Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
IN FOCUS
INSIDE
Antioch Days honors area’s heritage.
+ Turkey drive needs donations The United Food Bank of Plant City’s third annual Turkey Drive started Sunday, Nov. 1, and will continue through the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 25. Turkeys are needed to complete the Thanksgiving meal boxes, which will be distributed to those in need during the Thanksgiving holiday. Turkeys can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, with extended hours until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the United Food Bank of Plant City, 702 E. Alsobrook, Suite H. The UFB served more than 450 complete Thanksgiving meals to families in need in 2014. The demand on its pantry has tremendously increased and the UFB expects even more families to be in need this year. All meals help families in Eastern Hillsborough County and Plant City. For more information on the third annual Turkey Drive, or to donate or volunteer, contact the UFB at (813) 764-0625.
SPORTS
Durant High School celebrates 2015 Homecoming.
PAGE 10
OUR TOWN
FREE
PCHS runner shows true sportsmanship. PAGE 12
PAGE 8
GOVERNANCE by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
MONEY MATTERS
The City Commission approved the rezoning of the eastern half of the former Red Rose Inn & Suites to be used as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.
Plant City EDC hosts first meeting
RED ROSE REZONED At the City Commission meeting Monday, Nov. 9, commissioners unanimously approved the rezoning of the eastern half of 2011 N. Wheeler St., formerly the Red Rose Inn & Suites. Following the zoning changing from Neighborhood Business District to the Planned Development District, the eastern half of the facility will be used as a drug and rehabilitation center by
Florida Rehabilitation and Recovery Services. The western half of the property will be used as administrative offices, and as a motel for clients’ family members. The City of Plant City’s Planning and Zoning Board first approved the rezoning plans for the center at a Thursday, Oct. 8, meeting. Before making the decision, the board consulted with law-enforcement officers and
evaluated the impacts on infrastructure and the environment. The center was found to be compatible with the existing nearby areas. “Every community needs and organization like this in their community,” Mayor Rick Lott said. “This is a good example of what we want to see here in Plant City.” Located just off Interstate 4 and minutes away from Plant City’s Historic Downtown
shops and restaurants, the former inn first closed years ago when the owners, Batista and Evelyn Madonia, faced financial difficulties. Since then, no buyer has shown interest in bringing the inn back to what it was in its prime: a 270-room motel that was host to the finest events Plant City had to offer. But the new plans for the
SEE RED ROSE / PAGE 4
FOOD FIGHT by Justin Kline | Sports Editor
The Plant City Family YMCA Turkey Trot 5K will be held on Thanksgiving.
+ Sign up for Turkey Trot The Plant City Family YMCA will be holding its annual Turkey Trot 5K Thanksgiving morning. The race starts at 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26, at the Plan City Family YMCA, 1507 YMCA Place. There also will be group exercise classes after the awards ceremony. Children ages 13 and older can run without an adult. Register in advance at active.com. For more information, call (813) 575-6677.
Business owners, city leaders learned of membership opportunities and ongoing projects. Local city leaders and business owners have joined forces to associate Plant City growth with more than strawberries. On Monday, Nov. 9, Plant City’s Economic Development Corp. hosted its first meeting at Highland Packaging Solutions. The EDC formed in June and passed its bylaws in September. To date, the organization has nine members on its executive committee, nine general members and 32 board members. Business leaders from Plant City who are partnered with the EDC attended the Nov. 9 meeting, and spoke about upcoming and ongoing projects in the community. “There’s a lot of support behind this initiative,” said Plant City EDC President Jake Austin. “We have to have something that this community owns. The public sector is the yin to this private yang.” Both business owners and EDC leaders are focused on creating sustainable growth in Plant City that brings in jobs, businesses and families, and allows existing businesses to expand.
PROJECTS, DEVELOPMENT Justin Kline
The Hardwood BBQ team gives a big group hug to Michelle Friend Dearhart, center.
Sizzle, Spice and Everything Nice Michelle Friend Dearhart is battling lymphoma, and Plant City’s own Hardwood BBQ competition team is helping her fund her fight through its Pig Jam sales.
+ Student places at FFA competition Taryn Storter, an eighth-grader at Tomlin Middle School, competed in the Agriscience Fair and won fourth place in the nation. She won her category at the State FFA convention over the summer and was chosen as a Top 15 project over all other state winners by the national selection team. Taryn was the only middle-schooler that was picked to compete in her category at the national level.
by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
DONATE NOW Readers who don’t want to wait until Pig Jam to help Michelle Friend Dearhart pay for treatment can visit her GoFundMe page, gofundme. com/8z7q6phgc. To sponsor the team, contact Layla Drawdy at hardwood bbq@tampabay. rr.com.
T
he Hardwood BBQ team members are no strangers to lending a helping hand to those in need. Just last month, the team held a fundraiser event for a teen named Nathan Dodds, who was diagnosed with brain cancer. The event, held Oct. 3 at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill, was a success. And it wasn’t long after that event that Hardwood BBQ team member Layla Drawdy found another cause to fight for: her friend, Michelle Friend Dearhart, had
then made her battle with lymphoma known. “As soon as we left that event, I was checking Facebook and I found Michelle’s GoFundMe,” Drawdy says. “I’ve known her my entire life. She’s a dear friend of both sides of the family and biological aunt of one of our team members.” So, with Pig Jam on the horizon, it only made sense for the team to plan to take advantage of their festival spot.
ONGOING STRUGGLES
Dearhart is currently fighting diffuse large B-cell
lymphoma, a form of cancer that appears in lymph nodes and can travel through the bloodstream. She currently is undergoing chemotherapy treatments, for which costs can pile up. This has rendered Dearhart unable to work, and the fact that she must also raise two teenage sons only adds to the pile. The GoFundMe page, as of Nov. 10, had raised $1,970 of its $10,000 goal over three months. That part stuck out to
SEE BENEFIT / PAGE 7
INDEX Calendar........................2
Aaron Davis, a Plant City native and the CEO of Florida Agency Network, was the first to announce upcoming development projects in the city. Hillsborough Title, part of Florida Agency Network, is the largest title company in the state. Davis said the company will be building a 12,000-squarefoot building in Plant City. The building will have a green campus style and will include a walking track and outdoor eating areas. The project, which is a $5 million investment, will immediately bring 50 jobs to Plant City, and 100 jobs over the next five to 10 years. Davis’ company isn’t the only one that sees Plant City as an untapped resource of growth and development. Jeff Lucas, of Central Florida Development, announced that a 100,000-square-foot building will be completed in February at the Central Florida Commerce Center. South Florida Baptist Hospital President Karen Kerr also shared updates on the hospital’s ongoing projects, including the 13,000-squarefoot critical-care center that is expected to be completed in
SEE EDC / PAGE 7 Vol. 3, No. 15 | One section
Crossword....................15
Obituaries....................11
Sports..........................12
Weather.......................15
PlantCityObserver.com
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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
COMMUNITYCALENDAR FRIDAY, NOV. 13 Dancing with the Locals — takes place from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at the John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road. Enjoy cocktails and watch dance performances from community members as part of one of Noon Rotary Club’s biggest fundraisers. (813) 7160908.
SATURDAY, NOV. 14 34th Annual Pioneer Heritage Day — takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. Celebrate Florida Cracker heritage with vendors, food and performances. Vendor space is free. Call (813) 7579226. Family Art Workshop — takes place beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. Learn a new skill or try a new technique. Local artists will join in this free event. This program is presented by Polk Museum of Art with the support of MidFlorida Credit Union and Publix Super Markets Charities. (813) 757-9215, Ext. 24. Florida Opry — takes place beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday,
BEST BET Empty Bowls — takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum, 102 N. Palmer St. Raise money for the United Food Bank of Plant City by buying a bowl made by a local student for $10. It includes two 8-ounce cups or one 16-ounce cup of soup. (813) 764-0625. Nov. 14, at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. Ernie Evans and the Florida State Bluegrass Band will perform. Holiday Open House— takes
P R O U D L Y
place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at 2104 Country Club Court. Shop from Jamberry Nails, Thirty-one, S2isters Charity Bags and Mary Kay. Unity in the Community Clay Shoot — takes place beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at FishHawk Sporting Clays, 13505 Hobson Simmons Road, Lithia. Gun raffle tickets are $10. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit, Unity in the Community. Bill Hughes, (813) 846-2505. Veterans Entrepreneurship Training Symposium — takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Hillsborough Community College Plant City’s PEPC building, 1206 N. Park Road. Learn about business formation, social media and marketing, crowdfunding and franchising. The event is free, and lunch is included. HCCFl.edu/Innovation.
MONDAY, NOV. 16 Family Movie Matinee — takes place beginning at 3 p.m. at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. A movie will be projected on the big screen. Young Ella is forced to endure a life of labor at the hands of her cruel stepmother and her scheming stepsisters in this 2015 live-action take on a clas-
S E R V I N G
T H E
sic fairy tale. For more information about the movie, call the library at (813) 757-9215.
THURSDAY, NOV. 19 Eric Seidel, candidate for Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts, at Plant City Woman’s Club — takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse and Grill Event Room, 106 E. S.R. 60, Plant City. Cost is $12 and includes dinner. (863) 3708389.
FRIDAY, NOV. 20 Friends of the Library Holiday Book Sale — takes place takes place from noon to 6 p.m. Friday Nov. 20, and beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Bruton Memorial Library, 302 McLendon St. There will be about 3,000 books. (813) 757-9215. Lucky Stiff — takes place beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, to Saturday, Nov. 14; and Friday, Nov. 20, to Saturday, Nov. 21; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, and Sunday, Nov. 22, at Plant City Entertainment, 101 N. Thomas St. $16 for adults; $14 for students and seniors. The performance revolves around an English shoe salesman who is forced to
G R E A T E R
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 Monday. take the embalmed body of his recently murdered uncle on a vacation to Monte Carlo to try and get his inheritance. Pig Jam — takes place from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at 1500 S. Park Road. There will be professional and amateur competitions, more than $16,400 in prizes, vendors, three raffle prizes, live music, kids’ activities and more. For more information, call the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, (813) 754-3707. YMCA Rock Solid Relationships: Let’s Talk About Sex — takes place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at the Plant City Family YMCA, 1507 YMCA Place. Speaker Tim Gregory, a marriage and family counselor, will speak about relationships in this free event. Child care is provided.
SATURDAY, NOV. 21 Fourth Annual Holiday Gift Expo and Cookie Fest — takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Hall, 2301 Oak Ave. There will be more than 100 specialty exhibitors, clothing, jewelry, home decor, children’s items food/delicacies, art, ceramics, live entertainment and much more. From
P L A N T
C I T Y
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be an unlimited cookie and milk buffet for $8. Entry includes cookie decorating. Holiday characters will arrive at noon. A free kids craft workshop will be at 1 p.m. Free pictures with Santa, Elsa and her friends from Frozen at 11 a.m. Madison Park Road Annual Community Yard Sale — takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at 2120 Village Park Road, Plant City.
