11.15.18 PLCO by Plant City Observer

PLANT CITY

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

VOLUME 6, NO. 20

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Locals cut footloose SEE PAGE 12

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Enhancing Plant City’s brand The city now has a new logo and signs congratulating Moody are on their way. SEE PAGE 5

A bittersweet adieu

YOUR TOWN

Courtesy of Strawberry Crest

Crest’s national wave-maker JP Prescott, a student at Strawberry Crest, came out on top at the 2018 FFA National Convention. Prescott placed third in the entire country in the National Extemporaneous Public Speaking event. During the event the participants have to showcase their agricultural knowledge with a speech and an impromptu Q&A. They must be able to think on their feet and are given a limited time to prepare.

Breanne Williams

Durant High School ROTC color guard did the presentation of the colors.

Breanne Williams Breanne Williams

Commissioner Mary Mathis shared memories of growing up using the MLK Recreation Center for dances, parties and meetings. She said it was a cornerstone for the community.

Demolition has begun on the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center as the city prepares for the creation of a new state-of-the-art facility. SEE PAGE 7

Radio returns to Plant City Breanne Williams

Ferris Waller, aka Boss Hogg, opened a new radio station right here in Plant City.

Thanks to the efforts of Ferris Waller, aka Boss Hogg, Plant City once again has a hometown radio station. SEE PAGE 4

Christmas Lane contest open to the public Christmas Lane has partnered with the Plant City Observer and Publix Supermarkets Inc. to help two families in need. To nominate a deserving family, send entries of no more than 500 words to Managing Editor Sarah Holt at SHolt@PlantCityObserver. com by Thursday, Nov. 29. The winners will receive: n A $100 Publix gift card n Four VIP tickets to Christmas Lane n A professional photo with Santa Claus n Four Christmas Lane concession stand tickets Winners will be announced Thursday, Dec. 6.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

“So many of these are elderly people. The government is failing our community, our society, when old people have to stand in line to ensure they can eat. We are trying to restore their dignity.”

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 15, 2018 BY THE NUMBERS

number of years the Plant City Christmas Parade has been running. SEE PAGE 6

TCMS teacher gets Army promotion

— Pastor Michael Fredette, on feeding the hungry with Liberty Southern Baptist Church

Florida Strawberry Festival concerts announced for 2019

30,000

approximate square footage of Plant City’s new community center, which could be completed in 2019. SEE PAGE 7

dogs saved on average by Mastiff Rescue of Florida every year. Keel & Curley Winery is hosting SlobberFest this weekend to celebrate English Mastiffs and their happy homes. SEE PAGE 10

Plant City Dolphins teams set to compete in the TCYFCC Superbowl on Saturday. SEE PAGE 13

File photo

he wait is finally over. The Florida Strawberry Festival has announced its headline entertainment for 2019 that will perform on the Wish Farms Soundstage. Some of this year’s featured performers include Old Dominion, Keith Sweat, STYX, Steven Tyler and Willie Nelson as well as returning favorites like Jimmy Sturr & his Orchestra, the Drifters, Platters and Cornell Gunter’s Coasters and NEEDTOBREATHE. The finale of the festival’s Battle of the Bands will be an afternoon headline event on March 9, 2019. Advance tickets for the concerts go on sale Dec. 6 at 8 a.m. and can be purchased online at www.flstrawberryfestival.com, at the Amscot Main Ticket Office, 2209 W. Oak Ave., and over the phone at 813-754-1996. The 2019 Florida Strawberry Festival is themed “It’s a Hit” and will run from Feb. 28 to March 10. For a full list of concerts, visit plantcityobserver.com.

Willie Nelson’s last Florida Strawberry Festival performance was in front of a sellout crowd in 2017. T:10.375”

Trevor Burmeister is not your average middle school teacher. Burmeister also serves in the United States Army as a major, a title he earned in a Nov. 9 ceremony at Turkey Creek Middle School. During the school’s ROTC Day event, which linked students up with Durant High School Air Force ROTC members, TMCS hosted a ceremony for Burmeister’s promotion from Captain to Major and the entire school got to watch the social sciences teacher receive his new rank from the bleachers.

Durant FFA wins state competition Durant High School FFA recently won the state Forestry competition. The Cougars who make up the school’s Forestry team are Daeton Chessar, Cole Hanson, Emma Poole and Ashlyn Dempsey. Their advisor is Tim Cribbs.

Ice cream shop opens Thai ice cream has come to Plant City’s Lake Walden Square Plaza. The newly-opened 32 Below Thai Ice Cream serves up hand-rolled ice cream, boba tea and other sweet treats just a short walk away from the AMC movie theater. Thaistyle ice cream is flattened into a thin square on a cold slab, scraped into several rolls and placed into cups and bowls using tongs. Syrup and other toppings can be placed on the ice cream before it’s rolled and customers can put plenty of fixings on the ice cream after it’s in the bowl.

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Both accounts are FDIC-insured up to the maximum allowable limit. Platinum Savings offer available in CT, FL and NY. Fixed Rate CD offer available in CT, FL, NY and WA. Portfolio by Wells Fargo® customers are eligible to receive an additional interest rate bonus on these accounts.3 1. To qualify for this offer, you must have a new or existing Platinum Savings account and enroll the account in this offer between 10/15/2018 and 11/16/2018. This offer is subject to change at any time, without notice. This offer is available only to Platinum Savings customers in the following states: CT, FL and NY. In order to earn the Special Interest Rate of 1.69% (Special Rate), you must deposit $25,000 in new money (from sources outside of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., or its affiliates) to the enrolled savings account and maintain a minimum daily account balance of $25,000 throughout the term of this offer. The corresponding Annual Percentage Yield (APY) for this offer is 1.70%. The Special Rate will be applied to the enrolled savings account for a period of 12 months, starting on the date the account is enrolled in the offer. However, for any day during that 12-month period that the daily account balance is less than the $25,000 minimum, the Special Rate will not apply and the interest rate will revert to the standard interest rate applicable to your Platinum Savings account. As of 09/18/2018, the standard interest rate and APY for a Platinum Savings account in CT, FL and NY with an account balance of $0.01 to $99,999.99 is 0.03% (0.03% APY) and with an account balance of $100,000 and above is 0.05% (0.05% APY). Each tier shown reflects the current minimum daily collected balance required to obtain the applicable APY. Interest is compounded daily and paid monthly. The amount of interest earned is based on the daily collected balances in the account. Upon the expiration of the 12-month promotional period, standard interest rates apply. Minimum to open a Platinum Savings account is $25. A monthly service fee of $12 applies in any month the account falls below a $3,500 minimum daily balance. Fees may reduce earnings. Interest rates are variable and subject to change without notice. Wells Fargo may limit the amount you deposit to a Platinum Savings account to an aggregate of $1 million. Offer not available to Private Banking, Business Banking, Wholesale or Wealth customers. 2. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is effective for accounts opened between 10/15/2018 to 11/16/2018. The 11-month New Dollar CD special requires a minimum of $25,000 brought to Wells Fargo from sources outside of Wells Fargo Bank N.A., or its affiliates to earn the advertised APY. Public Funds and Wholesale accounts are not eligible for this offer. APY assumes interest remains on deposit until maturity. Interest is compounded daily. Payment of interest on CDs is based on term: For terms less than 12 months (365 days), interest may be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or at maturity (the end of the term). For terms of 12 months or more, interest may be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. A fee for early withdrawal will be imposed and could reduce earnings on this account. Special Rates are applicable to the initial term of the CD only. At maturity, the special rate CD will automatically renew for a term of 6 months, at the interest rate and APY in effect for CDs on renewal date not subject to a Special Rate, unless the Bank has notified you otherwise. APY shown offered at Wells Fargo Bank locations in CT, FL, NY and WA. Due to the new money requirement, accounts may only be opened at your local branch. Wells Fargo reserves the right to modify or discontinue the offer at any time without notice. Offer cannot be: Combined with any other consumer deposit offer, or reproduced, purchased, sold, transferred or traded. Minimum new money deposit requirement of at least $25,000 is for this offer only and cannot be transferred to another account to qualify for any other consumer deposit offer. If you wish to take advantage of another consumer deposit offer requiring a minimum new money deposit, you will be required to do so with another new money deposit as stated in the offer requirements and qualifications. 3. The Portfolio by Wells Fargo program has a $30 monthly service fee, which can be avoided when you have one of the following qualifying balances: $25,000 or more in qualifying linked bank deposit accounts (checking, savings, CDs, FDIC-insured IRAs) or $50,000 or more in any combination of qualifying linked banking, brokerage (available through Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC) and credit balances (including 10% of mortgage balances, certain mortgages not eligible). If the Portfolio by Wells Fargo relationship is terminated, the bonus interest rate on all eligible savings accounts, and discounts or fee waivers on other products and services, will discontinue and revert to the Bank’s then-current applicable rate or fee. For bonus interest rates on time accounts, this change will occur upon renewal. If the Portfolio by Wells Fargo relationship is terminated, the remaining unlinked Wells Fargo Portfolio Checking or Wells Fargo Prime Checking account will be converted to another checking product or closed. Investment and Insurance Products: Are not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency

May Lose Value

Are not a Deposits of or Guaranteed by a Bank

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WH AT’S H APPENING

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Full hearts, full bellies “Many started as recipients. They came and got food and had the gospel preached to them and their lives were changed. Now they’re wanting to give back, to bless others as they were blessed so they volunteer on the other side of the line.” — Pastor Michael Fredette

Breanne Williams

Pastor Michael Fredette and Victor at Liberty Southern Baptist Church.

