12.15.22 PLCO

MEETING

MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER

A few residents attended the city commission meeting with several questions and concerns on their minds relating to the proposed redevelopment of 26.32 acres of property east of North Shannon Avenue and south of South Frontage Road.

Among then was Plant City resident Carol Tickle, whose home abuts the land. Tickle’s former neighbor was Mark Jordan, who owned the property, the site of a palm tree nursery, who shared his vision of one day opening an assisted living facility on the land

that could serve the needs of Plant City’s aging population. Jordan passed away several years ago before he could see the project to fruition. A semicompleted building sits vacant on the land.

The current property owners are hoping to build a 315-unit multi-family apartment complex and went before the commission in hopes of adopting a map amendment to the comprehensive plan to modify the Palm Cove Planned Development District from a future land use designation of Residential-6 to Residential-12, paving the way for the multifamily project.

For over a decade Walden Lake has held their annual Christmas light display contest.

Not only do the homes within each subdivision shine bright for all to see, but the annual contest allows community members to come together and decorate the entrance to their individual subdivisions for the holiday season. A panel of anonymous and non-affilied judges then take their tour around the neighborhoods, making notes and marking down scores for their favorite entrances to ultimately decide which subdivisions did enough to rise above the rest.

In past years the contest was judged in two separate categories, traditional and illumination, with each category elevating a fist, second and third place winner, along with two honorable mentions, while one subdivision was awarded the grand prize. For the second consecutive year, however, there were no categories, awarding one grand prize winner per usual, along with fist, second, third, fourth and fifth plae overall followed by two honorable mentions.

The winners of the 2021 Walden Lake Decorating Contest are as follows:

Grand Prize: Emerald Forest

1st Place: Aston Woods

2nd Place: Hampton Place

3rd Place: Fairway Estates

4th Place: Silverstone

5th Place: Polo Place

Honorable Mention: Wedgewood, Paddocks

PLANT CITY RESIDENTS ATTEND COMMISSION

TO DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT CONCERNS THEY WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO HAVE ALMOST ALL THEIR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ADDRESSED.

GRAND PRIZE: EMERALD FOREST

1ST PLACE: ASTON WOODS

2ND PLACE: HAMPTON PLACE

PLANT CITY EDUCATORS/AIDES NAMED FINALISTS FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARDS

2023 Instructional Support Employee of the Year finalit:

Jorge Capdevilla - Parent liaison aide, Turkey Creek Middle School

“I’m shocked, it means a lot,” Capdevilla said. “I work hard to support the community and support the schools, but I didn’t expect this at all.”

Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year finalit:

Mary Valesano - Third-grade teacher, Burney Elementary School

“I’m not known for being speechless and not saying anything but holy cow I am without words, I’m honored and grateful,” Valesano said. “Children are my heart."

Winners will be honored at Hillsborough Education Foundation Excellence in Education Awards presented by Suncoast Credit Union on Jan. 26, 2023 at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

PLANT CITY TO EXPERIENCE ROAD CLOSURES THIS WEEK

A portion of Airport Rd. in Plant City will be temporarily closed this week for emergency railroad crossing repairs, with the impacted area running between S. Alexander St. and Sydney Rd. from Dec. 15 at 6 a.m. to Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. This includes Wood Ct. and Plantation Blvd.

This is a total closure, meaning no traffi will be permitted to cross the track until the work is complete and signage will be

NINE-FOOT MENORAH TO LIGHT UP PLANT CITY FOR HANUKKAH

Chabad of Brandon & SouthShore will light a nine-foot public Hanukkah menorah at Union Station Depot, 102 N. Palmer St., on Tuesday Dec. 20 at 5 p.m., the third night of the eight-day Festival of Lights.

The event will feature the traditional Latkes, donuts and chocolate gelt for all in attendance. Also, complimentary Hanukkah menorahs and candles will be distributed for participants to kindle at home.

Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson launched the Hanukkah Awareness Campaign in 1973, of which Plant City’s public Hanukkah activities are a part, to encourage the idea that Hanukkah emphasizes that each and every individual has the unique power to illuminate the entire world. The menorah faces the street, the Rebbe notes, and so bypassers immediately feel “the effect of the light, which illuminates the outside and the environment.” In the half-century since, the Rebbe’s campaign has brought Hanukkah into the mainstream and altered awareness and practice of the festival.

Chabad-Lubavitch's annual Hanukkah campaign has distributed millions of menorahs to Jews around the world, and erected thousands of public menorahs to share its universal message of light over darkness with humanity at

large. This year’s Hanukkah campaign will be one of unprecedented light and joy, seeing Chabad reach eight million Jews in more than 100 countries through the more than 15,000 large public menorahs Chabad will place worldwide and the more than 6,500 Hanukkah menorah-topped cars that will hit the road in Chabad menorah parades to share the Hanukkah message of hope and joy around the globe.

Throughout the State of Florida, Chabad will be presenting scores of Hanukkah events and celebrations. Locally, Chabad of Brandon & SouthShore will be hosting multiple events, including: Menorahs & Martinis, Jewish Heritage Night with the Tampa Bay Lightning, A Car Menorah parade and Menorah lightings in Sun City Center, FishHawk and Plant City. Information for the local events can be found online at jewishbrandon.com/chanukah.

For the international Hanukkah event directory visit jewishbrandon.com/HanukkahEvents.

NATIONAL WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA DAY COMING TO PLANT CITY THIS WEEKEND

The 1,350 veterans buried in Plant City’s four cemeteries will be honored this Saturday, Dec. 17 during Wreaths Across America Day, and volunteers are welcomed and encouraged to come out and assist in laying the wreaths at grave sites.

Before the wreath-laying there will be a ceremony at 9 a.m. at Veterans’ Memorial Monument Park, 703 North Wheeler

Street, where local officials will ffer remarks and the names of every veteran in the cemeteries will be read aloud to the crowd.

Throughout the year, WAA works in a number of ways to show veterans and their families that their sacrifies are not forgotten. Every year the organization celebrates National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 17 where they work with volunteers and sponsors to place a wreath on the graves of Veterans at Arlington National Cemetery, in addition to more than 2,500 additional locations in all 50 states, at sea and abroad.

“While we have Veterans Day in the fall and Memorial Day in the spring, our servicemen and women sacrifie their time and safety every single day of the year, to preserve our freedoms. And in many homes across the U.S., every day there is an empty seat for one who is serving, or one who made the ultimate sacrifie for our country. That is why our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach lasts all year long, far beyond the single day in December when we coordinate wreath-laying ceremonies,” says the mission statement from WAA.

This year Generation’s Renewed has brought the ceremony to Plant City and you now have the opportunity to participate locally.

Visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/ FL1006P to make a donation or contact local location coordinator Kimberly Kitchen at 813-562-4495 for more information.

in place to mark detour roads. The City of Plant City urges residents to adjust travel times accordingly due to the detour.

TAYLOR JENKINS STAFF WRITER

Plant City’s local coffee shop Krazy Kup played host to a Special Night of Bluegrass last Thursday night, featuring two incredibly accomplished fiddle plyers known throughout the bluegrass scene in Jason Carter and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes.

A long-time member of the Del McCoury Band and a member the Travelin’ McCourys since their formation in 2009, Carter has been named Fiddle Player of the Year fie times (‘97, ‘98, ‘03, ‘13, ‘14) by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA.) And a member of Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, along with her solo work at home in Nashville, KeithHynes was named IBMA New Artist of the Year in 2020 while touring with her cofounded band Mile Twelve before earning two consecutive IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year awards in 2021 and 2022. While also members of their own respective bands,

Thursday’s event was part of a fie-day tour the couple held throughout the state of Florida this month that included other appearances in Odessa, Cedar Key, Sarasota and Gainesville. For the couple, the shows combine a chance to make their way to Florida and see friends, enjoy the warm December weather and make a few stops to play music together all while taking in a vacation before returning home to Nashville where their regularly hectic work schedule continues.