ONGOING Acoustic Happy Hour — takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Christian Contemporary Music — takes place from 6:33 to 8:13 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Live Music — takes place beginning at 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Family Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818. Plant City Daybreak Rotary Club — meets at 7 a.m. Mondays, at the Community Conference Room at South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St. For more, visit PlantCityDayBreakRotary.com.
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PLANT CITY TIME & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
3
SHOW OF SUPPORT by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Community rallies around Tomlin teacher Tomlin Middle School teacher Veronica Cruz escaped with next to nothing when her Tampa apartment caught on fire in October. At 5:15 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, Veronica Cruz was still sleeping soundly in her Tampa apartment. A few minutes later, her home was engulfed in flames. As the fire started, the Tomlin Middle School teacher was awakened by a neighbor banging loudly on the door of her apartment. In a blur, Cruz grabbed her keys, her purse, important papers and her German Shepherd, Flore, before running out the door for the very last time. “I didn’t have time to think about anything else,” Cruz said. In the days following the fire, which ruined 16 apartments in Cruz’s complex, the Tomlin Middle School and Plant City communities have reached out to help Cruz get back on her feet. A GoFundMe account has been set up for the educator, who has been teaching entry-level Spanish at Tomlin for about five years. She also teaches English to native Spanish speakers part-time at the Ana G. Mendez University System in Tampa. “I’m so grateful,” Cruz said. “I just feel so overwhelmed, I feel
so amazed. You know that you have people that care for you ... but you just don’t know how many people.” The cause of the fire is still unknown, and most items were ruined beyond the point of repair. Cruz’s apartment sustained major water and smoke damage, and she stayed at a nearby hotel for one week after the fire. Residents were allowed to stand outside of their apartments in the days after the accident while firefighters retrieved their charred belongings from piles of rubble. “There was not much that could have been salvaged,” Cruz said. But Cruz is moving past the fateful morning. Her students have sent her letters and messages, and she has received gift cards, a bedroom set, toiletries and more from both friends and strangers. “It was such a nice feeling to know that during adversity you have so many people supporting you,” she said. “(The kids) come see me and hug me.” Cruz is so close to her Tomlin support system that the first person she called after the fire
was her fellow Spanish teacher, Mareda Westerman. “She was the first person I called (even) before my mom,” Cruz said. “She called me every day. We’re very good friends.” Westerman and the rest of the faculty have served as a second family for Cruz during the recent ordeal. Cruz, who is originally from New York, has a sister who lives in Tampa, but many of her family members live in New York and Puerto Rico. “They’ve been that family,” Cruz said, noting that even parents of her fellow coworkers have reached out to help her. “People that don’t even know me have helped me. I feel so blessed.” Cruz will be moving into her new apartment this week. Although she still needs some items, she said she is in a much better place thanks to the help of the people around her. “Thank you to all those people that helped me in this moment, in getting my life back together faster,” Cruz said. “Thank you to Tomlin Middle School and the Plant City community for their donations. I
Emily Topper
Faculty, staff and students from Tomlin Middle School helped Spanish teacher Veronica Cruz after she lost her Tampa apartment in a fire on Thursday, Oct. 15. could not have recovered without them, honestly. I have so much support.” Cruz said she won’t be the same moving forward but is excited to return to the classroom.
TRICKED-OUT TRAIN by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Chugging to the rescue
“Teaching, that’s what I love,” Cruz said. “Life has to go on. God is always with me, and I know He will provide me with everything.” To make a donation, visit the
NEWS BRIEFS
When Robert Woods discovered that the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum didn’t have a float for the Christmas Parade, he jumped in.
+ P.C. man dies in Park Road accident
I
A Plant City man died after a vehicle backed into him Wednesday, Nov. 4. Gregory B. Johnson Sr., 63, was traveling east on East Park Road. He stopped his vehicle to help another motorist, Juan Oquendo, 70, of Plant City, load some items into Oquendo’s 2007 Chrysler minivan. The items had fallen from the minivan onto the roadway. Oquendo backed up the minivan to allow Johnson to load the items, but when it was time to stop, Oquendo mistakenly pressed the accelerator pedal rather than the brake pedal. The vehicle struck and backed over Johnson, who sustained severe injuries.
n the last month, Robert Woods has spent countless hours in his workshop. When he gets home from his day job as the owner of Southeast Caulking & Sealant Services, he works around the clock on a half-scale, fully functioning model of a 1910 steam engine — one he built from the ground up. Woods, a member on the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum board, agreed to build the train for the museum’s float in the Christmas Parade Friday, Dec. 4. “They would have had to borrow vehicles,” Woods said. “The museum didn’t have anything of their own to put in the parade.” Out of a riding lawn mower, two yard carts and a generator, Woods built a train with two passenger carts and a caboose based off a photo he was given. He works on the train for about six to 10 hours at a time. Although he’s only been working on it for about a month, he is nearly done with the project aside from some final cosmetic details. He also will add the museum’s logo to the train’s shiny red exterior in the next couple of weeks. The train, which weighs 600 pounds and is 32 feet long, can hold up to 1,200 pounds.
Photos by Emily Topper
Robert Woods has spent the last month working on the halfscale model of the 1910 steam engine. It runs at 12 miles per hour and is full of add-ons, including flashing lights, a smoke machine, a bubble machine and a functioning brass bell from 1878. Woods has added a 600-watt stereo system that
will play Christmas music, and he designed the train’s steering system. “It’s really not a big deal,” Woods said. “It’s just a riding lawnmower — a high-horsepower one.”
During the parade, one of the train’s two carts will be filled with candy, and the other will have two passengers. Following the parade, Woods will donate the train to the museum for use in other events. “They can use it for promotional things,” Woods said. “This is out of the goodness of my heart.” Woods started his caulking company in January but considers himself to be a metal artist. He has been working and selling his art since 2002. Besides his charitable ventures for organizations such as the train museum, he also builds and sells metalwork sculptures. He has built one for the vice president of Lowe’s Home Improvement and has one of his 18-foot sculptures at the Hillsborough Community College campus in Brandon. He frequently bounces ideas off of his wife, Zusette. “I’m 100% self-taught,” he said. Woods already is planning his next project once the train is complete. He wants to build a model tank with military logos, which he will use for marketing for his own company. Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver. com.
FFA team places fifth at nationals
John Banks, Meredith Del Castillo and Clay Joyner went with their adviser to the National Agricultural Communications Career Development event in Louisville, Kentucky. that we were done, we always had so many more things to do in order to improve and make ourselves better,” Del Castillo said. The event consisted of a team presentation, commu-
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded to a fire at 8402 Henry George Road, Lot 12. HCFR found heavy smoke and flames rising from a single-wide trailer. The occupants were evacuated prior to the arrival of fire rescue teams, and one occupant was transported to the hospital. There were no injuries to fire rescue personnel.
+ Death row inmate seeks electric chair
AG ACHIEVEMENT by Jose Lozoya | Staff Intern
Clay Joyner, John Banks and Meredith Del Castillo began their FFA journey together in the sixth grade at Tomlin Middle School. Fast forward to October 2015: The three of them were now Strawberry Crest High School seniors who placed fifth at the National Agricultural Communications Career Development event in Louisville, Kentucky. The team started preparing for the event as juniors. The members’ longtime bond and experience in FFA helped the team better themselves as they did. “We are very good friends, which made preparing and practicing very easy,” Joyner said. Each team member had competed in various contests before nationals, which took place Oct. 28 to 29, but they all emphasized the difficulty of nationals. “Every time we thought
+ Plant City trailer catches fire
nication, editing quizzes, a media plan, as well as individual practicums. Joyner was assigned to write a press release, Del Castillo was assigned to make a visual, and Banks was assigned to create a commercial. The team’s trip was also a first for adviser Susan Mayo, who had never had a team win first in states and go to nationals. “She really didn’t know what to expect, and neither did we,” Del Castillo said. “But we knew that going into it, all three of us knew that we were really good public speakers, and we felt confident with our public speaking presentation.” The team members were also individually ranked for medal placing. Joyner and Banks were gold medalists, and Del Castillo was a silver medalist. “I am so thankful for my
amazing teammates who motivated me and pushed me to excel, which made me a gold medal recipient,” Banks said. Joyner also placed 10th individually in the nation and won a $400 cash prize. “I was actually shocked I placed so high as an individual, seeing as how I’d never competed in this contest before,” Joyner said. Outside of the competition, the team got to explore Louisville and spent their Halloween in a unique way. “We went to an abandoned tuberculosis hospital at night,” Del Castillo said. “We waited in line in the freezing cold to get into this place that we had no idea what to expect from it. But it turned out to be worth it, because everyone just ended up laughing at me because I was terrified the entire time. It was something that I would go back and do again if I could.”
For the first time in nearly two decades, a Florida prison inmate is demanding he be put to death in the electric chair and not by lethal injection. Wayne Doty, 42, of Plant City, has been on death row since 2011 after he killed a fellow inmate. In a state where inmates routinely wait for decades to be executed, Doty wants to die immediately, partly to attain “spiritual freedom.” “I think his goal is to get put to death as quickly as possible,” said Sean Fisher, a private investigator in Gainesville who once worked for Doty. “I think he’s nervous about lethal injection being found unconstitutional.” Florida is one of eight states that have kept the electric chair as a form of capital punishment. Florida’s electric chair has long been known by the cynical nickname “Ol’ Sparky.” The threelegged chair has been idle for 16 years after a second botched execution forced the
GoFundMe page, gofundme. com/w96sbn2s. Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver. com.
Legislature and then-Gov. Jeb Bush to change the method. The state switched to a lethal injection of chemicals that sedate an inmate and stop the heart. But in changing the method of execution, Bush and the Legislature also gave inmates the one-time option of selecting electrocution. Doty is the first inmate to do so. In a handwritten affidavit, Doty wrote: “My decision on method of execution is a self-driven motive allowing the state of Florida to exercise their duly sworn duties to deliver my sentence in an expeditious manner, thus bringing peace to the victim’s family as well as my spiritual freedom.” As a boy, Doty was subject to physical and emotional abuse by his father, according to Dr. Clifford Levin, a psychologist who evaluated Doty. Doty’s father took him away from his mother when he was a toddler. By age 12, he was a truant and a runaway. Florida Supreme Court’s mandatory review of his death sentence indicates that Doty did not receive counseling that a child psychologist said was necessary. Doty initially was sentenced to life in prison for the fatal shooting of Harvey Horne II, a watchman at a Plant City manufacturing plant, during a drug robbery in 1996. He tracked down Horne in search of methamphetamine; Doty was 23 at the time. Sentenced to life, Doty once attempted suicide at Everglades Correctional Institution, but he received no mental health treatment, court records show. He and another inmate murdered a fellow prisoner in 2011 and Doty confessed to the crime. Court records state that after inmate Xavier Rodriguez insulted Doty and allegedly stole a package of cigarettes from him, Doty decided to retaliate. He handcuffed Rodriguez with strips of a bedsheet and strangled him. Doctors said Rodriguez was stabbed in the abdomen 25 times with a homemade knife Doty had wrapped in a newspaper. At his trial, Doty acted as his own lawyer after a courtappointed psychologist concluded he was competent to stand trial and to represent himself. Doty pleaded guilty to firstdegree murder and was sentenced to die after a jury in Bradford County recommended the death penalty in a 10-2 vote. Gov. Rick Scott has not issued a death warrant, but Doty has waived his right to all future appeals because he did not want his guilt to be challenged again. — Tampa Bay Times
PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
RED ROSE / FROM PAGE 1 drug and rehabilitation center will offer something else: help to those who want it.