Every week, Liberty Southern Baptist Church provides food boxes to hundreds of those in need around the community. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

omething special is happening at Liberty Southern Baptist Church. Every week, without fail, the parking lots overflow and folks flock to the sanctuary before the sun makes its appearance in the morning sky. They’re moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, children hanging onto the arms of their parents and they’re all here for one purpose. Each week, volunteers distribute more than 500 food boxes to the community. With no funding, but full hearts, they manage to change thousands of lives every single year. “We are supposed to create disciples and this is how we do it,” Pastor Michael Fredette said. “All of these people are volunteers. Many started as recipients. They came and got food and had the gospel preached to them and their lives were changed. Now they’re wanting to give back, to bless others as they were blessed so they volunteer on the other side of the line.” It all began when a young boy came up to Michael Fredette following a church service. Tugging on his sleeve, the boy said he was hungry and the pastor headed to the emergency food pantry they had to give him something to eat. The shelves were nearly empty. He started to purchase pizza for the youth every week and soon realized many adults were sitting down for the meal as well. That transitioned into the church cooking a large meal every Wednesday. Then they started cooking on Sundays. Eventually, they stumbled across a woman

Breanne Williams

Those who sign in are given boxes filled with meat, fresh fruit and vegetables and anything else that comes in.

who was running a nearby food ministry and she taught them exactly how they could create and operate something larger to meet their community’s needs. Now they hold the food ministry from approximately 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Wednesday. The majority of the food is donated from organizations like Feeding Tampa Bay and Walmart. However, the cost of transportation to get the food under one roof runs approximately $2,000 a month. Michael Fredette’s wife, Gina Fredette, also works at the church running the voluntary pre-kindergarten education program. As the food ministry continued to grow they had to find a way to afford the growing transportation costs. So the Fredettes volunteered to work without a salary, pouring their time into the church and community they love so those in need never went without. “The church doesn’t have a budget. The money we get from donations — well, most of it — goes toward repairs and keeping the electric on,” Gina Fredette said. “The school helps pay for the food ministry and Feeding America gives us a majority of the food. What’s amazing is we have this little gas can at the table where people sign in. A lot of people will reach into their pocket and put some coins or whatever they have into the can. They want to give

back. That money usually goes into the gas tank of the box truck that brings the food.” The church still does a free lunch after every Sunday service and Gina Fredette said they usually see more than 100 people stop in for a warm meal. During the Florida Strawberry Festival, they found out many of the workers struggle to afford to eat because of the way their income is structured. So, every day, the church cooks three meals and opens its doors to anyone in need. They serve an average of 20,000 meals over the course of the festival with church members volunteering their time and resources to help keep people from going to bed with empty stomachs. “God didn’t give us this church, he didn’t put us in a position in this church to sit here and take money for it and not help those in need,” Gina Fredette said. “It’s more of a calling to do what’s right in God’s eyes and to give back. Everybody deserves to be treated with respect, everyone should help someone else if they can. It’s just the right thing to do.” Vivian Mattair and Neva Bell greet every single person that walks through the front door on Wednesday mornings. On Nov. 14, more than 400 people had already signed in at the church by 11 a.m. There would be far more than 500 by the time they began wrapping

up at 2 p.m. They say they give out an equivalent of 25 tons of food every week. Once signed in, they go in groups of 75 at a time through the line and the sanctuary remains open to help keep everyone out of the brutal Florida sun. Mattair has been volunteering for the last three to four years and said there are people lined up outside the church doors before she arrives at 7 a.m. They’re arriving before daylight to grab their boxes of food. She said she sees a lot of the same faces every week and over the years has gotten to know many of the attendees. They’ve struck up friendships that never cease to touch her heart, she said. When they go to sign in, empty prayer cards are left on the table. They are welcome to fill out prayer requests and the pastor prays over each entry every week. “I just love people, I love to talk to people,” Mattair said. “They tell us what the Lord is doing in their lives and we tell them what He is doing in ours. If they don’t have a home church we let them know our doors are always open. Come as you are, there is no judgment or requirements to worship here.” The majority of those coming through the ministry are the elderly. Michael Fredette said the demographic is 55% elderly, 25%

single moms, 10% disabled, 5% families in need, 4% miscellaneous needs and 1% homeless. “So many of these are elderly people,” Michael Fredette said. “The government is failing our community, our society, when old people have to stand in line to ensure they can eat. We are trying to restore their dignity. This isn’t a soup kitchen, it’s a food ministry. Next week it will be crazy because you’ll see all the children out of school with their parents. It’ll break your heart.” As the group of 75 people file into the fellowship hall to receive their boxes, they are prayed over and receive a brief message of faith from the volunteers. This week they were encouraged to remember that God has provided all of this today. Not the church, not the volunteers, but God. They said He personally is blessing every single person there and if they see someone in need, they should bless them as well. The message was met with loud shouts of “Amen” and applause from the crowd. Anyone interested in helping the church in its ministry can donate by calling 813-752-5432. They are also in desperate need of a walk-in freezer to help store the food.

Breanne Williams

Approximately 30 volunteers arrive before sunrise every week to help in the food ministry at Liberty Southern Baptist Church.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

BOSS HOGG

HITS THE

AIRWAVES

Local legend Boss Hogg recently launched a new radio station out of his famous Plant City Farm & Flea Market. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

erris Waller, known to many as Boss Hogg, has played a key role in establishing foundational enterprises throughout not only Plant City, but much of central Florida. He is the mastermind behind the Plant City Farm & Flea Market and his newest venture is bringing his eclectic taste into homes throughout the area. Thanks to Boss Hogg Plant City once again has a hometown radio station. “Our saying is we don’t play opera, heavy metal, punk rock, rap or crap,” Waller said. “In the morning it’s heavy country, we call it ‘Heinz 57 music,’ which means its a wide variety of music. It’s what I enjoy and I think a lot of other people will enjoy it, too.” “Boss Hogg Radio” can be listened to at WHNR 1360 AM or streamed online at plantcitymarket.com. Waller said he listened to Al Berry and Ercell Smith at WPLA. When he found out a Winter Haven station was up for sale he decided he would purchase it and bring a station back to Plant City. Waller is the epitome of an entrepreneur. When he realized the limitations in place at the Plant City Farmers Market he decided to create one where anyone could come and sell their wares.

Photos by Breanne Williams

Ferris Waller, aka Boss Hogg, opened a new radio station right here in Plant City.

He started off with one-half acre and seven vendors. Now he has approximately 40 acres and more than 100 vendors. The flea market on Wednesdays attracts more than 375 vendors with more than 2,500 customers every week. He said they’ve even had trucks come from as far as Canada to sell and buy produce. An economic impact study by Allen W. Hodges, Ph.D., an extension scientist with the University of Florida’s Food and Resource Economics Department, in 2017 found that annual sales of the market are more than $177 million, which impact nearly 3,200 full and part-time jobs. On top of the highly successful market, Waller owns several other businesses including a metal roofing shop, a sign shop, I-4 power equipment, an RV park, Kathleen’s Garden & Grandpa’s Event Barn and several restaurants throughout central Florida. “I’m the only kid in my class that owns six businesses to make a living,” Waller said. “I think I would have to say that practically everything I’ve done has been an accident. I went to Orlando one time to go to a metal roofing show and ended up at the wrong place. They were having a sign show instead. Next thing I knew I was opening a sign shop.” Waller attributes his non-stop lifestyle to simply “trying to stay busy.” He joked the hope is it will

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5:30pm Sat 8am-2pm

keep him out of trouble. When he isn’t working at one of his many businesses he can be found on his ranch off Knights Griffin Road tending to his 75 head of cattle. When he began creating River Ratz Cafe in Nobleton he handpicked the unique playlist of classic tunes that serenade customers all day long. He realized the ambiance worked and chose to carry that on in his new station. Unlike many formal stations, Boss Hogg Radio is an open pod themed setup. When you walk through the door the hosts are all sitting around a table, their equipment grouped all together in the same room. It creates a “reality radio” aesthetic, Waller said. When something happens in the studio, listeners go along for the ride. He said they’ve been told it will fail, but that the feedback they’re beginning to receive from listeners is indicating he may have once again been onto something. Working in the new studio didn’t lessen the itch. Waller is now finalizing negotiations for the radio station in Bushnell to further his reach. His lineup is diverse and impressive. Listeners will hear everything from classic country to jazz, reggae and even disco. If it’s good music, it’ll come across the air, Waller said. Word began to spread of the unique setup Waller was creating down in Plant City.