“It’s nice that we’re here doing this because chances are, if we were home and we had time off ogether, we would just be hanging out together and doing the same thing that we did tonight, we would be playing music,” Carter said. “But here we’re getting to play for people and that’s what we love to do, we love to play music fist and foremost, but we also got to walk on the beach this morning and that’s just an added bonus.”

At Krazy Kup the duo performed a string of original music along with classic cov-

ers, with both artists taking turns leading the way with their own vocal stylings as they showed off the fiddle skills that ve brought them both such acclaim, met with cheers from the sold out audience. As the night drew to a close, Carter and KeithHynes welcomed local bluegrass artist Morgan Brake to the stage where she performed a song alongside the fiddles and her bassist Mike Maravilla. At just 17-yearsold, Brake plays guitar with and serves as the lead vocalist for the Plant City-based bluegrass band Morgan Brake and Duck Wallow Lane.

“It was so much fun,” Brake said. “I’ve always heard lots of great things about them, I’ve watched them play, so to get to perform with them was really inspiring.”

In what can only be described as a blessing by Krazy Kup owner Frank Trunzo, the local coffee shop has become a destination for central Florida bluegrass fans and performers as they hold open bluegrass jams on the fist Saturday of each month and regularly play host to bluegrass bands

coming from near and far to perform in the business’ unique second floor lft. In fact, Krazy Kup’s bluegrass jams are where Brake found her musical beginnings fie years ago, ultimately learning to play the guitar and joining Duck Wallow Lane through fist meeting Maravilla as separate performers at the event.

“Tonight was a blessing, a true blessing,” Trunzo said. “It’s about community and this place has kind of evolved into a real bluegrass venue. We never set out to do that but it was just happenstance, serendipity and great talent. For me personally, I really enjoy the atmosphere that’s created and it’s something special. We’ve found that the audience is almost always a very faith-based, very solid, very polite group of people, its just a real pleasure to be in the whole situation with everyone and being a host is something that I’ve always been. This is just special, it’s something that we didn’t know would happen but we’ve been blessed that it did.”

MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER

They’re back.

The Arts Council of Plant City has contracted with Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc. to display seven lifesized bronzed sculptures by world-renowned sculptor Seward Johnson, who became widely known for his depictions of people engaged in everyday activities. The free, outdoor exhibit will be on display in downtown Plant City for people of all ages to enjoy until the end of April.

The Council, in collaboration with Unity in the Community, City of Plant City and the Plant City Photo Archives, displays the pieces to promote the appreciation of, and education about, sculpture and public art. The program was initiated in 2012.

The Council hosted 10 sculptures in years’ past but price increases required the Council to scale back its exhibit. “The cost of everything has gone up so we were only able to host seven this year but they’re all new to Plant City,” said Council President Marsha Passmore.

Sculptures on display this year include: “Stormy Weather”, “Return Visit”, “Skateboarder”, “Can Do!”, “Waving Girl”, “Caution: Man Contemplating Work” and “Creating”.

With their lifelike qualities, it’s easy to mistake them for real people. “It happens a lot,” said Passmore. She recalls one year the sculpture “Catnap” caused an outpouring of generosity from local residents. The display featured a man sleeping on a park bench. It was a particularly cold winter that year and people tried to give the man food, water and even blankets. “They thought he was a real person and in true Plant City style people were trying to offer a helping hand,” said Passmore.

Her personal favorites this year are “Can Do!”, a muscular Rosie the Riveter displaying her strength and fortitude and “Stormy Weather”, a rendering of a girl caught in a storm.

Look closely at one of this year’s sculptures and you’ll see a personal touch. The man sitting on the ground, concentrating while drawing a picture in “Creating” is sketching the train from the Plant City mural he’s facing.

Passmore said a member of Seward Johnson Atelier’s

curatorial staff asked for several pictures of our downtown sites. She emailed them four or five pictures of downtown, one of them a picture of the mural wall at Collins Street Mural Park. “Bill McDaniel called me the day after they were installed and was impressed with how they had personalized it,” she said.

Government employees assisted with the installation of the sculptures, which weigh hundreds of pounds each. Lubrano Designs created the walking map that shows the location of each piece.