THE FACILITY
The eastern half of the facility will be transformed from a former inn to a rehab center with video surveillance and 24-hour monitoring. Recovering alcoholics and drug addicts, who can only come to the facility voluntarily, will be busy from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in a program that is estimated to take 30 days. The facility will create an immediate 100 jobs, including positions for psychologists, nurses, behavioral help technicians and janitorial staff. “All the exits are alarmed,” said Bob Gannon, of Florida Rehabilitation and Recovery Services. “They do not go through that front door again until they are released.” In addition to client moni-
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
toring, video monitors will be at all the hallways and meeting rooms. Behavioral service technicians will be responsible for up to eight patients during their shift. The facility will utilize 80 rooms for patients and will have a maximum of 150 patients at a time. Family members who wish to visit patients would stay on the western half of the property for up to seven days at a time. “We believe that this is an appropriate use of the property ... that would otherwise go unused,” Russell Ottenberg, vice president and principal planner of Planeng Inc., said. “The Red Rose, for all intents and purposes, no longer exists.” Infrastructure improvements will be made to the building, including replacing a chain-link fence on the perimeter of the property with a solid fence that will be between 6 and 8 feet high. West
Hillsboro Street, adjacent to the center, will also undergo improvements. About $500,000 has been budgeted for improvements to the existing buildings.
THE FEEDBACK
Although the commission unanimously approved the rezoning decision, Plant City residents had differing opinions about the proposed facility. Steve Wyman only had two questions for the proposed rehabilitation center. He wanted to know what percent of clients would be locals that had lost their way, and what percent of clients would come from other areas — and where they would go once they were released. “I’m trying to raise my children and grandchildren in the community,” Wyman said. Because of the voluntary nature of the facility, it could not be determined how many
YOUR
Courtesy
The rezoning affects the eastern half of the former Red Rose Inn, while the western half will be used for administrative offices and motel rooms. clients would come from Plant City versus elsewhere. However, Gannon said clients are not free to roam once they are released from the facility. They are transported to and from the rehabilitation center following the start and completion of their program.
HOMETOWN
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Additionally, the center follows up with clients once they have completed the program to determine if they stay sober or not. Others were in favor of a facility — but only if it weren’t located in Plant City. Robert Willaford believed the former
We will have over 28 vendors with unique items to sell, along with coffee and donuts in the morning, a bake sale and our Silver Lakes Quilt Club will be selling tickets for a queen sized quilt raffle that will help benefit the POLK COUNTY SENIOR ORPHANS organization.
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OTHER REZONES The rezoning of the Red Rose was the main focus of the City Commission meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, but commissioners also approved the rezoning of two other parcels. The parcels 702 and 704 E. Alsobrook St., which is a total of about 2.3 acres, will be rezoned from the industrial district to the general commercial district. Additionally, a parcel of land that is about 4.05 acres will be rezoned from the transitional area to the light industrial district. The land is located at 3657 Fancy Farms Road, and is owned by Carl Grooms.
IN OTHER NEWS
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inn should have a different purpose. “There are other places for it,” Willaford said. “It’s been a cloudy issue. This is not the place to put it.” Most questions residents had were answered by Gannon and Ottenberg, but they weren’t given hard data about the facility’s expected success rate. Even so, many spoke in support of the facility’s plans. Walden Lake resident Carrine Narey sees a need for the facility. About 26 years ago, she was checking herself into one. “I am a grateful alcoholic,” Narey said. “The best day of my life was when I checked into a rehab facility.” Narey, who has been sober since she completed rehab, paid out of pocket for her program and recovery. Most clients at the facility would pay out of pocket, although many insurance providers do cover such programs. “I’m very happy that I spent my money in a meaningful way,” Narey said. “Am I cured of alcohol? No. I’m very proud to have been through the experience that I went through. There are many of us that do make it, and I’m one of them.” Others also spoke in favor of the facility: children who had parents that were recovering alcoholics, fathers who had lost their daughters in drugrelated deaths. With approval from the commission, the next step is up to Florida Rehabilitation and Recovery Services. The company is expected to submit an application for proposed improvements to the property in before the end of the year, or in January 2016.
SELECT PRO (400.01, - 400.03)
• The City Commission appointed James Moody III to the City Planning Board Commission. Moody will serve through Jan. 1, 2018. • The commission also approved a contract with Precision Contracting Services Inc., for a site design study. The study will be done for the City’s Fiber Ring Project to provide network connections for all city departments. • The total cost of the design study is $29,940. Each of the three phases of the project will cost $9,980, and one phase will be completed each year over the next three years.
PLANT CITY TIME & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
5
ColdwellBankerHomes.com Call 866.600.6008 and enter the
code for property details or to speak with the agent.
Highland Pines Estates | 3/2 | $399,900 | Malissa Crawford 866.600.6008 5725 Tindale Rd | Search T2785548 on CBHomes.com
Lakemont - Valrico | 3/2.1 | $379,999 | Malissa Crawford 866.600.6008 1009 Winchester Ln | Search T2759867 on CBHomes.com
496547
484898
Commercial - Industrial | Lots/Land | $795,000 David McCarthy 866.600.6008 82110 2400 Roberts Ranch Rd Search T2577848 on CBHomes.com
Commercial | Lots/Land | $795,000 Dennis Perkins 866.600.6008 487696 611 S Falkenburg Rd Search T2766139 on CBHomes.com
Parkwood Lakes - Parrish | 4/2.1 | $267,900 Jean Bridgmon 866.600.6008 493551 8903 30th E St Search T2777439 on CBHomes.com
Lakeland | 3/2.1 | $262,900 Lynne Halleran 866.600.6008 47059 2957 Blackwater Creek Dr Search T2730227 on CBHomes.com
Walden Lake | 3/2 | $242,806 Lynne Halleran 866.600.6008 477237 2806 Brooke Pines Ct Search T2785713 on CBHomes.com
Bay Crest Park | 3/2 | $227,000 Jennifer Hayes 866.600.6008 494091 8407 Lava Pl Search T2778637 on CBHomes.com
Jess Walden Oaks | 3/2 | $214,000 Patrick Lynch 866.600.6008 494751 3402 Walden Ridge Pl Search T2780929 on CBHomes.com
Hunters Crossing | 4/3 | $210,000 Jean Bridgmon 866.600.6008 494749 6823 Hunters Crossing Blvd Search T2781054 on CBHomes.com
Plant City | 5/3 | $190,000 Jose Perez-Ruiz 866.600.6008 487823 3207 Young Rd Search T2766970 on CBHomes.com
Walden Lake / Laurel Lake | 2/2 | $179,900 Maddie Alford 866.600.6008 495146 2738 Golf Lake Dr, Unit #19 Search T2781719 on CBHomes.com
Seffner | 3/2 | $174,990 Patrick Lynch 866.600.6008 494750 203 Henderson Ave Search T2780923 on CBHomes.com
Magnolia Green | 4/2.1 | $174,900 Jean Bridgmon 866.600.6008 476282 3113 Azalea Blossom Dr Search T2783353 on CBHomes.com
Walden Lake | 3/2 | $169,900 Jimmie Robinson 866.600.6008 490683 2304 S Fairway Dr Search T2771664 on CBHomes.com
Wild Rose Acres | 4/2 | $165,900 Jill Sumner 866.600.6008 496365 4122 Red Rose Ln Search T2785138 on CBHomes.com
Magnolia Green | 3/2 | $150,000 Debbie Goncalves 866.600.6008 495046 3107 Magnolia Meadows Dr Search T2781360 on CBHomes.com
Biltmore Park - Lakeland | 4/2 | $149,000 Malissa Crawford 866.600.6008 480525 502 S Wilson Ave Search T2764903 on CBHomes.com
Country Hills East | 3/2 | $142,204 Lynne Halleran 866.600.6008 480044 204 Abigail Rd Search T2781519 on CBHomes.com
Mt Tabor Estates | 4/2 | $139,900 Malissa Crawford 866.600.6008 494361 3429 Publix Rd Search T2779796 on CBHomes.com
Zephyrhills | 2/2 | $135,000 Jennifer Hayes 866.600.6008 491855 5316 4th St Search T2773708 on CBHomes.com
Clarks | 2/1 | $129,500 Angela Sessa 866.600.6008 494550 1707 N Franklin St Search T2780587 on CBHomes.com
Alafia Ridge Estates | Lots/Land | $99,500 David McCarthy 866.600.6008 82109 205 Alafia Estates Ln Search T2577858 on CBHomes.com
Fort Meade | Lots/Land | $85,500 Angela Sessa 866.600.6008 494031 Rhoden Rd Search T2778239 on CBHomes.com
Grimwold - Plant City | 3/2 | $85,000 Jean Bridgmon 866.600.6008 485981 1111 N Burton St Search T2762902 on CBHomes.com
Wesley Chapel | 3/2 | $84,000 Patrick Lynch 866.600.6008 477062 33908 Mandrake Rd Search T2784696 on CBHomes.com
Country Aire | Lots/Land | $73,000 Jimmie Robinson 866.600.6008 490953 Joe Mcintosh # Lot 1 Search T2772062 on CBHomes.com
Oakwood Estates | 3/2 | $65,000 Patrick Lynch 866.600.6008 485827 3817 Ward Rd Search T2762640 on CBHomes.com
Sunset Estates | 2/2 | $53,900 Jean Bridgmon 866.600.6008 490386 39409 9th Ave Search T2770833 on CBHomes.com
Thonotosassa Land | Lots/Land | $50,000 Cathy Casey 866.600.6008 82069 Weaver Ln Search T2736075 on CBHomes.com
Zephyrhills Condo | 2/2 | $49,900 Jean Bridgmon 866.600.6008 494929 36047 Deer Creek Dr, Unit #103 Search T2781344 on CBHomes.com
Grimwold | Lots/Land | $21,500 Angela Sessa 866.600.6008 495604 N Ferrell St Search T2783161 on CBHomes.com
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Plant City 813.754.35 *Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate is ranked number one in closed residential buyer and/or seller transaction sides in Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg and Naples/Fort Myers, and number one in residential sales volume (calculated by multiplying number of buyer and/or seller transaction sides by the sales price) in Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg, according to data submitted to REAL Trends by NRT LLC, 2015. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of the Company. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Š2015 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International and the Previews logo are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
Administered by American Home Shield 185164
6
PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
COPS The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Plant City Police Department.
