Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015
TRIBUTE Whistle Stop owners’ daughter remembered. PAGE 3
FREE
FESTIVE FLOATS
REAL ESTATE
Plant City celebrates the holidays with Christmas Parade.
An equestrian property tops November sales.
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MEMORIES FOR SALE by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
OUR TOWN ‘Tis the Season Make sure to visit PlantCityObserver.com to see a list of photo galleries from holiday happenings around Plant City. We have reporters at Santa breakfasts, holiday school plays, gift expos and more.
Win Christmas Lane tickets The holidays are a time to give, and Christmas Lane wants to spread the cheer to a family in need this season by giving away tickets to a night of lighted displays, Santa meet and greets, entertainment and dinner. If you know a family or are a family going through a hardship email Managing Editor Amber Jurgensen with a brief summary about your family. The deadline to enter to win will be Friday, Dec. 18. Winners will be notified before the Friday, Dec. 25 edition. In addition to Christmas Lane tickets, the winners will also receive a $100 Publix gift card. Christmas Lane takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly through Sunday, Jan. 3, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Hall, 2508 W. Oak Ave.
Own a piece of history at estate sale Some items were owned by the Crum family in the 1880s. Plant City history buffs will be able to purchase furniture, decorative items and home goods dating back to the late 1800s at a local estate sale this weekend. From Friday, Dec. 11, to Sunday, Dec. 13, residents can stop by the estate sale, held at the historic home at 1404 S. Collins St. Hollie Clark, a descendant of the prominent Plant City Crum family, is selling most of the home’s furniture and
household goods. The home, which rests on about 8.5 acres, was first purchased by David Lovett Crum, a Civil War veteran, in 1881— long before local businesses began popping up on the other side of the road. The Crum family, who first moved to the United States from Holland in the 1750s, quickly became well-known throughout the area. David Lovett Crum’s son, David Rite Crum, carried mail from Tampa to Kissimmee for the
railroad while it was being built. In addition to David Rite Crum’s work for the railroad, the Crum family was known for being pioneers and cattlemen in the area. David Rite Crum’s nephews, Pete, Kenneth and Dwight “Goat” Crum lived next door, at 1304 Collins St. Clark still has a photo of the three nephews on horses. At that time, Goat Crum Emily Topper
SEE ESTATE SALE / PAGE 4
Jewelry dating back to the flapper is for sale.
LEGAL
SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Historic Downtown keeps ban on tattoo shops David Hudder is allowed to operate one in Plant City — outside the limits of Historic Downtown.
Church celebrates 170 years Emily Topper
LORD OF THE
“
LIGHTS
I want Nick Rogers’ Christmas display of lights covers two houses — with room to grow. to spread the wenty-year-old Nick holiday.” Rogers is passionate Rogers has always enjoyed about two things: putting up Christmas lights Christmas Disney and Christ- with his family but found his mas. inspiration through Christmas spirit. The Plant City native has light displays at Walt Disney found a way to combine his love World, especially the Osborne Christmas for the two in a computerized Family Spectacle of Dancing Christmas light show, complete Lights. The annual production should be with 26,000 lights, 50 strobe features 5 million lights dancing lights and a 10-foot tall Christ- to music. free. mas tree that dances to music. “I’m a crazy Disney fan,” Rog-
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First United Methodist of Dover is celebrating its 170th anniversary at an event Sunday, Dec. 13. The celebration begins with a service at 11 a.m. After, there will be a covered dish meal in the social hall and fellowship until 2 p.m. The public is invited. The congregation began meeting on Christmas Eve in 1845. “In 1845, Central Florida was primarily frontier territory,” the Rev. Rodney Body said. Body said it is the oldest United Methodist church in Hillsborough County. The first location of the church was on Bethlehem Road, near the Bethlehem Cemetery. It was later moved to its present location on Moores Lake Road. The current congregation is small but active. Each first Saturday, from the months of October to March, is a family dinner the church opens to the public for $8 a plate. The Dover church also has an Alcoholics Anonymous chapter that meets at the church every Thursday and is the voting precinct for the Dover area. Contact Body at (813) 719-0320 for more information.
Nick Rogers
T
The lights are spread over two houses on Bella Garden Lane off Sparkman Road. He has opened the display to visitors until Sunday, Jan. 3. Rogers first started the show, named the Lights of Winter after the former EPCOT production, three years ago. “I love Christmas,” Rogers said. “Christmas is my favorite
ers said. Once he began working at Disney in merchandise, he decided it was finally time to do a large production of his own. Of course, Rogers’ show wouldn’t be complete without a few tributes to his favorite theme park — guests who come to see the
A Disney fan and employee, Nick Rogers has placed 11 “hidden Mickeys” throughout the display as a challenge for visitors to spot.
IF YOU GO Lights of Winter When: 6 to 10 p.m., weekdays; 6 to 11 p.m, Fridays and Saturdays; through Sunday, Jan. 3 Where: 3212 and 3218 Bella Garden Lane, Plant City; attendees can park on the gravel driveway to avoid blocking traffic on Sparkman Road. Cost: Free
SEE LIGHTS / PAGE 4
SEE TATTOO / PAGE 4
INDEX Calendar........................2
A tattoo shop ban in Historic Downtown is constitutional, a federal judge has decided. David Hudder, owner of Dixie Station Tattoo on Baker Street, wanted to open a tattoo shop on the first floor of 109 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. He resides on the second floor. At the time of Hudder’s request, a zoning ordinance against tattoo shops in Historic Downtown already existed. Hudder took the City of Plant City to court on the grounds of the ban being unconstitutional and limiting his First Amendment rights, but retired U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sided with the city. Though tattooing is a form of free speech, it may be limited to time, place and manner restrictions. Hudder’s plan for a tattoo shop was found to be inconsistent with the City of Plant City’s vision for a familyoriented downtown. The court determined that the ruling was not in violation of Hudder’s First Amendment rights, because he is provided with other locations to own and operate a tattoo shop within the city limits. “Eighty-six percent of commercially-owned property is available,” Tom Scarritt, the lawyer who represented the City of Plant City in the case, said. Scarritt is a lawyer for the Tampa-based Scarritt Law Group. “The city was pleased with the result. We felt it was a reasonable and fair ordinance.” Besides providing an alter-
Vol. 3, No. 19 | One section Crossword....................15
Obituaries....................10
Sports..........................11
Weather.......................15
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