Passmore said the Council fields calls from people who don’t live in Plant City but want to visit to see the pieces. “It’s a privilege for Plant City to continue to promote the arts to our residents and the many guests who visit us every year just to see the artwork,” said Passmore.

She encourages people to visit and peruse the display at their leisure.

For more information about Arts Council of Plant City visit www.plantcityarts.com.

JASON CARTER AND BRONWYN KEITH-HYNES ROCKED A SOLD OUT LOFT AT KRAZY KUP LAST WEEK.

DECEMBER 2

UNLUCKY TRUCK

2900 block of Wilder Park

Dr.

Vehicle burglary: An officer met with the victim at the listed location who stated that their truck was burglarized.

FLOATING AWAY

2700 block of Turkey Creek Rd. Grand theft auto: Officers met with the caller at the listed location who reported that their boat and trailer were stolen.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

2200 block of N. Warnell St.

Resist officer without violence: Officers responded to the listed location in reference to a dispute between neighbors. One individual was subsequently arrested for resisting an officer without violence and transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.

DECEMBER 3

WINDOW PAINS

700 block of N. Mobley St.

Criminal mischief: Officers responded to the listed location in reference to a report of criminal mischief to a window screen.

GUN GONE MISSING

1 Police Pl.

Recovered stolen fiearm: An offier responded to the Plant City Police Department in reference to a teletype advising that the Polk County Sheriff ’s Office recovered a stolen fiearm originally listed as missing by Plant City Police Department on June 30, 2021.

NOT THE BRIGHTEST BULB

S. Evers St. / W. Ball St.

DUI / flee o elude: An officer observed a vehicle traveling without headlights on and striking a road sign. The driver was subsequently arrested for DUI with property damage and fleeing o elude law enforcement officers.

DECEMBER 4

SHOT IN THE DARK

1800 block of W. House St. Discharging a fiearm from a vehicle: An officer responded to the residence at the listed location and met with the victim who reported a fiearm being discharged in the area.

HOME COOKING

1200 block of Tahitian Sunrise Dr. Residential burglary: An officer met with the construction manager at the listed location where they advised that two stainless steel kitchen electric ranges were stolen from the residence under construction.

REDUCED, REUSED, RECYCLED

1900 block of E. Warren St. Petit theft: An officer met with the victim at the listed location who stated that someone took their recycling bin that was left out by the roadway to be collected.

CLEAN PLATES

800 block of King St. Stolen Tag: An officer met with the victim at the listed location who advised that the license plate was taken off f their truck without permission.

DECEMBER 7

HOOK, LINE AND SINKER

1700 block of N. Orange St. Fraud: Officers met with the victim at the listed location who reported falling victim to an online scam and sending $1,250 in Apple gift cards to an unknown subject.

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MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER

Tickle’s list of concerns included: the potential consturction traffic at the enance on Vining Street, the future of the many oak trees located on the south side of the property, whether the development would negatively affect their septic tanks and if stormwater runoff ould drain into their yards. She was worried not just for herself but about children who would one day live in the development and have to walk to the local school on Shannon Avenue, a two-lane road with no sidewalks.

Planning Commission employees Mark Hudson and Robyn Baker gave presentations to commission members about the project. “Access to the property from Vining Street will be for emergencies only and the applicant is proposing a buffer consisting of a six-foot tall wooden fence and ground shrubs,” said Baker.

Jim Shimberg of Strategic Property Partners represented the applicant and spoke about their plans. “We try to be considerate to adjacent property owners,” he said.

Jon Cleary with KETTLER, the property developer, said it leans on its 45 years of experience in multifamily development, investment and property management to

create unique, sustainable communities. Cleary also addressed Tickle’s concerns. “How we situate buildings on the site is important and we’re very excited about this site because it was a working tree farm,’ he said. “We plan to take full advantage of that for landscape buffering.”

When discussing the project he referred listeners to the Town Trelago apartment community in Maitland, a 350-unit lakefront garden apartment community featuring three-story buildings with community amenities such as a clubhouse, pool, playground and court games. “This is very similar to the plan we’ll be proposing,” he said.