OCT. 30
CLEANED OUT
600 block of North Maryland Avenue. Grand theft. Officer responded to a business in reference to a reported theft. Complainant stated that unknown suspect(s) had stolen a security camera from a laundromat. 1200 block of North Wheeler Street. Grand theft. The same officer responded to another laundromat, where the complainant stated that unknown suspect(s) stole a security camera from the premises.
THE OL’ SWITCHEROO
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
CORNER United Food Bank UPCOMING by Abby Baker | Staff Interm
PLANT CITY
NOV. 1
1800 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Battery. Officer responded to this location in reference to a reported case of battery. The complainant stated that he got into a physical confrontation with three unknown suspects. After talking to the officer, the complainant signed a waiver of prosecution.
NOV. 2
DIRTY LAUNDRY
1600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Grand theft. Officer responded to this location in reference to a reported theft. Complainant stated that unknown suspect(s) had stolen both her washing machine and dryer.
NOV. 4
SMASH AND DASH
4400 block of Business Lane. Information report. Officer responded to a business at the request of the complainant, who stated that unknown suspect(s) had replaced two trailer license plates with tags from Tennessee.
to fill bowls, hearts
SMELLS LIKE CRIME
THREE ON ONE
400 block of North Alexander Street. Shoplifting. Officer responded to a business in reference to a reported crash. He discovered that a vehicle had crashed in the parking lot, and that a shoplifting had just occurred at the store.
2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Petit theft. Officer responded to a business in reference to a reported theft. Complainant stated that unknown suspect(s) had stolen perfume from a store.
Students and artists came together to create bowls for the Empty Bowls Project.
NOV. 5
THAT SUCKS
2100 block of North Park Road. Vehicle burglary. Officer responded to a business in reference to a reported theft. Complainant stated that unknown suspect(s) entered his truck and stole an A/C vacuum, worth $1,200.
The United Food Bank of Plant City will be hosting the nationwide Empty Bowls Project Saturday, Nov. 14, in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. For the fifth year, Empty Bowls will be held at the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum in downtown Plant City. A $10 ticket will provide a participant with a decorated bowl of their choosing, a soup lunch and live entertainment. The event is run by volunteers, and all proceeds go to the food bank. “It’s grown so much,” Silvia Dodson, Empty Bowls committee chair, said. “Everyone got together, and the bowls are really beautiful.” All of the nearly 900 bowls are handcrafted by members of the community. Twenty-four area schools, Christian Home Educators of Plant City and The Plant City troop of American Heritage Girls contributed painted bowls to the event. Pottery artist David Dye brought his pottery wheel, as well as his skills, to teach home-schoolers to create the bowls. “The bowls are reminders of the empty bowls that do not get filled every day,” Dodson said. There will be seven bowls that will be auctioned off to buyers. Five professional, local artists — Ken Buchman, Debra Bryant, Gary Gessford, Jossie Azorin and Jules Burt — glazed, decorated and donated one bowl each to the auction. Dye also assisted the Little Miss Plant City and Florida Straw-
CRABBY COWORKERS
3900 block of West Baker Street. False imprisonment/burglary/theft. Officer met with complainant, who stated that some coworkers had forced him to go somewhere. The complainant said he had $5,000 on him, which he was supposed to use to pay the coworkers, but they stole it from him. Complainant declined to press charges and signed a waiver of prosecution, stating he just wanted the money back.
IF YOU GO WHEN: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 WHERE: Historic Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum, 102 N. Palmer St. PRICE: $10 per ticket; includes soup and souvenir bowl
Navigation to Wealth Creation PLANT CITY 1907 S. Alexander St., Ste. 2 Plant City, FL 33566 | (813)752-6604
rcwcpas.com
Natural Natural Gas Gas Pipeline Pipeline Test Test Begins Begins Natural Gas Pipeline Test Begins DATE CHANGE - Monday morning, November 16, 2015, theBegins Florida Gas Natural Gas Pipeline Test Begins Natural Gas Pipeline Test DATE CHANGE - Monday morning, November 16, 2015, the Florida Gas Transmission test 5.6 Pipeline miles of natural gas pipeline using The Gas Begins DATE CHANGECompany -Natural Mondaywill morning, 16, Test 2015, the Florida Gaswater. Transmission Company will test 5.6November miles of natural gas pipeline using water. The
186246
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File photo
During the fall semester, students in area schools make clay bowls to be donated to the event. berry Festival Queen courts with making two bowls for auctioning. At 1 p.m. there will be a raffle for a decorative fountain handcrafted by a North Carolina artist, who made the fountain specifically for the fundraiser. There also will be a chalk art contest from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the sidewalk at the north end of the train station. No Plant City event is complete without music. Lunch will open with a few patriotic tunes from the Plant City Community Chorale, followed by Next Radical Generation. The event will close with jazz swings by Ace Jackson and the Jump Kings. At least 20 specialty soups, such as buttermilk squash soup by the Publix Apron Chefs and Spanish bean soup by the Woman’s Club of Plant City, will be served.
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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.
The Empty Bowls Project isn’t the only tradition happening this Saturday. It works together with Pioneer Heritage Day to bring people to downtown Plant City. WHAT: Pioneer Heritage Day WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 WHERE: 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. PRICE: Free INFO: Plant City’s 38th annual Pioneer Heritage Day includes food, live entertainment, arts and crafts, a hay ride and vendors.
Reporters from the Plant City Times & Observer hit the streets of Plant City to ask residents a little about themselves. Will we spot you around town next?
CHANGE - Monday November 16, 2015, the Florida GasThe pipeline crosses the- Monday following roadways in Hillsborough and PolkFlorida Counties: DATEDATE CHANGE November 16, 2015, the Gas Transmission Company willmorning, test morning, 5.6 miles of natural gas pipeline using water. pipeline crosses the following roadways in Hillsborough and Polk Counties: DATE CHANGE Monday morning, November 16, 2015, the Florida Gas Transmission Company will5.6 testmiles miles of natural gas pipeline water. Transmission Company willroadways test of natural gas usingusing water. The The pipeline crosses the following in5.6 Hillsborough and pipeline Polk Counties: Polk County Hillsborough County Transmission Company will test 5.6 miles of natural gas pipeline using water. The pipeline crosses the following roadways in Hillsborough and Polk Counties: pipeline crosses County the following roadways in Hillsborough Polk County and Polk Counties: Hillsborough We asked: What is your holiday wish? pipeline crossesRogers the following Hillsborough and PolkWest Counties: CountyOak Hillsborough County Shady Drive Buddy Way roadways inPolk Polk Shady Oak Drive West Hillsborough Buddy Rogers Way Polk County Hillsborough County County County Hillsborough Buddy Rogers Way CountyOak County Duck Wallow Lane PolkShady Mossy Oak Drive Drive West Duck Lane Mossy Oak Shady Oak Drive Wallow Buddy Rogers Shady OakDrive Drive WestWest Buddy Rogers Way Way Duck Mossy Oak Drive Drive East West BuddyWallow RogersLane Way Shady Oak Steve Reeves Lane Shady Oak Steve Lane Reeves Duck Wallow Mossy OakEast Drive Duck Wallow LaneLane Mossy OakDrive Drive Shady Oak Drive East Steve Reeves Lane Duck Wallow MossyOak OakDrive DriveNorth Glen Turkey Ridge Lane Road Glen Drive North Turkey Ridge Road Oak Shady Oak Drive Steve Reeves Shady Oak Drive East East Steve Reeves LaneLane Glen Oak Drive Turkey Ridge Road Shady Oak DriveNorth East Steve Reeves Lane Ivy Fern Drive Ranch Road IvyGlen Drive Ranch Road Fern Glen Oak Drive Turkey Oak Drive NorthNorth Turkey RidgeRidge RoadRoad Ivy Fern Ranch Glen Oak Drive North Turkey Road Ridge Road Rushing Drive Road Rushing Fern IvyRoad Fern Ranch Ivy DriveDrive Ranch RoadRoad Rushing Road Jacob Scarborough, 9 Jennifer Posey, 23 Ivy Fern Ranch Road Lewellyn Drive Road Lewellyn Road To be a better person. Rushing To be promoted to bartender. Rushing RoadRoad Lewellyn Road Rushing Road Youngway Drive Youngway Drive Lewellyn Lewellyn RoadRoad Youngway Drive Lewellyn Road CR 35 / Kathleen Road CR / Kathleen 35 Youngway Drive Youngway DriveRoad CR 35 / Kathleen Youngway Drive Road 35 CR/ Kathleen 35 / Kathleen Road CR Road Law enforcement officers will be stationed atpipe crossings during the test. Emergency CR 35 / Kathleen Road Law enforcement officers will be stationed at pipe crossings during the test. Emergency vehicles will be provided access at all times. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at pipe crossings during the test. Emergency vehicles will be provided access at all times. Lawwill enforcement officers at pipe crossings during the test. Emergency Law enforcement officers will bewillstationed at pipe crossings during the test. Emergency vehicles be provided access atbeallstationed times. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at pipe crossings during the test. Emergency vehicles will be provided access at all times. The test will take place one night from midnight to 4 a.m. If the test does not pass vehicles will beplace provided access atmidnight all times.to 4 a.m. If the test does not pass the The test will take one access night from the vehicles will be provided at all first night, a second night of testing will betimes. necessary. The test will take place one from to 4 a.m. If the test does not pass the first night, a second night of night testing willmidnight be necessary. Schwarc, 9 Cassie Bochnak, 23 Theawill test will take one night from midnight to 4 a.m. thedoes test does not pass The test take place one night from midnight to 4 a.m. If theIftest not pass the the Savannah first night, second nightplace of testing will be necessary. I want my family in Illinois I would like to see The test will take place one night from midnight to 4 a.m. If the test does not pass the firstinformation night, a second of testing will be necessary. For more about thetesting test, please contact Mr. Terry Coleman toll free at first night, a second nightnight of will be necessary. to come down and visit. my family. For more information about the test, please contact Mr. Terry Coleman toll free at first more night,information a second night of the testing will be necessary. 844-FGT-INFO (844-348-4636) or you can visit our web site atColeman www.fgthydrotest.com. For about test, please contact Mr. Terry toll free at 844-FGT-INFO (844-348-4636) or you can visit our web site at www.fgthydrotest.com. For more information the please Mr.atTerry Coleman toll at free at For more information aboutabout theortest, please contact Mr.site Terry Coleman toll free 844-FGT-INFO (844-348-4636) youtest, can visit ourcontact web www.fgthydrotest.com. 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Plant City Times & Observer
PIONEER HERITAGE
Barbara Watson, 48 I’d like to have my whole family together. We’re all over the place, normally.