2015 Yamaha Golf Cart 48 volt

$2,400

290869-1

Trade-Ins Welcomed • Service Dept. Available

813-752-4459

Exit 22 • S. Frontage Rd. • Plant City, FL 33563

“I’m just trying to get as much done in the few years I have left. I would like to see Plant City have something of its own again, like it used to have.” — Ferris Waller

Soon he had people reaching out asking to be a part of his team. A name many might recognize comes on every day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for The Rocket Man Show with Johnny Rocket. The comedian has received national recognition and lives in Lakeland. When he realized Plant City was about to get back into the broadcasting game Waller said he was right on board to join the movement. Many of the other broadcasters, like Charlie Brown from Polk County, are broadcast experts and have been on the radio for decades. “I tell everyone this is the Boss Hogg Radio Station of has-beens and wanna-bes,” Waller said. “We are not as close to being professional as some of those other stations out there. When you tune in you’re going to have some fun because we are and listeners are a part of that.” He’s poured his time, investments and heart into his community and said he is always looking for something that he is passionate about that can help the area

continue to grow. Waller’s 80th birthday was this week and he has no plans to slow down his pursuit of new ventures and uncharted territory. “I’m just trying to get as much done in the few years I have left,” Waller said. “I would like to see Plant City have something of its own again, like it used to have.”

TUNE IN BOSS HOGG RADIO 1360 AM Playing: Classic country and rock and roll, bluegrass, blues, folk, Motown, soul, pop, jazz, disco, Doo Wop, Rockabilly, reggae and Polka. Visit: Visit the remote studio every Wednesday at the Plant City Farm & Flea Market at the corner of Hwy. 39 N. aka Paul Buchman Hwy. & Sam Allen Rd.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

City will soon have new look

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

HEALTH OBSERVED

Questions to Ask Before Selecting a Health Insurance Plan

Commissioners approved a new city logo and to purchase signs congratulating Ashley Moody. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

he city is enlarging its brand. City commissioners approved the creation of a new city logo Tuesday night, which will act as a secondary symbol to represent Plant City. The city also set in motion plans to honor Ashley Moody for winning the election. The rebranding is part of the new partnership between the city and Fryed Egg Productions, who has been hired to handle the city’s media management. The logo features the words “The City of Plant City” adjacent to a picture of the historic lampposts found throughout downtown. Underneath is one of the city’s mottos, “Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future.” “This design, it’s simple but elegant,” Commissioner Mary Mathis said. “I like it a lot.” Commissioner Bill Dodson echoed his approval of the new logo and praised it for paying tribute to the city’s motto. He said the lamppost signified the city making an effort to preserve its past while the “modern font” represented the city embracing the future. The official Plant City seal that has been the city’s traditional logo is by no means being replaced by the new image. City Manager Bill McDaniel said the seal will be used for certain aspects of the city, like with any public safety departments. Commissioners frequently wear a pin of the seal on their lapels and Mayor Rick Lott expressed his fondness for the seal and his gratitude that they were going to be keeping it on deck. McDaniel presented the new logo to commissioners Tuesday night to get their opinions on it

before having it finalized. He said city staff “had their fingers all over it” and helped Fryed Egg come up with the final product. “I’m probably not the best person to ask because I live my life on the other side of the brain where creativity goes to die,” Vice Mayor Nate Kilton joked. He also said that he knows Plant City has a story to tell, that it’s rich history and bright future should be apparent with effective branding and that he was looking forward to seeing the new logo approved. All of the commissioners approved the new logo and McDaniel said he would continue the process of getting it implemented and city employees would be briefed on how to properly use it. It should be rolling out on letterheads and other documents soon. Lott also sought out the approval of the commissioners on the city using funds to celebrate the election of Plant City native Ashley Moody who is the Florida Attorney General-elect. He proposed the city create signs congratulating Moody and place them at some of the key entrances to the city. “I’m very proud of Ashley Moody,” Lott said. “She’s the very first person from Plant City elected to the Florida Cabinet… I want to throw the idea out. She’s sworn into office on January 9 and I’ve seen other cities do this, we did it with Brooke Bennett.” Bennett is an American former competition swimmer and threetime Olympic champion. She grew up in Plant City and went to Durant High School. McDaniel estimated it would cost around $50 a sign since the city makes everything in-house. Commissioners agreed to allow the cost and Mathis suggested the city hold an open reception with Moody prior to a commission meeting one week so the public could come and congratulate her. Dodson said the city should also give Moody a proclamation to wish her the best moving forward. “I think it’s good to recognize our own when they do great things,” Lott said.

By Nevresa Mujcinovic, Florida Blue Center Director

It’s the time of year when many of us select our health insurance plans for next year. Determining which plan is right for you and your family can sometimes feel overwhelming. Here are some questions to ask to help you evaluate your options: What is the total cost? The amount you pay each month is only one part of the total cost of a health plan. Make sure you understand how much you are responsible for paying when you need medical services. Do you have to meet a deductible before your insurance begins to pay? Do you have a copay or coinsurance that you’ll be responsible for when you go to the doctor or pharmacy? Also, think about how frequently you may need medical services. Are you pretty healthy and only have an occasional minor illness or injury? Or, do you have a condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure or longterm illness that may require more frequent medical care? This will help you put together an estimate of how much you’ll pay overall throughout the year. Are my doctors and medications covered? Confirm if any doctors you see are in the health plan’s network as well as which hospitals are in the network. If you see a doctor outside the network, you’ll end up paying more and may be responsible for the full amount. Also, if you take prescription medications on a regular basis, make sure they are covered by the plan and find out how much they’ll cost you.

Can I get discounts or financial assistance? Individuals and families enrolling in health insurance through the Marketplace (sometimes called Obamacare) may be eligible to receive financial assistance from the federal government to lower their monthly payments. Approximately 1 million uninsured people in Florida are eligible for financial assistance and are not taking advantage of it, so don’t assume you do not qualify. Some Florida Blue plans also include a member rewards program where you can earn money to lower your monthly payments or receive gifts cards. Where can I get help? You’re not alone. Our staff at the Florida Blue Center in Winter Haven can walk you through your options, explain the total costs and help you apply for financial assistance. If you can’t make it to a Florida Blue Center, we have 4,500 agents across the state who can also assist you. You can find one in your neighborhood at FloridaBlue. com. Nevresa Mujcinovic is the director of the Florida Blue Center in Winter Haven. The Florida Blue Center are open seven days a week during open enrollment to assist Floridians in understanding their health care options. Visit FloridaBlue.com/Center or call the Center to make an appointment to receive face-to-face assistance with your health plan needs.

(863) 291-0140 www.FloridaBlue.com

Health Observed allows brands and businesses to connect directly with the Observer’s readership — and participate in the conversation — by creating engaging content on the Observer’s digital publishing platform. For more on Health Observed, email us at kohara@yourobserver.com.

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Breanne Williams

Above: Signs congratulating Ashley Moddy are on their way. Left: City of Plant City’s new logo.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE Did you take the Observer with you on vacation? Send your pictures to Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com to be featured.

LaBarbera named Christmas Parade Grand Marshal

Courtesy photo

Frank LaBarbera is proud to say he’s helped with the parade for decades.