Mayor Nate Kilton also spoke up about a possible solution to Tickle’s worries about children walking to school. “Maybe as we move forward in our infrastructure improvements we have a great opportunity to consider extending the sidewalk further south on Shannon Avenue as well as lighting improvements,” he said.

At the end of the meeting, Tickle was satisfied with the anwers she received, both at the meeting and in the months leading up to it. “Representatives of the developer spoke to us after the meeting and gave us their business cards,” she said. “City officials did a very good job listening to us and addressing our concerns.”

TWO NEW POLICE DOGS GET NAMED

PLANT CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT UNVEILED THE CHOSEN NAMES AT A CEREMONY AT ADVANTAGE ACADEMY.

MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER

Advantage Academy students got the chance to meet the two newest members of Plant City Police Department’s (PCPD) K9 Unit, a purebred German shepherd and a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix, and witness the announcement of the names of the two animals.

Last month, students at the school submitted more than 300 name suggestions to PCPD. Each handler sorted through the submissions and selected the name most fitting for their dog.

Fourth-grade student Gabe Ogle submitted one of the winning names. Officer Mike Zaccaro’s German shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix was named Dexter.

Ms. Curry’s third-grade class submitted the second winning name. Officer Quentin Garrell’s German shepherd was named Odin, not for the destructive and fearsome Norse-Era God of War but for the class’ pet lizard.

“It also sounded like a strong name,” said Curry.

A runner-up was also announced: student Alex Coronado’s name suggestion of Rocket almost made the cut. All the winners received string bags filled with school supplies and other goodies.

A few of the most memorable names not selected were: Black Spiderman, Fluffy, Fido, Flower Power, Marshmallow and Police Dog. One kindergarten student suggested Pico, short for Pablo Picasso, the name of his family’s pet dachshund.

PCPD police chief James Bradford said the event was an excellent way to share its latest four-legged additions with the community, in this case children. “We’re making connections,” said Bradford. “Kids will see these dogs out in the community and know they had a hand in naming them.”

School principal Kevin Miller agrees with Bradford. “I believe in creating an environment where our students learn that the police department is a valuable part of our community,” he said.

The 18-month-old dogs were born in Hungary and purchased for $10,000 each from Southern Coast K9 in New Smyrna Beach. Zaccaro and Garrell , who took delivery of the animals last Friday, didn’t just choose their dogs’ names, they chose the dogs. They visited Southern Coast K9 to view a selection of dogs and run through training maneuvers, including bite work, building searches and apprehension, to see how the dogs reacted in those situations. Zaccaro said they were also looking for animals that would interact well with their handlers.

Dexter is Zaccaro’s second police dog. His first, Leto, retired last month and lives on his property. Both dogs have their own kennel and are getting to know each other. “Dexter is the opposite of Leto, who was very calm but I’m up for the challenge,” said Zaccaro.

Garrell is new to the K9 unit.

While the dogs have joined the department, they’re not certified as law enforcement K9 until they complete 480 hours of training with their handlers. Class begins on Monday.

PLANT CITY GOVERNMENT EXPANDS SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE WITH TIKTOK

TikTok isn’t just a global community where people go to be entertained by animals behaving badly or outrageous dance moves. The platform’s short videos also are a way of learning new tips to make our lives easier, cooking our way through culinary adventures and virtually touring exotic locales.

The City of Plant City is now on TikTok not to entertain residents but to communicate important information in an engaging way.

“TikTok is just another way of reaching out to our community and meeting them where they are,” said City Manager Bill McDaniel. “It’s another useful way to get the word out.”

The government also uses Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter to engage with residents.

The popularity of social media sites has skyrocketed in recent years. According to the Pew Research Center, that began tracking social media adoption in 2005, just five percent of American adults used at least one social media platform but by 2021 that number had risen to 72% of adults using some type of social media. While Facebook still reigns supreme with a staggering 2.93 billion monthly active users in 2022, TikTok ranks fourth behind YouTube and Instagram with one billion monthly active

users.