Paula Fogelman, 35 I wish that my family would come down to Florida for Christmas.
Plant City Times &
Observer
Publisher / Karen Berry, kdberry@inthefieldmagazine.com General Manager/Executive Editor / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com Managing Editor / Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writers / Justin Kline, jkline@PlantCityObserver.com; Emily Topper, etopper@ PlantCityObserver.com Design Editor / Terry Chapman, tchapman@yourobserver.com Advertising Executive / Nikki McAlpine, nmcalpine@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
PLANT CITY TIME & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
April 2016. The project began in September. “We’ve been looking forward to it for a long time,” Kerr said. Other attending business owners stated the key to economic development and continued growth in Plant City is to allow for the potential to grow outside of city limits. “You don’t create jobs if you don’t grow,” Andrew Samuel, president of Sunshine Bank, said. Last July, Sunshine Bank had five branches and $220 million in assets. Since then, the company, which is headquartered in Plant City, has grown to 12 branches and $580 million in assets. The company has expanded to nearby cities such as Orlando and Sarasota but remains a major business in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. In the last year, the company has added 58 jobs, including 16 new positions in Plant City. The bank’s Plant City headquarters has 55 employes. $1.5 million was invested into Sunshine Bank’s building and infrastructure improvements in Plant City. In addition, the company also processed $70 million in loans through the Plant City headquarters. “This is our home; we have a rich legacy here,” Samuel said. “Our headquarters will remain in Plant City.”
MOVING FORWARD
Although Austin was named the president of the EDC in October, his official start date is Nov. 30. He currently is look-
ing for a local office where he will focus on immediate shortterm plans and a budget for the organization. “Through our investors, both public and private, we will build a strategic plan,” he said. Austin said he hopes more projects throughout the city will be announced at the next EDC meeting, scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, at Stingray Chevrolet.
IF YOU GO
SECOND PLANT CITY EDC MEETING WHEN: 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 11, 2016 WHERE: Stingray Chevrolet, 2002 N. Frontage Road EMAIL: info@ plantcityedc.com
EDC Chairman Randy Larson, President Jake Austin and Vice Chariman David Sullivan
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver. com.
Emily Topper
& s e d Ri es Gam
l a v i t s e F Food of
BENEFIT / FROM PAGE 1
NOVEMBER 18-22
Drawdy, who immediately knew the Hardwood BBQ team would be able to help. “We compete at Pig Jam and Pigfest, in Lakeland,” she says. “For those events, there is a potential to make money. It’s not that we need extra money, so if we can do something to help others, we try to do it.”
705 E Brandon Blvd. Brandon, Florida
Located on the corner of SR60 and Bryan Road in East Brandon
Wed., Nov. 18 • 4pm-10pm • Carnival Grand Opening
GOOD SAMARITANS
Hardwood BBQ doesn’t do as many competitions as other local teams do, so these men and women try to make their appearances count for the greater good. “We mainly help children’s charities, orphanages, children’ homes — things like that,” Drawdy says. “Whatever profits we make, after recouping our costs, go to charity.”
Thu., Nov. 19 • 4pm-10pm
Novemberfest
• Southern Train Band–7:15pm
Fri., Nov. 20 • 4pm-Midnight • Matt Bilor–4:30pm • Soul Circus Cowboys Band–8pm
Sat., Nov. 21 • 11am-Midnight
“We mainly help children’s charities, orphanages, children’ homes — things like that. Whatever profits we make, after recouping our costs, go to charity.”
• Craft Beer Tasting–5-7pm • Lip-Sync Contest–5-7pm Hosted by Ernest Hooper Tampa Bay Times Columnist • Daniel Sprouse Band–7:30 p.m. • The John Rhey Band–9 p.m.
– Layla Drawdy Headed by Dustin Drawdy, the team consists of 13 members with two clear responsibilities: the men do the cooking, and the women do the vending. The team is perhaps best-known for their jalapeño pulled pork poppers, and in 2014 won a championship at Pig Jam. Because the team is choosing to use Pig Jam to promote their cause, rather than set up another standalone event like the one for Dodds, Layla Drawdy doesn’t expect to generate as much money from Pig Jam sales alone. So, the team is also considering holding a raffle at its booth to help boost those funds. And, of course, the team has been inventing unique barbecue creations to draw people in. The members won’t go on the record about anything but the jalapeño poppers but promises to serve barbecue in ways that most people have probably never tried. Hardwood BBQ plans to use every penny left after covering its costs to help Dearhart, and also has been promoting the GoFundMe page wherever possible. For more information about the team, visit its Facebook page at facebook.com/RebelHogzBBQ. Contact Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.
Sun., Nov. 22 • 12pm-8pm S
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Thank You To Our Major Sponsors 185216
EDC / FROM PAGE 1
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206909-1
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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
COUGAR PRIDE by Justin Kline and Emily Topperr
Tarra Love and Anthony Molinelli took a break from dancing to take a few photos.
The queen, Kourtney Fisher, center, and her court took the field during the coronation ceremony.
Durant celebrates Homecoming During the Cougars’ Homecoming game Nov. 6, the school crowned Kourtney Fisher as its Homecoming queen. The next night, the Cougars hit the dance floor at the Florida Strawberry Festival fairgrounds to show off their best moves. The dance featured a “Rio de Janeiro” theme.
2015 COURT MEMBERS FRESHMEN Abby Shaw and Jenna Keely SOPHOMORES Baylee Astin and Wynter Fagan JUNIORS Casey Decatur, Jillian Oddo, Hanna Gottman and Traile Robbins SENIORS Megan Short, Kourtney Fisher, Allie Key, Mack Thompson, Sirrenna Petty and Amery VanDeGrift Kalie Moore and Gabby Wilson danced the night away at this year’s Homecoming.
PRODUCED BY
NOV 20–22 NO Tampa Convention Center 333 South Franklin Street
12 ADULT ADMISSION $
HOURS NOV 20 NOV 21 NOV 22
with this coupon
VALID ALL SHOW DAYS
Previous queen Payton Astin put the crown on Kourtney Fisher. Friday Saturday Sunday
Noon–10 pm 10 am–10 pm 10 am– 6 pm
PRICES
Valid for $1 OFF one $12 adult admission November 20 through November 22, 2015. Adult admission only $11 with this coupon. Discount not applicable on military, child or senior citizen admission, or in conjunction with E-Ticket purchases. Not redeemable with any other offer. Not redeemable for cash. Vehicles shown may not represent actual vehicles on display at the show. Entertainment and vehicles subject to change without prior notice.
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PLANT CITY TIME & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
9
PAGEANT PATROL by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Turkey Creek students shine in spotlight Thirty girls walked the stage at Turkey Creek Middle School for a shot to become one of 13 winners in the second annual Calendar Girl competition. The event is a fundraiser for the school and a confidence-booster for its contestants. Mercedes Fuller won one of the administrative favorites.
THE WINNERS COVER GIRL: Gracie Gainer CALENDAR GIRLS: Celeste Contreraras, Elizabeth Eakins, Brianna Alderman, Emily Smith, Madison Shiflett, Magen Wladyka, Kamille Long, Haven Futch, Kendall Long, Tabatha Spinks, Olivia Whitman and Elise Griffin MISS CONGENIALITY: Shelby Allen and Olivia Whitman FAN FAVORITE: Celeste Contreraras ADMINISTRATIVE FAVORITES: Mercedes Fuller and Shelby Allen MOST AD SALES: Kaylee Carr
Photos by Amber Jurgensen
Gracie Gainer was crowned as this year’s Cover Girl.
Shelby Allen won one of two Miss Congeniality awards and one of the Administrative Favorite awards.
Celeste Contreraras won Fan Favorite and a spot on the calendar.
Kaylee Carr sold the most ads.
HEROES WELCOMED by Justin Kline | Sports Editor
Photos by Justin Kline
Plant City Woman’s Club honors female veterans The Plant City Woman’s Club honored female veterans with a morning ceremony Saturday, Nov. 7, at Veterans’ Memorial Park. U.S. Air Force Master Sgt.
Angela Franklin spoke at length of her experiences in service, providing medical services in Afghanistan, and was followed by other Plant City natives with stories to
tell of their time serving in the military. At the end of the ceremony, the latest batch of engraved, commemorative bricks was unveiled to the public. The crowd, mostly comprising women with military service, stood for the national anthem.
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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
CUTESTCRITTER
GOOD OL’ DAYS by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Sam Chavez caught a pig in the Pig Run.
Antioch celebrates pioneer pride with 10th parade, festival
D
ottie loves bubble baths in the pool. Dr. Marks and Susie always give her a cookie. She is such a happy dog that she even wags her tail while she’s sleeping. Turkey Creek Animal Hospital and Animal Wellness Center have partnered to present a weekly Cutest Critter Contest. Entering is simple: Just submit a high-resolution photo (200 dpi or better) and a sentence or two about why your pet is the cutest. Include your name and contact information. Winners will be showcased in the Plant City Times & Observer and will receive a free bag of dental chews to be picked up at Turkey Creek Animal Hospital and Animal Wellness Center.
The Antioch community honored its heritage with the 10th annual Antioch Days Parade & Festival Saturday, Nov. 7, at East Thonotosassa Baptist Church. The annual event celebrated the pioneers who settled in Antioch in the 1800s. In addition to a parade, festival goers enjoyed food, games, raft rides and a pig run.
Submit your entries to Managing Editor Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@ plantcityobserver.com; subject line: Cutest Critter.
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PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Observer
Obituaries Darryl Blanton
Darryl Timothy Blanton, 55, of Plant City, and born in Lakeland, died Nov. 4, 2015. Mr. Blanton loved his family, and he enjoyed camping and watching the Florida Gators. He worked at Watson Clinic as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist and was a member of the Florida Society of Nuclear Medicine Technologists. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne L. Blanton; children, Eric Blanton (Rachel), of Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, Jason Blanton, of Plant City, Daniel Blanton, of Plant City, Joey Scott (Tricia), of Lakeland, and Tracie Lemus, of Riverview; brother, Bruce Blanton (Carla), of Mulberry; father, Osie Blanton; mother-in-law, Yvonne McDaniel; and grandchildren, Elijah, Jayden, Keller, McKynlea and Cannon, along with many aunts and cousins. A celebration of life was held Sunday, Nov. 8, at Hopewell Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens in Plant City. Committal followed at Hopewell Memorial Gardens in Plant City. Condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
Larry Brunson
Larry E. Brunson, 68, of Plant City, and born in Glenwood, Alabama, died Nov. 4, 2015. Mr. Brunson was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He is survived by his wife, Nancy J. Brunson; sons, Adam Brunson (Nicole), of St. Petersburg, and Ethan Brunson, of Plant City; granddaughters, Madison and Sydney; and two brothers. Condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
Gene Smith Sr.
