 86
Looks over the galleys Famed Bridge dweller of folklore Like ghost stories Collection of quail 212 and 410, e.g. Public scenes Like a proposer’s knee Place to hibernate Ownership card, in Monopoly
87 89 93 96 97 98 99 100
Hotel sign Home project Treat like a baby Extremely popular Cat that catches rodents Monopolist’s portion “Jaws” island Lamb Chop puppeteer Lewis 101 Macho guys 103 Met production
105 107 108 109 110 112 113 117
And so forth (Abbr.) Military station Not closed More than suggest Holding a grudge Mrs. Peacock’s game Terrycloth term One of the Beverly Hillbillies 118 6-1, in tennis
C RY P T O G R A M S 1 . U Z OT G B K Q A L OVA F K B AW Q U T O X M G T V W L O Z K G C P K H U H K C R X U M K O U W H AO W P V W U O W K G R O AW K V W T H B W P U W P K C U V H ’ W U GLFFM! 2 . O U N G S Z - I B G B C X A O G Z X J , O C C Z E Z J M S B G Z E X B J X O C S V, Q O W Z J S X C X W S X A O JA O U N W X A K T S V X N W X B Y S V X S X C U “ M C X X J SVNUK”. VX QBNGA IXCSOZJGT YZS ZJ!
ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP
0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 &2)$!9 ª./6%-"%2ª ª