Fryed Egg Productions owner Yvonne Fry, who manages the city’s media presence, said leveraging TikTok’s reach helps city officials increase community engagement and communication, especially to a younger audience.

“Young people need to know their government is accessible and cares enough about them to reach out and engage with them in a meaningful way,” she said.

Fry, who provides McDaniel with a monthly report showing the quantitative impact of their social media efforts and the increasing number of people following their channels, uses those figures to build strategies on the platforms residents rely on to keep them informed about news and events, providing a refreshing transparency in government.

“City leaders are very interested in building a sense of community pride, informing residents about city service available and receiving feedback to make improvements when necessary,” she said. “They want to share the good things happening in this city.”

Social media provides a transparency in government that hasn’t been there before.

Visit its TikTok page at @plantcitygov or visit www.tiktok.com@plantcitygov.

CITY OFFICIALS USE THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TO INCREASE RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT.

DOWNTOWN PLANT CITY SIP & SHOP A SUCCESS

MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER

Plant City’s decked-out downtown was the perfect backdrop for Downtown Plant City Sip & Shop last Friday night, when almost two dozen businesses stayed open late so shoppers could peruse their wares and check off items from their holiday shopping lists.

From cigars from Bruton’s Cigar Shop to bath salts from TubTreats Bath and Body and chocolates from The Kandy Shoppe to home decor from Sassi Home & Holiday Decor, there was plenty to see and lots of free food and beverages available in every shop.

Plant City resident of six years Zoe Flaks attended with her husband John and two young children, Lilly and Jack. “We found out about this event and wanted to see the Christmas lights so we said let’s go,” she said. Her daughter was excited to eat a chocolate creation from The Kandy Shoppe. “We just love this place,” she said.

The event was hosted by Plant City Main Street, who was also holding an open house

at its new location at 110 South Collins Street. The non-profit was offering free gift wrapping of downtown purchases, giveaways and accepting letters for Santa.

“This was a wonderful way to entice more people to spend a festive evening at our historic downtown’s community stores and celebrate our new location,” said executive director Dawn Hyatt.

If you missed the action last Friday, it’s not too late to visit downtown. Plant City Main Street is hosting a Christmas Storefront Contest. Look for participating businesses that have special QR codes in their windows. To use the QR code, open your phone’s camera, center the QR code on your screen and hold your phone steady for a couple of seconds then tap the notification that pops up to open the link, which will take you to the site where you can vote for your favorite window display (one vote per person). The voting deadline is Dec. 22 and the winner will be announced Dec. 23.

For more information about the contest or Plant City Main Street visit www. plantcitymainstreet.org.

SPORTS DURANT AND PLANT CITY SOCCER MEET IN LOCAL RIVALRY

TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL WINS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

Hillsborough County added boys volleyball to their sanctioned athletic schedule six years ago, with Tomlin taking full advantage of building a team and fighting for the chance to be named County Champions.

In 2022, Tomlin battled their way through an undefeated season to earn their third county championship.

“It was one of those unexpected seasons,” head coach Bert Gideons says. “We lost a ton of players last years so it was really a brand new team with a lot of inexperienced guys. So it was one of those seasons where you don’t really come in with a ton of high expectations, but slowly and surely we stayed undefeated, made it into the playoffs, just kept getting better and better as the season went on and ended up winning it.”

54 Hillsborough County middle school teams are broken into eight clusters — Central, East, East Central, North, South East, South West, West and West Central — with Tomlin representing the East cluster alongside Mulrennan, Turkey Creek, Burnett, Marshall and Jennings. Once you reach the playoffs, you play for a cluster championship, comparable to a district championship in high school, and then advance through the postseason to reach the county championship. In their six years of play, all led by Gideons, Tomlin has won six cluster championships and three county championships in 2018, 2020 and 2022.