Gene Smith Sr., 84, of Plant City, died Nov. 7, 2015, at his home. A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mr. Smith was the son of Samuel and Carrie McIntire Smith. He was a former owner of Gene Smith Garage in Tampa and Plant City, and was an automobile mechanic for more than 70 years. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jo Anne Colie Smith; sons, Alfred “Gene” (Cindy) Smith Jr., Mark (Denise) Smith; brother, Charlie Smith; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. A visitation was held on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at Haught Funeral Home in Plant City. Condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.
Robert Eugene Wagner
Robert “Bob” Eugene Wagner, 83, of Plant City, died Oct. 6, 2015 at his home with his family by his side. Mr. Wagner was born in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, to Clarence and Nellie (Ellsworth) Wagner. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a member of Hope Lutheran Church in Plant City, where he was a Stephen Minister and Elder. He spent a lot of his time working and volunteering in the community. He was involved with the Plant City theater, Toastmasters, the YMCA and the Plant City Visitors Center. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Barbara Wagner; two sons, Edward Strader and Michael Wagner; three daughters, Susan Finkhousen, Sharon Shoppman and Dr. Sandra Miles; sister, Patty Dreibelbis (Pastor John); 11 grandchildren; 24 great-
grandchildren; and one greatgreat-grandchild. He was preceded in death by two sons, Clifford and Steven Wagner. A funeral service was held Saturday, Oct. 10, at Hope Lutheran Church in Plant City. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to Hope Lutheran Church. Condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.
Jeffrey C. Watson
Jeffrey C. Watson, 47, of Plant City, died Oct. 3, 2015. Mr. Watson was born in Belvidere, Illinois. He attended Plant City Church of God. His life was his family. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Michelle J. Watson; children, Nick Watson, Kristen Watson and Jaime Watson; father, Quinten L. Watson Sr.; siblings, Quinton L. Watson Jr.; Karla Jo Flak (Dave), Matthew Watson (Amy), Timothy Watson (Stephanie) and Julie Kelley (Pastor Joe); grandparents, Cedelia Anderson and Eulalia Wilson; and godparents, Richard and Renee Teppo. He was preceded in death by his mother, Karen Watson. A celebration of life was held on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Plant City Church of God in Plant City. Friends and family wore purple and red. Condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
David Maurice Wheaton
David Maurice Wheaton, 60, died Oct. 14, 2015, in his Plant City home, where he had lived for the last eight years. Mr. Wheaton was the oldest son of Maurice and Mamie Wheaton. He was born in
St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. He grew up in the Brandon area after moving at age 9. He graduated from Brandon High School and attended St. Petersburg Junior College. He worked a route in Dunedin and the Clearwater area for Great Bay Distributing, bringing happiness to his customers. He was known as “Dave” to so many. For more than 20 years, he was a professional chauffeur for Allstar Limousine, where he provided personal chauffeur services for Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and had a government security clearance. That made him the perfect choice as the chauffeur to drive foreign dignitaries such as Margaret Thatcher and many celebrities such as William Shatner. His talkative personality made him a friend to almost everyone he met. He was beloved by neighbors and was an unusually giving person. In the family, he was known as Santa because of his “above and beyond” generosity and the amount of laughter he brought with him. He could wax poetic for any family holiday, graduations and birthdays. Some of his interests were traveling to exotic places, skiing in Switzerland, Windjammer cruises and sailing on the Americas Cup Vessel in the Caribbean. He also was an avid antique and coin collector. He is survived by his brother, Douglas, of Riverview; sisters, Heather, of Plant City, and Linda, of West Palm Beach; four nieces, Laura and Stephanie, of Plant City, and Emily and Ashley, of Spring, Texas. Condolences may be made at WellsMemorial.com.
Leo Williams
Leo Bisby Williams, 88, of Plant City, died Nov. 3, 2015 at home of natural causes. Mr. Williams was born Nov. 16, 1926, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, to Shorty and Ola Williams. In 1938, he moved with
his family to Plant City and was a 1947 graduate of Turkey Creek High School. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in February 1951 and served in the Korean War with the 47th Headquarters Security Unit in Ludwigsburg, Germany. He was honorably discharged in 1954. After working briefly with the U.S. Postal Service in Tampa, he dedicated his life to working in his family’s grocery businesses: Shorty’s Grocery Store, Leo’s Market and Felton’s Food Mart. He is survived by his sister, Dorothy Williams Andreu; sister-in-law, Lucille Williams; three stepdaughters, Ann Snapp, Faye Saunders and Judy Rivers; his beloved grandson, Ronnie Bordelon; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie Ruth McKinney Williams; brotherin-law, Mills Andreu; brother, Felton Williams; sister and brother-in-law, Dinky and James Cribs. A visitation was held on Friday, Nov. 6, at Hopewell Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens in Plant City. A graveside service followed at Hopewell Memorial Gardens. Condolences may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.
Melvin Williams
Melvin Williams, 74, of Plant City, died Oct. 10, 2015, at home. Mr. Williams was the son of Eron and Inez Campbell Williams. He was the owner of Melvin Williams Painting for 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Earlene Williams; children, Dwayne (Jackie) Williams and Toya Williams; brother, Ronnie Williams; and two grandchildren. A funeral service was held on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Haught Funeral Home in Plant City. Condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.
Susan C. Williams
Susan C. Williams, 64, of Plant City, died Oct. 6, 2015,
11
with her family by her side. Ms. Williams was of the Baptist faith. As a cancer survivor, she spent much time as a volunteer for Relay for Life. She was an avid Buccaneers fan, loved traveling, shopping and excelled in her work. She was a devoted caretaker to her parents for the last several years. She was a humble woman and was beautiful inside and out. She was loved by all and will be missed. She is survived by her mother, Mattie L. Williams; daughter, Sherry Kirton; son, Michael Jay Kirton (Deborah); brothers, Billy Keith Williams (Laural); Darryl F. Williams (Gwen); and sister, Debbie Norris (Jerry).
Ronald Paul Wood
Ronald Paul Wood, 58, of Plant City, died Oct. 7, 2015, at South Florida Baptist Hospital. A native of North Miami Beach, Florida, Mr. Wood was the son of the late Joseph and Thelma Phillips Wood. He is survived by his brother, Raymond, who will be having private services. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Joseph and John Wood. Condolences may be made at HaughtFuneralHome.com.
Oralia Espinoza Zayas
Oralia Espinoza Zayas, 67, of Dover, died Oct. 8, 2015. Mrs. Zayas was born to Cresencio Espinoza and Maria Navarro in Acuna, Mexico. She is survived by her husband, Julio Davila Zayas; son, Julio Zayas Jr.; daughters, Cindy Zayas and Josie Zayas; brother, Reynaldo; sisters, Gloria Espinoza and Maria Hernandez; and grandchildren, Diamond Bautista, Dianira Bautista and Zion Lee Navarrete and Leon Navarrete. She was preceded in death by her parents, Cresencio and Maria Epinoza, Crescencio Espinoza Jr., Nicholas Espinoza, Francisco Espinoza and Abraham Espinoza. A visitation was held Oct. 16, at Wells Memorial Funeral Home & Event Center.
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Sports
YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY
ATHLETE OFTHE WEEK Drew Knotts found the back of the net five times to spark the Raiders’ 2015 campaign. 14 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM
SIDELINES Do you have a good Sports scoop for us? Email Justin Kline at jkline@plantcity observer.com, or Tweet us at @PCTOSports.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
GAME OF THE WEEK by Justin Kline | Sports Editor
East Lake at Plant City: Playoffs! The Plant City Raiders will begin their playoff run by hosting a solid East Lake team.
FOOTBALL
+ Dolphins set for Superbowl
Of the five Plant City Dolphins teams that made the playoffs, four are advancing to the Nov. 21 Superbowl. The Mighty Mites, Midgets, Junior Varsity and Varsity teams each made the cut with wins on Saturday, Nov. 7, while the Pee Wees saw their highpowered offense stopped in its tracks by a feisty East Bay Bucs team at home, 15-14.
Without question, tonight’s football game will be the biggest that Plant City High has hosted in quite some time. The Raiders, having won their district for the first time in nearly a decade, finally get to have a home field advantage in the FHSAA playoffs, after several years of enduring tough road crowds. And, for the first time since 2013, they won’t have to face Sickles High. Tonight, Plant City will take on the East Lake Eagles, of Tarpon Springs. Many readers probably have one question: Just who are these guys?
CROSS COUNTRY
OFFENSE
+ Area runners in FHSAA states
Two area runners made the cut for FHSAA’s state championship meets, and both made an impact in the Class 4A race. Durant and Plant City each sent one runner to the Nov. 7 competition in Tallahassee. Haftom Fliegelman, of the Cougars, ended with a fourthplace finish and a time of 15:54.17. Luke Whitmore, of the Raiders, finished at 162 overall after stopping to help an injured runner finish the last 250 meters of the race.
SOCCER
+ PCHS, Crest start strong Just two games into the season, the Plant City Lady Raiders showed that there probably won’t be much of a drop-off in talent from last season. The reigning district champions won their first two games, both by 8-0 scores, over Gaither and Lennard on Oct. 28 and Nov. 5. Drew Knotts led the team with five goals and an assist in that span, followed closely by Samantha Gutierrez’s four goals. Seven Lady Raiders have found the back of the net, as of press time, and sophomore Holly Eddins has been lights-out good tending goal. The team will be back in action Wednesday, Nov. 18, when it hosts Riverview at 8 p.m. On the boys side, the Strawberry Crest Chargers have gotten off to the best start in the area. Crest held a 2-0 record and was the only one of the three area teams to win a game as of press time. The Chargers picked up a 3-0 win Nov. 3 at Lennard to start the season, and followed up with a 2-0 win against Robinson two days later.
Plant City’s defense pressures Lennard quarterback Devin Black.
WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND? by Justin Kline
Plant City vs. East Lake WHEN: 7:30 p.m. today. WHERE: Plant City High School, 1 Raider Place. the same district as a one-loss Countryside team that has proven itself to be the real deal in 2015. The Eagles started the season with a 1-4 record, beating Largo by a field goal and losing three games by a combined 21 points. But after losing to St. Petersburg, East Lake went on a four-game tear, outscoring opponents 158-27 before running into the wrecking ball that is Countryside on Oct. 30.
SEE GOTW / PAGE 13
FOOTBALL
| Sports Editor
by Justin Kline | Sports Editor
A TRUE
CHAMPION Instead of cruising to a fantastic finish at the FHSAA state championship meet, Plant City’s Luke Whitmore stopped to help a fellow runner cross the finish line.