Frank LaBarbera is one of the original parade organizers. TACOMA, WASHINGTON: Helen Giangreco recently visited Tacoma, Washington to see family and brought a copy of the Observer along on a trip to Rialto Beach with her grandson Erik.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

lant City’s Christmas Parade has been around for 53 years and Frank LaBarbera has been instrumental in making it happen. He’s seen and done just about everything with the parade, besides leading it. The event’s board members decided it was time for that to change. “We’re so excited to announce that Frank LaBarbera is our recipient this year and this is a long time coming,” board member Dodie White said in a news release. LaBarbera has been named Grand Marshal for the 2018 parade, which hits the streets at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7. He couldn’t be more excited to have the honor. “It’s my baby,” LaBarbera said. “I’ve seen it grow from nothing. It’s really nice. We can be proud to put on a parade like that and we’ve been successful pretty much the whole time… I feel honored that

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8x3 Strawberry Classic Feature STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CAR SHOW

OF THE MONTH

Strawberry Classic Cruise-In Feature Car of the Month—November 2018 1979 Pontiac Trans Am

they offered it to me. I wanted to do it for a long time, but usually, I’m involved with working on the parade, so it’s hard. When you’ve learned your position in a parade, to replace you is pretty tough.” LaBarbera’s background is in advertising and sales, and he spent much of his professional career with oil companies from the early 1980s until 2011. He is also a past president and exalted ruler of the Plant City Elks Club, past president of the Plant City Knights of Columbus and several other civic clubs in Plant City and Polk County. He’s been involved with parades for the Florida Strawberry Festival for 10 years. But the Christmas Parade is his pride and joy and has been since he helped create the parade with the Jaycees back in 1965. “I’ve been hanging in there and I’ve been involved from day one,” LaBarbera said. “We’ve had a pretty good run. It’s a pretty big parade.” After 11 to 12 years of the Jaycees and Lani Purcell running the parade, LaBarbera got the Elks involved when Purcell could no longer run the event and it was in danger of being dropped. The Elks ran the parade for around 20 years with LaBarbera as a co-chairman, and he then joined the newly-created Plant City Christmas Parade Inc. board. Though LaBarbera said he’s been humbled and honored to be chosen as Grand Marshal, he’s quick to give credit where credit is due and thank all the men and women who have worked tirelessly with him over the years to create and maintain the parade. “Some of the old timers around town were involved for a long time, too… they helped a lot for a long time,” LaBarbera said. The 2018 parade will start at the intersection of Collins Street and Alsobrook Street and head north into downtown, turning right onto Reynolds Street and ending at the courthouse. If it’s your first time, come early, bring a chair and enjoy a festive night unlike any other.

Owner- Mr. Burt Reynolds—Plant City, FL

The feature car of the month this time is a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am that is owned by Mr. Burt Reynolds! Mr. Gene Kennedy was hired by Mr. Reynolds years ago to maintain his personal collection of Pontiac Trans Am’s and other movie cars from the many films he starred in. Mr. Reynolds passed away in September of this year. Many of the vehicles that Mr. Reynolds kept in his large collection were auctioned off at Barrett Jackson over the past few years bringing big money for Mr. Reynold’s Institute For Film & Theater in Jupiter, Florida. This 79 Trans Am (actually driven by Mr. Reynolds) is one of the few remaining of his collection. Mr. Gene Kennedy is the caretaker of the Burt Reynolds Collection and for sentimental reasons, said this car will probably never be sold off. This 79 Trans Am SE “Bandit” was restomoded at Mr. Reynolds request with modern A/C, beefed up engine / suspension and upgraded modern snowflake rims as well as many other refinements. It is autographed by Mr. Reynolds, is titled in Mr. Reynolds name as well and has been shown at several of the Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-In’s! It will be on display this coming show as the Cruiser Of The Month as a tribute to The Legendary Mr. Burt Reynolds... AKA The Bandit!

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Saying goodbye to MLK Recreation Center

Breanne Williams

City Manager Bill McDaniel said the city would remember the rich history of the past center while embracing the possibilities offered by the proposed facility.

Early Tuesday morning the community gathered to bid farewell to the MLK Recreation Center. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

lant City said goodbye to the beloved Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center Tuesday morning during a special demolition ceremony. Mayor Rick Lott said it was the first time commissioners had ever come together to pay homage to a building. Every commissioner showed up to take part. Few locations held the heart of the community like the MLK recreation center and while many

reminisced about the happy times held within its walls, they also looked forward to the new stateof-the-art facility that will soon be in its place. “This is a place where memories happened for all of us,” Commissioner Mary Mathis said. “It’s a bittersweet moment.” Mathis shared stories of being dropped off at the front door as she hurried inside to attend dances at the center, dancing the night away with friends under the close supervision of its chaperones. The center has always been a staple in the community for local youth. La’Tosha Lewis worked at the center for six years from 2004 to 2010 and said the MLK center always acted as a safe haven for kids throughout the community.

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Rec Center he never would have learned to swim. He’s been coming to the venue his entire life and said it was a home for “ so many of us” during the summer. “I’m going to put this brick in the church so when young people ask about this, I will tell them how this brick meant so much in my life, how it made me into the man I am today,” Callins said. The new facility will be nearly 30,000 square feet and the conceptual design shows a proposed gymnasium with two full courts and four cross courts. The ribbon cutting for the new facility was originally scheduled for July 2019. “Our city has a motto that is ‘Preserving the past, embracing the future," City Manager Bill McDaniel said. “I’d say you could look behind us and see that we’ve preserved this past about as well as we can. The building may be going, but I think what we can say in honoring that part of the motto is while we move forward we embrace the history, we embrace the importance of what this center has meant throughout our city. And we’re embracing the future by building a facility that is unlike any other in the city inventory of assets.”

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“We had so many different programs here,” Lewis said. “It gave them a place to go before and after school, during the summer, it kind of helped them stay off the street. We had our after school programs, computer lab and ceramics. We had so many activities here to keep our kids active and engaged and that’s so meaningful. It was a safe and happy place for them to come and be OK.” She said the community center was used for a variety of purposes over the years. Weddings, community meetings, fashion shows, games, parties, baby showers, anything the community needed to host, they came to MLK to do it. While it is definitely sad to see the old building go, she said it is well past due for an upgrade. As an excavator tore into the corner of the building Tuesday morning the gathered crowd let out a round of applause. During the ceremony bricks from the center were preserved for the community members to take home so they would always have a piece of the historic venue. Lewis is planning to keep hers on her trophy shelf at home. Edith Best, 56, has been going to the center since she was in junior high school. She is placing her brick for all to see in her living room. She said the center was “the gathering place for young ones” and continued to act as a watering ground for all age groups. “This was a meeting place, it was part of the community,” Best said. “If it’s going to look like what they say it will, I would love to see that. I would also like to see someone from within the community that knows all that has gone on here, the history here to have the opportunity to represent it.” Pastor Calvin “Pee Wee” Callins Sr. of Greater New Hope Anointed Ministries said without the MLK

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

PLANT CITY

Observer

COPS CORNER

NOV. 3

BLOWING SMOKE 1200 block of Townsgate Court. Grand theft: Two men entered a convenience store and decided to attempt to pull off a grand heist. They tried to steal $2,393.54 worth of cigarettes from the store.

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ON THE MOVE 100 block of North Pearl Street. Burglary: This victim was moving out of her apartment. During the process an unknown person entered the apartment and stole a 49” LG television.

NOV. 6

TAMPERING TRAVELERS 1900 block of East Alsobrook Street. Criminal mischief: Officers came out to a gas station after the owner said someone had tampered with two gas pumps. The security strips were compromised on the pumps, but there was no noticeable damage to the pumps and no skimmers installed.

BRICK VS. HUMAN 1100 block of North Johnson Street. Aggravated battery/domestic battery: Two people were having a verbal argument when one of them decided to pick up and throw a small brick, striking the other person. They were arrested and sent to Orient Road Jail without incident. SHOPPING SPREE 2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Retail theft: A woman stole more than $200 worth of clothing from Wal-Mart. She was detained by loss prevention and met the adult pre-arrest diversion program, so she was released with instructions to comply with the program.

Photos by Breanne Williams

The painted bowls were designed by local school children.

Managing Editor / Sarah Holt SHolt@PlantCityObserver.com

Empty Bowls draws hundreds

Associate Editor / Sports Editor / Justin Kline JKline@PlantCityObserver.com

— BREANNE WILLIAMS

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Mary Heysek, director of the United Food Bank of Plant City, with the event’s new cookbook.

Advertising / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com

The Plant City Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. The Plant City Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 1507 S. Alexander St., Suite 103. If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.

Special bowls were auctioned off at the event.

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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: Sarah Holt, SHolt@PlantCityObserver. com.

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GORGEOUS

Staff Writer / Breanne Williams BWilliams@PlantCityObserver. com

he annual Empty Bowls Project, hosted by the United Food Bank of Plant City, drew hundreds to the train depot. Each year the food bank hosts the event to raise money for the organization and to remind locals of the prevalent food insecurity plaguing families across Tampa Bay. During the event, people bought tickets to taste soups made by community members and took home handcrafted bowls from students. This year the food bank also presented its inaugural Empty Bowls cookbook, which featured recipes of soups from past events.