T.J. Chase named Semper Fi AllAmerican The wide receiver is the second P.C. player in three years to receive the honor. At 8 a.m. on a Friday morning, T.J. Chase stands tall in front of a packed Plant City High School auditorium. He and his teammates, all seated in the middle rows, couldn’t be happier to be wearing their jerseys on a game day. But Chase’s jersey is different. It’s navy blue, purely for ceremony, and was just awarded to him by representatives from the Semper Fi All-American Bowl. The senior rises from his seat and slips the jersey onto his 6-foot-3 frame as the football players, students and faculty members in the crowd erupt in unison. “I’m feeling pretty good,” Chase said. “It was just good, doing my presentation in front of my true friends and teammates.” It may be the crown jewel on his stellar career, and the game hasn’t even happened yet.
DUE UP
Courtesy of Cedric Gillette | flrunners.com
Luke Whitmore carried Plant High’s Walker Thomas 250 meters to the finish line.
BASKETBALL
+ Youth league sign-ups begin
Children interested in playing youth league basketball now can sign up for the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department/ Optimist Club Youth Basketball Program. The league, now entering its 47th season, is open to youths aged 8-16, and will be divided into six age and gender groups. For more, call Danny Smith at (813) 659-4200, Ext. 4313, or visit plantcitygov.com and search for “youth basketball league.”
Justin Kline
East Lake enters the playoffs with a 7-4 overall record and a 3-2 mark in district play. The Eagles happen to play in
IF YOU GO
JUSTIN KLINE
With apologies to Durant High football fans, I have to take a quick break from Friday Night Notes. This is just too good to not share. I’m used to getting emails from local parents who want to tell me about how great their kids are — and why they should be named Athlete of the Week. It happens pretty frequently. But after a long day of NFL football on Sunday, I checked my email and found something from a parent I didn’t recognize, giving big props to a Plant City High cross-country runner. Clay Thomas is the father of Walker, a sophomore runner from H.B. Plant High in Tampa. I didn’t get to go to Tallahassee for the Nov. 7 FHSAA state championship
meet, in which some local runners performed well, but he gave me the rundown of what could have only been the best moment of the day. With his permission, I’m printing most of the email he sent to PCHS administrators and myself. “What kind of student runs every day, beginning in November, to become one of the state’s best milers in the spring, then continues his training through the summer to become one of the state’s best cross country runners in the fall, rarely taking a day off,” Thomas wrote. “What kind of student’s hard work is realized in every runner’s goal to qualify for the FHSAA State Championship Finals? What kind of student
is poised for a great finish in his first state meet, having moved up 35 places over the second mile, only to stop when he sees another runner from an opposing team in trouble 250 meters from the finish line? What kind of student, after having carried his own weight nearly three miles, carries the weight of that troubled runner the full 250 meters across the finish line? “That student is Luke Whitmore, and you should all be proud that he wears the Plant City Raiders jersey. The official results from that race say Luke finished in 162nd place out of 193 runners but,
SEE CHAMPION / PAGE 14
Chase isn’t the first Raider to earn Semper Fi All-American honors — 2013 graduate Montel McBride has also played in the game. But Chase may have the most decorated career of the two, partly because McBride broke out late in his career, and partly because Chase was in the recruiting spotlight as a sophomore. With senior Landon Galloway throwing the ball, Chase averaged more than 20 yards per catch as a sophomore and scored four touchdowns, helping the Raiders to a 9-4 record and a playoff appearance. As a defensive back, he recorded three picks for 117 yards and one touchdown and 43 tackles. Scouts noticed his talent in games and during summer football camps, and Chase’s name appeared on many national publications’ lists of wideouts to watch. He received about 40 college scholarship offers, many of them from NCAA Division I schools, be-
SEE CHASE / PAGE 13
PLANT CITY TIME & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
PLANT CITY’S BEST LOCAL AUCTION HOUSE!
GAME FILM by Justin Kline | Sports Editor
King shocks Durant High at 2015 Homecoming game
New & General Merchandise | Silver & Gold Coins Tools | Furniture | Jewelry | Antiques | Collectibles
Left: Cameron Myers pounds the rock.
Try as they might, the Durant Cougars just couldn’t make enough things happen on offense to end the season at 7-3. Durant finished its season with a 6-4 record, thanks to its Nov. 6 16-13 overtime loss against King, though the fans were left with some nice moments. It was a particularly good night for running back Jake Harris, who led his team in rushing and scored Durant’s only touchdown. It didn’t happen on the Cougars’ big thirdquarter drive, when the junior converted several first downs to get the team in field goal range, but with 3:27 left to play in the fourth quarter. Blake Moody had picked off King quarterback Demario Brisbon and returned the ball to the Lions’ 12-yard line, and Harris scored on the very next snap. The 13-6 lead didn’t last long. King running back Otis Williams stymied the Cougars’ otherwise stout defense with a 32-yard scoring run at the 1:05 mark. Durant simply used Harris to run the clock out and force overtime. King scored a field goal on their possession, and blocked Durant’s attempt to seal the win. In other area action, Plant City cruised to a 41-10 win over Freedom, and Strawberry Crest took a 9-0 loss at Gaither.
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THE BIG GAME The Semper Fi AllAmerican Bowl will play its fifth annual game on Jan. 3, 2016, at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. It will begin at 6 p.m. PST, 9 p.m. EST. Chase is one of five players selected from Florida and, along with Georgiabased guard Sean Pollard, one of two who will play football at Clemson. performance to those who ask about it. “He just tells them, ‘My stats are 8-1,’” Meyer said, referencing the team’s record. Chase is proud of everything he has accomplished thus far but says the nomination may be at or near the top of his list of favorites. “This is a great time to be alive right now,” Chase said. “It’s just a blessing.” Contact Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.
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Seriously — linebackers Cory Cotnoir and Steven Ogletree, who each have over 100 tackles in 2015, have outtackled more than half of the Eagles in 2015 by themselves. The Raiders also boast the more formidable pass rush, picking up 38 sacks to East Lake’s 17.5. The Eagles’ Oline will certainly have its work cut out for it. Although there’s no doubt that Plant City wins the battle of the two defenses, East Lake’s offense and its ability to get hot can’t be counted out this early. The Raiders will probably miss having defensive back Peyton Collins around for this one, as one of the keys to winning this game will certainly be the Raiders’ ability to force Goldinak into some bad decisions. Whether the winner of this game is Plant City or East Lake, the next round of the playoffs should get interesting for whichever squad advances. The next opponent on the list will be the winner of Countryside-Tampa Bay Tech, a battle between a red-hot district champion and one of the most physical defenses in Hillsborough County. Plant City does have a regular-season defeat of Tech to its name, but a matchup with the Cougars — who also ended the season with an extended win streak and a flawless district record — would be even more intriguing.
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This week’s Cryptoquiz answers
1) Kansas, 2) Republican, 3) Military, 4) House, 5) Senate. Bob Dole
This week’s Sudoku answers
This week’s Crossword answers
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver. com.
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT Notice is hereby given that the Southwest Florida Water Management District has received an application for a water use permit to withdraw water from wells and/or surface waters from: Circle G Farm & Ranch LLC. Application number: 20002486.008. Application received: October 23, 2015. Predominant use type: agricultural. Total requested withdrawal average daily gallons per day: 800,300. Peak month average gallons per day: 2,947,800. Maximum daily gallons per day: 32,771,500. From 18 withdrawal points. Location: Section(s) [5, 32) Township [27, 28) East, Range [22] South, in Hillsborough County. The application is available for public inspection Monday through Friday at The Tampa Service Office, 7601 Highway 301 North, Tampa, Florida 33637-6759. Interested persons may inspect a copy of the application and submit written comments concerning the application. Comments must include the permit application number and be received within 14 days from the date of this notice. If you wish to be notified of agency action or an opportunity to request an administrative hearing regarding the application, you must send a written request referencing the permit application number to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Regulation Performance Management Department, 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 346046899 or submit your request through the District’s website at www.watermatters.org. The District does not discriminate based on disability. Anyone requiring accommodation under the ADA should contact the Regulation Performance Management Department 187715 at (352)796-7211 or 1(800)423-1476: TDD only 1(800)231-6103.
Rhett Rollyson, President Rolly Rollyson, Sr. Advisor
2015
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Justin Kline
T.J. Chase stood proudly in front of a packed auditorium as he received a jersey and a bowl bid.
East Lake ended the season on a two-game win streak, featuring a 7-3 win over Pinellas and a 45-21 win over Clearwater. East Lake has edged out Plant City in the passing game, averaging more than 20 more pass yards per game with a 64% completion rate, compared to the Raiders’ 49%. The Eagles have thrown 10 touchdown passes against just one interception, courtesy of backup Tyler Rupe. Senior starter Bobby Goldinak owns nine of those 10 touchdown passes, as well as a 68% completion rate. But the ground game is East Lake’s forte. Last week, running back Xavier Jackson finished the night with 192 yards and four rushing touchdowns, including three in the first half. East Lake pounded the rock with Jackson, Tupac Blanch and Michael Del Duca, and the efforts doubled the season touchdown totals for both Jackson (eight) and Del Duca (two). The Eagles’ mark of 134 yards per game doesn’t quite touch Plant City’s 169, however, and Jackson has just slightly more than half the yardage of Markese Hargrove (1,169 yards). Only Blanch has a higher yards-per-carry average (9.5) than any given Raider, and he doesn’t get nearly as many touches as Jackson. Still, with the team’s hot hand being its running game, it’s reasonable to think that they’ll try to carry that momentum over to a game against a stifling Plant City defense.
DEFENSE
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GOTW / FROM PAGE 12
fore settling on Clemson — the current No. 1 team in the country and a program with a habit of seeing its wideouts go early in the NFL Draft. He played his junior season in Chris Weinke’s spread offense at Bradenton-based IMG Academy, again averaging more than 20 yards per catch en route to a 512-yard, five-TD season at wideout. But he returned to Plant City for his senior season. Statistically, it’s a bit of a down year for Chase on offense. He does have four touchdowns and an average of 21.8 yards per catch, but his 348 receiving yards do not lead the team. (junior Antoine Thompson, who wears Chase’s old jersey number 3, leads with 409 yards and 24.1 yards per catch.) On defense, the senior has 57 tackles and two picks for 48 yards. But that’s not important, at least to Chase. When speaking to the audience about the senior’s career, head coach Greg Meyer said that Chase has a crafty way of explaining his
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Although there’s no doubt that Plant City wins the battle of the two defenses, East Lake’s offense and its ability to get hot can’t be counted out this early.