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Publisher / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com

NOV. 7

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1970 Main St. • Sarasota, FL 34236 941•366•3468 Publishers of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota Observer, Siesta Key Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Plant City Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Windermere Observer, Winter Park Observer Business Observer, Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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FOCUS ON FITNESS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

ANGELA FULGIERI

Ten steps for healthier holidays I The holiday season seems to have snuck up on us, just like those extra pounds if we’re not careful.

t starts with Halloween candy and ends with champagne toasts. Tempting treats, the stress of holiday shopping, traveling, work schedules, hosting out of town guests and limited time for exercise can all contribute to weight gain. Those few pounds that we put on so easily seem so difficult to take off, but don’t despair. There are two things you can do to keep the pounds off this holiday season: avoid over-eating and stay active. Sounds easy, right? Here’s what you can do to prevent a holiday weight gain. n Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Be conscious about what you are putting on your plate and only eat the foods you really enjoy. When friends and relatives prepare special dishes, thank them and it’s OK to let them know you are too full to eat it right now, but would love to take some home for later. n Pay attention to the “trimmings.” Most holiday meals are pretty healthy, but it’s the trimmings that add all the extra calories. Stick to roasted turkey, green beans and baked potatoes and avoid the gravy, butter and sour cream. n Wear form-fitting clothes. I know this sounds silly, but elas-

n Register for a race. There are so many holiday races that are fun for the whole family. Join the Plant City YMCA team, for example, and run with us on Thanksgiving morning at the Goody Goody Turkey Gobble. Sign up at runsignup.com. Most importantly, remember what the holidays are all about. Take time to relax and enjoy spending time with your family.

tic waistbands seem to give you permission to over-eat. n Save room for dessert. You will be tempted with lots of holiday treats this season and, let’s be honest, you can’t avoid them all. Eat smaller portions during dinner and indulge in a few of the treats you really love. n Alternate alcoholic beverages with water or sparkling water with lemon. A lot of calories consumed during the holidays are empty calories from alcohol. n Eat slower. Put your fork down between bites and take time to chew your food, talk and enjoy the company. After all, that’s what the holidays are all about and you may find that you end up eating less. n Bring healthy snacks like fruits or nuts when you go out shopping. You will be less likely to visit the food court. n Enjoy family visits and the cooler weather by taking walks after dinner. n If you are a regular exerciser, now is the time to stick to your routine. When traveling for the holidays, find out if your gym has a location you can use while traveling. If you have a YMCA membership, you are welcome at any Y! Some gyms offer guest passes or allow you to pay for a day.

“Most holiday meals are pretty healthy, but it’s the trimmings that add all the extra calories. Stick to roasted turkey, green beans and baked potatoes...”

Angela Fulgieri is the Wellness Experience Director at the Plant City YMCA. Contact her at observerfitness@gmail.com.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

SlobberFest taking over PC

Courtesy of Alicia Keel

SlobberFest celebrates volunteers with Mastiff Rescue of Florida.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

f you head to Keel & Curley Winery this Saturday you’ll see a swarm of large, furry guests taking part in the annual SlobberFest. The event is a way for the winery to pay thanks to volunteers with

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one interested in the organization is welcome to come over to chat and get more information. Throughout the day normal guests at the winery are welcome to take part in a silent auction for a variety of rare items. Keel said they will be auctioning off a fiddle signed by Charlie Daniels who has partnered with the organization before. They also have a gift certificate for locally grown Angus beef, a golf pass, artwork and more. The auction will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday and she said everyone is welcome to attend. Anyone who wants to learn more about the group or is interested in volunteering or donating to the organization is encouraged to visit mastiffrescuefl.org or to check out its Facebook page. Items like baseball caps, decals and t-shirts that sport fun phrases like “size does matter” are routinely available as fundraisers for the group.

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She began volunteering with Mastiff Rescue of Florida. They did a home evaluation in case she decided to foster or adopt and during the visit they brought a recent rescue named Ginger. “She was just taken from a shelter the day before and she was skin and bones and about 99 pounds,” Keel said. “The couple that was fostering her brought her out here and did my home evaluation... My husband finally gave in and we fostered her. About two weeks later we decided we absolutely loved her and we needed to keep her.” During Saturday’s event, there will be live music, a caricature artist, a Photo Booth for the dogs to get photos with Santa and a big dog pool full of toys for the furry guests to “bob for toys.” Keel is also arranging an obstacle course for the pets that will be full of stairs, giant tubes and other fun activities. The party will be adjacent to the restaurant and she said any-

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Dozens of Mastiffs will flock to Keel & Curley Winery on Saturday for the annual SlobberFest.

the Mastiff Rescue of Florida and to celebrate the happy homes the lovable mastiffs have been placed in over the years. Alicia Keel, chief financial officer for Keel & Curley and treasurer for the Mastiff Rescue of Florida, said it is a fun event humans and dogs alike enjoy. “We should have about 25, maybe 30 mastiffs coming out,” Keel said. “These are the ones that have come in through the rescue and have been homed so they’re not up for adoption or anything, but it’s like a celebration to see how happy they are, how they’ve transformed from a really crappy place into a nice, loving home.” The rescue is comprised of more than 220 volunteers across the state and focuses on rescuing English Mastiffs. Keel said each year they rescue an average of 90 dogs. Keel purchased her first Mastiff back in 2003 when she added Fletcher to her family. She said the 240-pound “goofball” left a mark on her heart after he passed.

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November 18, 2018 | 10:30 AM

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Veterans Day in Plant City Scout Troop 744 was on hand to present the colors and meet veterans at the Elks Lodge.

Breanne Williams and Justin Kline

Taps was played at the closing of Hopewell’s event.

lant City celebrated Veterans Day all last week and several larger events were held. Hopewell Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens hosted its annual event Nov. 10 at Veteran’s Monument Park. Local youth shared their essays on the topic of what Veterans Day meant to them. The essays will be on display at the Plant City Photo Archives & History Center. Students from Springhead Elementary School’s choir performed with song and dance for the attendees at the ceremony. The event came to a close with

the playing of Taps. The Plant City Elks Lodge wrapped up its week-long Veterans’ Day celebration with a Nov. 11 barbecue featuring speeches from Mayor Rick Lott, County Commissioner Al Higginbotham and more as well as the color guard by Scout Troop 744. Judy Wise and organizers of the celebration were presented with a proclamation from the city for their hard work. The proclamation also marked Higginbotham’s retirement from politics. — BREANNE WILLIAMS & JUSTIN KLINE

Benjamin Lou and Charles Allen. Tahauji Miller of Marshall Middle School read his essay on what Veterans Day meant to him to the attendees.

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P R O P E R T Y M A N AG E M E N T C O M M E R C I A L R E N TA L S R E S I D E N T I A L R E N TA L S

started in November of 68 …

50 years of marriage, so joyous and great. Back home to PC they came in ‘71..... Not soon after, “Big Rhett” joined in the fun. The family of 3 was fine, but 4 would be Heaven... When “Lil Boogs” finalized the family in ‘77. Rolly was writing policies and Janet teaching at Bryan... Also dealing with 2 boys always fussing and cryin’. Rolly loved his golf and Janet liked to shop... With little spare time, driving to practices non-stop. A constant in the stands, never missed a game.... Great win or tough loss, treated us just the same. A Godly witness for others was such a positive trait.... Never missed going to church, even with a full plate. As a parent now, you really appreciate them more... Christian morals and values was always the core. A firm foundation was set to teach the next “gen”... Simply put God first and you’ll always win. You gave us tons of wisdom and unconditional love... Truly a parental blessing, a precious gift from above. Fifty years of marriage, we’re all so proud... Today, we salute you boldly and loud!!!!

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

YOUR HOME COMMUNITY

11th annual Dancing with the Locals T

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he Rotary Club of Plant City hosted the 11th annual Dancing with the Locals event at the Trinkle Center. The community came together to watch nine couples hit the dance floor. Ally Burt and Jose Lozoya, Calvin Callins and Tandria Callins, Brandon Snyder and Jerilyn Rumbarger, Kristina Pizzini and Giancarlos Pizzini, Janet Witchoskey and Michael Witchoskey, Lauriane Ciccarelli and Robert Howell, DeeDee Cardens and Trent Lott, Jessica Bullard and Steven Kirby and Nikki Williams and Jake Austin were the dancers. — BREANNE WILLIAMS

Photos by Breanne Williams

Brandon Snyder and Jerilyn Rumbarger performed a Salsa Latin Fusion dance.

WINNERS Judges’ Choice: DeeDee Cardens and Trent Lott First place: DeeDee Cardens and Trent Lott Second place: Nikki Williams and Jake Austin Third place: Ally Burt and Jose Lozoya

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Trent Lott and DeeDee Cardens won this year’s competition.

SAT & SUN ONLY

When it’s gone it’s gone!

when you spend $30 or more*

Happy

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Honeysuckle Grade A Frozen Turkey 10 lbs. and up SAVE UP TO $1.20 LB. • WITH CARD

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205 W. Alexander St., Plant City, FL 33566 11/17-11/18 only

*Saturday, Nov. 17 through Sunday, Nov. 18 only. Limit one per transaction, per customer. Additional quantities of turkey 99¢ lb. Limit 2. While supplies last. No substitutions or rainchecks. SE Grocers rewards card required. Cannot be combined with any other offer. $30 purchase excludes turkey price, tax, alcohol, tobacco, gift cards, money orders, postage stamps, pharmacy prescriptions, fees, FTD, charity, Western Union, shipping, utility payments, fuel service departments, vending machine, bottle deposits/refunds, event tickets or lottery.

ROP-2435PlantCity 10.375x8 S&A.indd 1

11/6/18 1:27 PM

NOVEMBER 15, 2018

SPORTS

Rob Haywood swam well for Crest at FHSAA states. See Page 14

PLAYOFF FOOTBALL

BRADEN RIVER THWARTS PCHS

Sidelines

Courtesy photo

Crest swimmers at states Two Strawberry Crest swimmers went to Stuart over the weekend to compete in the FHSAA State Championships. Senior Robert Haywood competed in the Boys 100yard Breaststroke and placed sixth in the final with a time of 58.45. Junior Alexandra Haasser also swam the 100 breaststroke on the girls side and placed 22nd overall in the preliminaries.

Dolphins teams make Superbowl The Plant City Dolphins Pee Wee and Midget teams will play for championship gold this Saturday. As many predicted, both Dolphins teams will face off against the East Bay Bucs in Saturday’s TCYFCC Superbowl action at George Jenkins High School, 6000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland. The Pee Wees got there with a 24-6 win over the Southwest Junior Saints last week and the Midgets got in with a 12-0 shutout win over the Brandon Cowboys that same day. The Mighty Mite and Junior Varsity squads also played in last week’s second round, but the Mighty Mites took a 26-0 loss to the Seffner Seahawks and the JV team took a 14-8 loss to the Pinecrest Pilots. Saturday’s East Bay-Plant City Superbowl games start at 10:30 a.m. and noon, respectively.

PC man medals at karate tourney “Rhino” Mike Thomas, student at Rudy Rogers’ “Open Air Dojo” on Laura Street, competed in the Pan American Internationals in Miami and took home a trophy for his hard work. Thomas competed from Nov. 9-10 in the 18-34 Advanced division as a brown belt and sparred his way to a third-place finish. The annual event draws hundreds of competitors of all ages from around the world with forms, sparring and weapons divisions.

The Pirates beat the Raiders, 28-23, in last week’s regional quarterfinal. Justin Kline

Brian Battie and Mario Williams trade some barbs after a Plant City defensive play.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

he Braden River Pirates were able to weather what would have been the storm of the century, or at least the 2018 football season, at 1 Raider Place Friday night. Plant City rallied in the fourth quarter to cut away at a three-possession deficit but couldn’t regain its offensive rhythm at the end of the 28-23 loss to Braden River. The Raiders’ defense played well, forcing and recovering three fumbles in the first half, but the Pirates were still able to build a lead. Braden River running back Brian Battie, who picked up more than 200 yards rushing, scored early in the first quarter after the Pirates blocked Braxton Plunk’s punt and recovered at the Plant City 10. Three plays later, Battie hit paydirt to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead. Chris Rodriguez nailed a

27-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 shortly after a Mario Williams touchdown catch was called back on an illegal formation penalty, but Battie broke off a 60-yard run with 3:21 left in the first half to put BRHS up, 14-3. Williams scored his first touchdown of the night with 4:22 left in the third quarter, a 40-yard grab that set the score at 14-9, but Battie only needed two minutes to get downfield and score on a 27-yard run. With a 21-9 lead firmly in hand for Braden River, the energy at 1 Raider Place seemed all but gone. Then Williams worked some more magic to pull the Raiders within five points with 4:35 left in the game, returning a punt to the house to make it a 21-16 game, and things looked even better for the Raiders when Braden River botched the kick return and got a penalty to set up shop around its own 1-yard line.

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

It didn’t matter — on the first play of that drive, Battie found a hole in the middle of the line and bolted 99 yards for a score with 4:09 to go. The Pirates got careless right when the Raiders found an offensive groove. Shortly after Chris Wilson made a big catch to Braden River’s 31-yard line, the Pirates picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that put Plant City at their 16-yard line with plenty of time to score. The Raiders didn’t need much, though — Plunk and Wilson linked up on the very next play for a 16-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 28-23. With roughly a minute left in the game, Plunk and Maurice Morris came up just inches short of a crucial third down conversion. Zamir’ Knighten tried a quick run up the middle to pick up the first down and he came close, but the referees’ measurement didn’t turn out in the Raiders’ favor.

Justin Kline

Plant City’s defense and defensive coaching staff stayed hyped throughout the game.

JUSTIN KLINE

That’s a wrap for prep football The Raiders’ loss last week ended the 2018 season for the Plant City area.

Justin Kline

Strawberry Crest quarterback Makenzie Kennedy picks up rushing yards against Durant.

’m kind of bummed that there’s no more high school football on Friday nights, but I’d say 2018 was a pretty good time for neutral observers like me. I got to see all three of our teams win games and was on the sideline for a few really thrilling matchups, especially the awe-

some Oct. 26 Tampa Bay TechPlant City game. There were upsets pulled off and expectations exceeded and big plays for days. What did we learn from this season? DURANT

Going into August, everyone knew the Cougars were about to begin a rebuilding phase. That’s what happens when you graduate a ton of seniors, especially with a class where many of them SEE KLINE, PAGE 14

Kline FROM PAGE 13

played key roles on offense and defense. The Cougars did show some flashes of potential throughout the year and looked good in their three wins against East Bay, Strawberry Crest and Lennard. Free safety C.J. Barnes finished his junior season with a whopping 107 total tackles. Tyrhon Brooks and David Haynes looked like they could make a good onetwo punch for the Cougars in 2019 with some more experience between them and the offensive line. Sophomore linebacker Edward Zanato was another bright spot for the defense and could really help the team in the next two seasons. Now that the first year of the rebuild is in the books and many of the key starters are not graduating just yet, the Cougars can focus on taking another step forward and staying positive. PLANT CITY

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Nevermind that the Raiders’ playoff run came to an end with just one game. They just had a great season and gave fans reason to stay optimistic. The district champs morphed into one of the most efficient offensive machines in Hillsborough County, racking up 236.5 passing yards per game and 26 touchdowns from the arm of senior leader Braxton Plunk. Mario Williams styled himself as one of the deadliest weapons of any team in the county and Zamir’ Knighten turned in a 1,000-yard season with nine touchdowns. The senior-led

defense also played well across the board, highlighted by D.J. Gordon’s 126-tackle, eight-sack season. The Raiders are about to graduate a lot of key performers and it’s not immediately clear who will take over, but there’s plenty of talent in the pipeline and head coach James Booth has proven to be an effective enough leader and teacher to make things work sooner than later. No team’s offseason will be more intriguing. STRAWBERRY CREST

The Chargers took a step back in 2018 as far as overall records are concerned (one fewer win and no district victories this time around), but it’s also true that looking at the win-loss column doesn’t always tell the whole story for teams. Led by seniors Cody Newman, Josh Young, Riley Garrison and Adam Ibarra, the unit was able to either help Crest win or stay competitive throughout the season and keep quarterbacks in check. Like the Cougars, the Chargers are also a very young team and will not have anything close to a large graduating senior class. Though nearly all of the team’s top performers from 2018 will graduate in the spring, a year’s worth of experience in Hillsborough County’s toughest district should help for next season.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

SPONSORED BY SPORT CLIPS

Rob Haywood Rob Haywood recently capped off his senior swim season by swimming the 100-yard breaststroke at the FHSAA State Championships in Stuart and finishing sixth overall. It was Haywood’s third state championship appearance in four years with the Chargers. He also swims for Tampa Bay Athletic Club-Brandon. How did you feel going into the meet? I was mainly excited because I had been training for so long and working at it for a long time with a clear goal in my mind of what I wanted. I wasn’t really nervous because I knew that I had prepared the way I wanted to.

Know someone who deserves an Athlete of the Week feature? Email Justin Kline at JKline@plantcityobserver.com by the Friday before the next issue.

When did you start swimming and what got you into it? I was interested in swimming on a team ever since I learned how. The problem was that all the clubs were super far away, so I never got to do it. One time I joined a summer league and we found a team that was five minutes away from our house… As soon as that season was over, I knew I wanted to do more. I loved it. Do you play any other sports? I played soccer when I was younger and tried a bunch of sports, but then I settled on swimming.