CHASE / FROM PAGE 12
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PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
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CHAMPION / FROM 12 in the eyes of the troubled runner’s father, Luke was the champion of that race. Luke will probably take a well-deserved break at the end of the long cross-country season. But you can be sure that he’ll be back to running every day, preparing for a return to the state finals next year. I can’t wait to see him there, and you can bet I’ll be cheering for him!” This is what sportsmanship is all about. I’m very familiar with Luke — I’ve featured him in
follow. If you were in Walker’s shoes, you’d hate to go down with an injury in the biggest moment of your athletic career. You deserve to at least finish what you started, and I know that I’d want someone to help me out if they were charitable enough to do so. As much as I’ve advocated for tasteful trash talk in the past, that all goes out the window when someone needs help and you’re in position to give it to them. So, let’s tip our hats to Luke for sacrificing personal glory to help a fallen runner. That’s the stuff of true champions.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM
DREW KNOTTS
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The Plant City High girls soccer team started its season 2-0, with a pair of 8-0 wins, picking up where it left off last season. Leading the charge is junior captain Drew Knotts, who scored five goals and recorded an assist over the course of those games.
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Is that what you want to pursue in college? Yes. I really like public communications, and I think that sports broadcasting would be really cool. Do you have any personal goals this year? “Student-athlete” is something I take very seriously and, as I go from sport to sport, it’s very important for me to try and keep up my grades so I can have a chance of getting into a college. What would you say is the one thing you most want to improve, whether on the soccer field, classroom or another thing you do? I try to be as nice as I can to everyone, because I would want them to do that for me. I’m trying to be more encouraging to a bunch of people. If you could meet anyone you’ve always looked up to, who would it be? Probably Tim Tebow, because he is a leader on and off the field, and his values are great. You get $1 billion in the bank. What’s the first thing you buy? I would go to Haiti. I go on mission trips over the summer and help the kids there, help build schools, stuff like that. What is your favorite sports team? Florida Gators. My dad played at Florida as a strong safety, and I want to carry that on and be a college athlete. — Justin Kline
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What’s your favorite subject? I would say TV. It’s not part of the regular subjects, but I really like being on camera and communicating to everyone.
How’s the pageant circuit going? Are you still involved? I am, I’m taking a break right now. Next year, I’m going to be doing Straw-
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You’ve scored five goals in two games. Are you doing anything differently than you did last year? I’m more focused this year. I realized I want to play soccer in college, so I’m determined to be a better player and a better leader with the team.
What other sports are you doing? I’m doing cheer, and travel soccer with the West Florida Flames, and playing high school soccer.
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berry Queen. I was going to do Calendar Girl, but I had a soccer tournament and I couldn’t go. Then, I ended up getting a concussion and couldn’t play soccer, so I could have done it, but I’m going to wait until my senior year.
I’m sure you want to get further than you did last season, and you have a younger team this year. Is there anything different about this group of girls than the others you’ve played with in the last few years? We can all be more focused this year. We’ve all been focused over the years, but we’ve learned to block out drama, not take it to the soccer field, focus on being a team and getting better throughout the season. That’s going to take us further.
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You all are off to a hot start. What’s the key to success right now? (Because) it’s a new kind of team, with a lot of new players, the key is to all work together. It’s a total team effort to win a game.
Where do you want to go to college? I’m thinking of the SEC schools. I’m not sure which one I want to go to yet, but I know I want to play in the South.
3 PRIZES!!
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our Athlete of the Week section before and have been tracking his progress since last year, when he started to make a name for himself as one of Plant City’s top male runners. I have no doubt that he would have recorded a great finish if he didn’t choose to stop to help some random kid cross the finish line. And I have no doubt that he made the right call here. This speaks volumes about his character that outshines a state championship medal. Luke’s actions set the example all athletes should
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PLANT CITY TIME & OBSERVER
PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
15
PLANT CITY
RAIN
(INCHES)
WEATHER
THURS. Nov. 5
0.00
FRI.
TEMPERATURES
Nov. 6
0.00
Friday, Nov. 13 Saturday, Nov. 14 Sunday, Nov. 15 Monday, Nov. 16 Tuesday, Nov. 17 Wednesday, Nov. 18 Thursday, Nov. 19
SAT.
Nov. 7
0.00
SUN.
Nov. 8
0.08
MON.
HIGH 87 80 80 83 82 83 82
LOW 61 58 61 66 68 66 63
SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Nov. 9
0.83
Friday, Nov. 13 Saturday, Nov. 14 Sunday, Nov. 15 Monday, Nov. 16 Tuesday, Nov. 17 Wednesday, Nov. 18 Thursday, Nov. 19
TUES.
Nov. 10
0.09
WED.
Nov. 11
0.00
MONTH
TO DATE
1.86 (2014: 0.70)
YEAR
TO DATE 42.42 (2014: 44.92)
SUNRISE 6:48 a.m. 6:49 a.m. 6:50 a.m. 6:50 a.m. 6:51 a.m. 6:52 a.m. 6:53 a.m.
MOON PHASES
SUNSET 5:37 p.m. 5:37 p.m. 5:36 p.m. 5:36 p.m. 5:36 p.m. 5:35 p.m. 5:35 p.m.
Nov. 11
Nov. 18
CUCUMBERS
SHIPPING POINT: Orlando 24s: $2.50 to $3.95
Nov. 25
Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture
Dec. 3
I PC
Julie Hinson captured the morning dew on an old country barn in Plant City. Julie wins a Grimes Hardware Strawberry Town Cafe gift card. She can claim the card with an ID at Strawberry Town Cafe, 3161 Paul Buchman Highway. Do you have a picture that speaks to the personality of Plant City? To enter the I Love Plant City photo contest, email that photo and a caption to Managing Editor Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com. Winners will have their picture featured and receive a special gift.
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Each of the following cryptograms is a clue to the identity of an American politician. Using the hints O=E and W=S, decipher the clues to name the politician.
1. S I D W I W 2. H O B A V Z U G I D 3. N U Z U P I H C 4. Y X A W O 5. W O D I P O
This politician secured both their party’s vice presidential and presidential nomination:
SUDOKU
Solve the puzzle by placing the numbers 1 through 9Puzzle in each1 row, column and box. (Hard, difficulty rating 0.60)
1 6
9
7 3 5
4
2
2
3 8 7
4
9
8 7 9
4
1 8
7 8
9 3
2 1
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CROSSWORD LOWERED EXPECTATIONS by Jerry Berns
CRYPTOQUIZ
5 3
2 eggs, bacon or sausage
6 7
ACROSS 1 Absolute chaos 7 “Great Balls of Fire” singer Jerry Lee 12 Bachmann or Lea 19 Plaza girl of fiction 20 Medicine cabinet item 21 Like a path around Earth 22 Angels’ division 23 Definitely not on a winning streak 25 “The Day the Earth Stood Still” star Michael 26 Like some proportions 27 Middle East gulf 28 Avoids the truth 29 Shipwreck signal 30 “Common Sense” pamphleteer Thomas 31 Monkeyed around (with) 33 Complex 36 They can become unhinged 38 Farm measure 42 Vandalize 43 “... happily ___ after” 44 Miss, after marriage 45 Readily available 47 Be earlier than 50 Cohort of Larry and Curly 52 One spelling for a group of eight 53 Ate voraciously (with “down”) 54 How some races run 57 Salacious material 58 Hamlet’s big brother 59 “Don’t you just ___ it when ...?” 60 Beans used for tofu 61 Drive-in feature 64 Miscues on a diamond 66 Dull pain 70 Give the old heave-ho 71 Hectic episodes 72 Atlas or Minuteman 76 Read the riot act 79 Powerful attractions 82 They make calls from the plate 83 Glass part 84 Frog-to-be 85 Airport sign holder, e.g. 86 Card just below a jack 88 “Little of this, little of that” dish 90 Mauna ___, Hawaii’s highest peak 91 About 92 Bushy-tailed carnivores 94 Very small ruminant 97 Lady’s pants alternative 99 Get more than frosty 101 Did a marathon 102 “Beware the ___ of March” 106 Place to worship from 107 Medicine cabinet powder 108 Boss 111 Discouraged 114 “Make yourself ___” 115 Where many wish for peace 116 Timid-acting 117 Advantageous to all
©2015 Universal Uclick
118 Generosity 119 Word on some mazes 120 Fragrances DOWN 1 Chicago footballer 2 Fashion model or magazine 3 Current direction 4 Property claim holder 5 City of Francis and Clare 6 Apportion (with “out”) 7 More batty 8 Dickens’ mysterious Mr. Drood 9 Reacted to a really bad pun 10 Suffix with “concert” 11 Roman forum participant 12 Get one’s ___ worth 13 “Flashdance” singer Cara 14 “Elementary” network 15 Frisco’s Nob ___ 16 Small needle bag 17 Lingerie material 18 Caribous’ cousins 20 Think creatively 24 Air freshener targets 30 Improved, as a road 32 “Divine Comedy” penner 33 Playful rascals
34 They pull in pushers 35 Relinquish, as land 37 Foreboding sign 39 Readies for swallowing 40 2:1, e.g. 41 Item written in a diary 45 Orange-yellow pigment 46 Wedding couple? 48 Grand ___ (wine label word) 49 Immature salamanders 50 Neatened, as a lawn 51 To each his ___ 52 “Beetle Bailey” canine 54 Acts of the Apostles? 55 Toss or hurl 56 Two in a row? 58 Midterm, e.g. 62 Cringe in fear 63 Baseball stats 64 Cheese in a ball 65 Young herring canned as a sardine 66 Reunion attendee 67 Carved gemstone 68 Bouncing off the walls 69 Corrects text 71 Muhammad of the ring 73 Mug relative
74 Needing repair 75 Confused conflict 77 Layered cookies 78 Sea eagle 79 Consumed greedily 80 Legal statutes 81 Mark with a branding iron 86 Ark contents 87 Like some makeovers 88 Place for a blast furnace 89 Sensitive 92 Liquor measures 93 Not participate in 95 Titillating 96 “Frasier” character 98 Philosopher Immanuel and namesakes 100 ___ celebre 102 “American ___” (TV show) 103 Honorific of Spain 104 Item in many still-life drawings 105 Hidden catch 108 Fancy marbles 109 Bypass 110 Some army officers (Abbr.) 112 Anger 113 Day of many fed. holidays
PlantCityObserver.com
PLANT CITY TIMES & OBSERVER
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015
Stay To the ER You Trust
The ER You’ve Always Depended On No matter how serious your emergency, you want an ER you can trust. From minor injuries like broken bones, cuts or scrapes to more serious issues such as heart attacks or stroke, the Redman Emergency Center at South Florida Baptist Hospital delivers health care for adults and children. Also, because our Emergency Center is attached to a hospital, we can take patients into surgery or provide additional medical care right away if needed.
Watch Dr. Brooke Shepard talk about the quality care at South Florida Baptist Hospital ER: PlantCityEmergency.org
For all of life’s minor and major emergencies, choose the Redman Emergency Center at South Florida Baptist Hospital.
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