How would you say this season has been for you? I actually faced a lot of adversity in the season. I developed something called Vocal Cord Dysfunction… It’s really hard to get a lot of breath in. It was really hard to train that way. I had to get out of a lot of sets. It just came down to communicating with my coach and letting him know sometimes I’ll have to get out. It’s mainly about doing other things that will also help you… It’s about compensating for the training you lose.

Justin Kline is the Sports Editor at the Plant City Times & Observer. Email: jkline@ plantcityobserver. com.

Light IN THE

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

2018 Olympic Day at TCMS T

urkey Creek Middle School students celebrated one of their favorite days of the school year on Wednesday. The school hosted its annual Olympic Day event for sixth, seventh and eighth graders and invited personnel from MacDill Air Force Base and military veterans to participate in the opening ceremony and other games. Kids got to run races, throw the shot put, compete in basketball and more. — JUSTIN KLINE

Basketball was a popular pick among Gobblers. Students put their accuracy to the test at the archery station.

Photos by Justin Kline

The long jump is an Olympic Day staple.

A group of TCMS students run a 100-meter dash.

The 800-meter race was the longest run offered at Olympic Day.

OMG IT’S WEDNESDAY! PLANT CITY FARM AND FLEA MARKET Highway 39 North at Sam Allen Road—1 mi. N. of I-4 Exit 21

WEDNESDAY FLEA MARKET OVER 40 ACRES . . . MORE THAN 500 VENDORS

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Wednesday, November 28 @ 11:30am PLANT CITY CHAMBER

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LIKE KMART WITHOUT A ROOF!

AROUND TOWN

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

We asked: How far are you going to travel for Thanksgiving? “I plan on going home. I’m going to three different parties in Plant City.” — Raymond Frier, 19

“I’m going to New York City.”

“West Palm Beach.”

— Matthew Tolnay, 28

— Sharon Davis, 49

“Two hundred miles to Miami. I’m seeing my sister. It’s our tradition.” — Katye Hanlin, 27

YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

Eleanor C. Johnson Eleanor C. Johnson, 84, of Plant City, born in Groton, New York on Feb. 24, 1934, entered into eternal rest on Nov. 5, 2018. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELL

Anne ‘Coach’ St. Charles

Chuck Durgey

Chuck Durgey, 84, of Plant City, passed away on Nov. 7, 2018. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Online condolences may be left for the family at www. haught.care.

HOPEWELL

FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS

www.HopewellFuneraI.com

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971

Anne “Coach” St. Charles, 67, of Plant City, born in Tampa on Nov. 4, 1951, entered into eternal rest on Nov. 8, 2018. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS

239042

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Megan Shelby Fay Megan Shelby Fay, 31, of Thonotosassa, passed away on Nov. 6, 2018. The family will receive friends Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Haught Funeral Home, 708 W Dr MLK Jr. Blvd. A memorial service will follow at 4:00 p.m. Online condolences may be left for the family at www. haught.care.

OBITUARIES

Margie Inez Menefee

www.HopewellFuneraI.com

Margie Inez Menefee, 97, of Plant City, went to her heavenly home on Nov. 6, 2018. She was a lifelong resident of Springhead and taught school at Springhead, Glover and Pinecrest. Margie was a member of First Baptist Church of Plant City. She was preceded in death by her husband James Robert Menefee, daughter Kathy Kirkley and granddaughter Jennifer Mathis Menefee. She is survived by her daughters Carol Ann Mathis and Norma Pettit, both of Plant City; and many special grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. A funeral service was held Friday, Nov. 9, 2018 at Haught Funeral Home and Interment was held at West Oaklawn Cemetery. If so desired, donations may be made to First Baptist Church of Plant City Building Fund.

Eleazar Perez Gonzalez Eleazar Perez Gonzalez, 68, of Plant City, born in Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas, Mexico on Feb. 11, 1950, entered into eternal rest on Nov. 6, 2018. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELL

HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

Remembering Danny. Sad to see Danny go home so soon. On Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2018, Daniel Vega Jr. passed away at the age of 50. Online condolences may be left for the family at haught. care.

HOPEWELL

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ALL OBITUARIES ARE SUBMITTED AND EDITED BY FAMILIES OR FUNERAL HOMES

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Historic Downtown

FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS

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FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971

Clarence “Buddy” Elliott, 80, of Plant City, born in Blakely, Georgia on Nov. 3, 1938, entered into eternal rest on Nov. 9, 2018. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971

Christopher “Bubba” Wade Mayo, 28, of Lithia, born in Tampa on Dec. 27, 1989, entered into eternal rest on Nov. 10, 2018 as a result of an accident. Expression of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Clarence ‘Buddy’ Elliott

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

HOPEWELL HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

Bill Holsonback, 87, of Plant City, formerly of Brandon, born in Cullman, Alabama on June 21, 1931, entered into eternal rest on Nov. 8, 2018. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS

Christopher ‘Bubba’ Wade Mayo

239042

Bill Holsonback

Daniel Vega Jr.

www.HopewellFuneraI.com FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971

HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

239042

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YOUR COMMUNITY FUNERAL HOME AND CEMETERY. FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971

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6005 S County Road 39 Plant City, FL 33567

YOUR CALENDAR

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

THURSDAY, NOV. 15

BLUEGRASS NIGHT 6:33 to 8:33 p.m. Krazy Kup features a new local area artist the third Thursday of the month. This month features Rekindled Grass.

SATURDAY, NOV. 17

YARD SALE 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Plant City Community Church of the Nazarene, 2402 Mud Lake Road. The yard sale will raise money to send teens to camp in 2019. They have everything from clothes and household items to furniture. CHRISTMAS BAZAAR 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at A PEACE of Plant City, 120 N. Collins St. Suite 101. This is the last chance

before Christmas to see what our local community vendors have to offer for you and your loved ones this holiday season. In-house retail items will be on sale during this event. VALUABLE HEALTH KNOWLEDGE 10:30 a.m. at Springhead United Methodist Church, 2301 E. Sparkman Road. This is the second part of Dr. Brenda Dukes’s discussion on the topic of “Valuable Health Knowledge” for those that are in pain or having health issues. SPAGHETTI DINNER 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Springhead United Methodist Church, 2301 E. Sparkman Road. Donations are $5 per person. Take out is

available. For more information call 813-752-5751.

SUNDAY, NOV. 18

Breanne Williams

BEST BET FRIDAY. NOV. 16

PIG JAM 5 to 10 p.m. at 1401 Gordon Food Service Drive. Teams travel from around the world

TREVOR THOMAS “MR. DRAMA” 6 to 7:30 p.m at First Church of God, 601 N. Gordon St. “Mr. Drama” Trevor Thomas’s show is where theater, comedy, music and evangelism collide. He creates characters that people can laugh at, cry with, and learn from. Tickets are free.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21

to compete. This is a free, family-friendly BBQ event. Parking is $5 and there are free kids’ activities, live music and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. on Friday. The event is also from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

THANKSGIVING FESTIVAL WORSHIP 6:30 p.m. Hope Lutheran Church, 2001 North Park Rd., invite the Plant City community to join them for a special Thanksgiving Festival Worship.

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A! C M Y y l i m a F City t n a l P e h t t a 1507 YMCA Place, Plant City | 813 757 6677 | tampaymca.org

Fri. Nov. 16

S Y A D I L O HAPPY H

Sat. Nov. 17

T CLUB S I M I T P O Y PLANT CTITMAS TREE SALEOUSTH!!! al Y CHRIS support loc

Plant City Pig Jam

y in town to Proceeds sta

THANK YOU SPONSORS! Plant City Optimist Club / Plant City Recreation & Parks Department 2018 GOLF TOURNAMENT SPONSORS

KCBS State BBQ Championship

Gold Sponsors McEnany Roofing Plant City Noon Rotary Club

Live Music Kids' piglet play pen FREE EVENT $5 parking Fireworks Fri. Nov. 16

Hole Sponsors Beach House Properties Chuck’s Tire & Automotive Construction Technology Group Dr. Kelley Borders, DMD Gulf Coast Injury Center Johnson Barbeque Linder Industrial Machinery Parkesdale Farm Market Poppell Insurance Rubber Applications Shelton Keely/Keller Williams Realty Stephen L. Evans, Attorney at Law Walden Lake Car Wash & Service Center Youmans Drafting & Design

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Randy Larson Softball Fourplex

Plant City Chamber of commerce (813) 754-3707 www.plantcitypigjam.com

Corner of Maki Road & West Alexander Street in front of Plant City High School Hours: 10 am to 9 pm weekdays 9 am to 9 pm weekends Closed Thanksgiving Day

Silver Sponsors All A Bloom Florist Chadwell Supply Dale J. Ling, Realtor Fearnow Insurance Fred’s Market Restaurant Haught Funeral Home Florida Mineral Salt & Ag Products Florida Strawberry Festival Home Protection Pest Control JL Marine Systems, Inc./Power-Pole Plant City Family YMCA

Sat. Nov. 17

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proudly presented by these event sponsors:

OPENING THANKSGIVING WEEK!

Goody Bag/Raffle Sponsors Advanced Dermatology Diamond Hill Golf Club IHOP-Plant City Johnson Barbeque Parkesdale Farm Market Toufayan Bakeries

FOOD DRIVE Bring three cans or boxes of non-perishable food to the Plant City Optimist Tree Lot and receive

5 OFF

any single tree purchase! Valid 11/19/18 through 12/15/18 Only one discount per tree.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

Send your photo submissions to Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@PlantCityObserver. com or hashtag #iloveplantcity on Instagram for @igersplantcity to feature.

High: 74 Low: 45 Chance of rain: 20%

THURSDAY, NOV. 15

“Where are our treats?” was likely what this group of cows thought as Brenda Miller approached. Miller wins this week’s I Love Plant City photo contest.

FRIDAY, NOV. 16 High: 67 Low: 44 Chance of rain: 0%

SUNRISE / SUNSET

WEATHER

I LOVE PLANT CITY

FORECAST

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Nov. 15

6:50a

5:35p

Friday, Nov. 16

6:51a

5:35p

Saturday, Nov. 17

6:51a

5:34p

Sunday, Nov. 18

6:52a

5:34p

Monday, Nov. 19

6:53a

5:34p

Tuesday, Nov. 20

6:54a

5:33p

Wednesday, Nov. 21

6:55a

5:33p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, NOV. 17 High: 74 Low: 53 Chance of rain: 0%

SUNDAY, NOV. 17 High: 80 Low: 59 Chance of rain: 10%

TOMATOES

ONLINE

Shipping point: Central Florida $21.95

Dec. 6 New

Nov. 22 Full

Dec. 11 First

Dec. 2 Last

RAINFALL Monday, Nov. 5

0.00

Tuesday, Nov. 6 0.00 Wednesday, Nov. 7

0.00

Thursday, Nov. 8 0.00 0.00

Friday, Nov. 9

Saturday, Nov. 10 0.00 0.00

Sunday, Nov. 11 YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2018 23.40 in.

2018 0.34 in.

2017 29.82 in.

2017 0.47 in.

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CROSSWORD

TAKE IT SLOW by Timothy B. Parker

ACROSS

1 Access facilitator 5 Sharp-tasting 10 They hold lots of chocolate 14 Dining table expander 18 Weapon with a duel purpose? 19 Plants, in general 20 Now THAT’s a thought! 21 Slice, as turkey 22 Four slow things 26 Bureaus 27 Follies makeup 28 Travelers from afar 29 It’s crushed or cubed

30 Worker bound to land 31 Thither 32 Recorder of old 39 Delphi attraction 43 Pertaining to an arm bone 44 Sports result 45 Forward and neutral 47 Beam of light 48 Jazzy Redbone 49 Wheels for VIPs 51 Uncooked 52 Emulate slime 53 Three slow things 60 Telco letters 61 Nocturnal flyer

62 Mountain Dew kin 63 Certain hospital procedure 64 Pontius Pilate’s domain 66 Fishy “lee” anagram 67 Drive back 69 One with much wisdom 70 Walked purposefully 73 Bit of Japanese currency 74 Taro root food 77 Four slow things 82 Wild way to run 83 Big guys 84 Sing the praises of

85 Fish-loving eagle 86 ___ chi (martial art form) 87 Toyota no more 89 Doesn’t allow to go to waste 91 Collegiate starter? 92 Show runners 94 Some husbands of reigning queens 98 QB Prescott 99 Emulated Michael Phelps 100 “Lord of the Rings” monster 101 “Dilbert” setting

maker 46 It makes its point 49 More blue 50 Castaway’s new home 52 College exam type 54 Not yet polished, as prose 55 “Norma” or “Carmen” 56 Triple-layer cookies 57 Spanish squiggle 58 Type of witness 59 “You ___ the boss of me!” 64 He broke his crown 65 Dormant 68 Genesis figure DOWN 1 Working no longer, briefly 69 Unmoving 71 Certain singing voice 2 Hairy imitator? 3 Anxious classroom cry? 72 Hold dear 74 ___-Novo (Benin capital) 4 Enlivens (with “up”) 75 One with the deed 5 Have an influence on 76 Not active, chemically 6 Wine or red shade 77 Liver spread 7 Holders of draperies 78 Muslim chief 8 Maddening emotion 79 Mickey Mouse’s pair? 9 Sympathetic fairy-tale 80 Throw softly figures 10 Give new life or energy 81 They can be mane places 87 “Neato!” to 88 Not exactly right 11 Way into a mine 89 Non-union? 12 Wallet fillers 90 Not as easy to find 13 Get all droopy 91 Bring on, as another’s 14 Hispanic lady wrath 15 Ashtabula’s lake 93 Royal decrees 16 Mary Kay rival 95 Small landmasses 17 They can be all peaty 96 Bonked’s rhyming kin 21 Blue and pink 97 Solar system model 23 Willow tree offshoot 24 Things in some south- 101 Neighbor of Yemen 102 Perk of being a star ern stews 103 Glassmaking material 25 City VIP 104 Comics canine 30 “SNL” staples 105 Romantically involved 32 “Mea” follower 33 Provide a heads-up to stars 106 A vowel for Plato 34 Nose-in-the-air type 107 Lend, as money 35 Belted out a tune 108 ___ sapiens 36 Many trees 109 Made, barely (with 37 Boca Raton wader “out”) 38 Textbook enjoyer 110 Transmit 40 Cohort 41 Overly enjoy the couch 112 Ideal ending? 113 Simple digit 42 Visual assessment 104 Exxon Valdez, infamously 106 Sudden mass arrivals 111 Four slow things 114 “Jaws” town 115 Editors “leave-in” notation 116 Leave the outside 117 Good or bad sign 118 Wimbledon court features 119 Unpaid chauffeurs 120 With no need to prepare 121 Abe’s Mary

LL Wiiiams & Karen Davis OWNERS OF FELTON'S

CELEBRITY CIPHER

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“FLHJYJITH AIJTM MBZJW AJYMLWZH GT HJEZTYZ. OZ AWGCJVZ MBZ FLHJY, ITV XGL AWGCJVZ MBZ HJEZTYZ.” – EZGAGEV HMGSGOHSJ “H’GT DSIDOP XDU D LZCYCAKU JCKGHJFHCK FXDF EZTDF WAPHJ HP DVCAF MCO, TGTK HK FXT YDJT CY FZDETUO.”

– PHWCK ZDFFST

Puzzle Two Clue: M equals J

617 N. Maryland Ave. • Plant City 813-752-1548

Puzzle One Clue: C equals V

Choice Meats • Meat Bundles • Specialty Meats • Produce • Smoke House • Groceries

SUDOKU

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

11-15-18

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018

Why go to an emergency center that’s connected to a hospital? What if you need the rest of the hospital? When it comes to your health, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Which is why during an emergency such as a stroke or heart attack, every second counts. We don’t want to risk our patients’ lives by transferring them to a different hospital for emergency surgery. Here, if you need to be rushed to surgery, it’s down the hall, not down the road. We also have access to cutting-edge equipment and some of the best doctors, nurses and specialists in the region are only a few feet away. If you need a pint of blood, no problem, we’re connected to a blood bank. Not to mention that our rehabilitation, orthopedic, oncology and maternity departments are only a wheelchair ride away. The best place to go during your emergency is a facility designed to handle any emergency. And that’s right here at BayCare’s South Florida Baptist Hospital. Learn where to get the right care: BayCareRightCareRightPlace.org

OUR NETWORK:

BayCare Behavioral Health • BayCare HomeCare • BayCare Laboratories • BayCare Medical Group BayCare Outpatient Imaging • BayCare Surgery Centers • BayCare Urgent Care OUR HOSPITALS:

Bartow Regional Medical Center • BayCare Alliant Hospital • Mease Countryside Hospital • Mease Dunedin Hospital • Morton Plant Hospital Morton Plant North Bay Hospital • St. Anthony’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital St. Joseph’s Hospital-North • St. Joseph’s Hospital-South • South Florida Baptist Hospital • Winter Haven Hospital • Winter Haven Women’s Hospital BAYCARE.ORG 18-400108-0518

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