Tomlin Middle School Volleyball Roster:

• Gunnar Barthle

• Jolan Cole

• Dylan Yeager • Joseph Borchard • Keegan Butler • Hunter Carbaugh • Nolan Catlin • Siler Gideons

• Luis Lopez • Kelly Malloy • Park Schiebel • Devin Simeral • Noah Stanley • Tytan Gill • Gus Devane

Plant City soccer headed to Dover on Tuesday where they took on Durant in a crosstown rivalry matchup.

In the first matchup of the evening, Durant’s girls had repeated chances to put goals on the board but ultimately settled for a 1-0 victory on the back of a goal from Rachel Horn early in the second half. The loss moved Plant City to 2-4-2, but allowed Durant’s girls to remain undefeated as they now sit at 12-0 on the year.

Through their first 12 games of the season, Durant has played stellar soccer, working their way to a dozen wins without any hiccups. The Cougars have outscored their opponents 57-4 throughout the year, a run that features four mercy rule victories and nine shutouts. Their game against Bloomingdale – a regular season matchup in which the Cougars faced another Tampa Bay Top 10 Champions League team – ended in a 6-2 final, their lone game of the season in which they’ve conceded more than one goal. And in their Champions League matchups, Durant has come away with a 2-0 victory over New Port Richey’s River Ridge, a 1-0 victory over Clearwater’s Calvary Christian and a 3-0 win over Sickles to earn a spot in the tournament semifinals against 7-0 Tampa Catholic on Saturday.

In the most recent Tampa Bay Top 10 High School Girls Soccer Coaches Poll, Durant’s girls were ranked second with Tampa Catholic coming in at number three, both trailing Pinellas County’s Palm Harbor University High School.

In the boys’ matchup later in the evening, Plant City was able to escape with a 3-1 victory to move to 9-2 on the season, while Durant dropped to 3-4-2.

The match was intensely back and forth from the opening whistle, with both teams working a series of runs up the wings to create their chances as both defenses battled just to stifle the opposing offenses from converting the runs into meaningful opportunities in front of goal.

In the ninth minute, Durant pulled

ahead with a rocket of a shot off the volley from outside the 18-yard box, but Plant City quickly responded with a stellar goal of their own off the foot of freshman Ismael Gonzalez, knotting the contest at 1-1 in the 14th minute. After another hard-fought 25 minutes, the game remained 1-1 heading into halftime.

Once in the second half, the game remained tight and play was physical, as to be expected in a matchup between such familiar squads. But as a result, Plant City was awarded a penalty kick in the 50th minute, an opportunity that senior Angel Guerra buried to give the Raiders a 2-1 advantage. And in the game’s 70th minute, Guerra netted his second goal of the contest to extend Plant City’s lead to 3-1 and seal the victory.

“In the first half they hit a banger of a goal, there’s not much you can do about that, it’s just a fantastic strike on their part,” Plant City head coach Ben Henderson said. “And Ismael, a freshman, got our first goal in a similar fashion. I think that kind of helps a little bit in the tactical aspect of the second half because at least when you’re tied – obviously you still want to score and you want to win the game – you can kind of keep your shape and not feel like you have to chase the game. We felt like, defensively, as long as we keep them outside of our box and keep them around the edges, you’re fine. They were never really getting in behind us so we felt comfortable in the back and then we just knew that we wanted to keep numbers forward. We played long, more than we wanted to because of a narrow high school field, but we felt that if we kept pounding it in there that we had enough quality up top to make something happen.”

While the loss puts Durant at 3-4-2, their record isn’t quite indicative of their ability or overall play as their losses have come in narrow contests against some extremely tough competition on their early-season schedule, including a 1-0 loss to 9-0 Bloomingdale, a 2-1 loss to 6-1-1 Strawberry Crest and 3-1 loss

to 8-1 Newsome. And after a season in which the Raiders won just six games in 2021, they now move to 8-2 in 2022.

Henderson credits a large portion of their success to a variety of goal scorers and a strong midfield, allowing Plant City to move talented scorers like Manuel Nava and Guerra forward – two players that currently sit fourth and 11th in Florida’s 7A scoring leaderboards with 12 and nine goals, respectively. Additionally, he adds that a less strenuous earlyseason schedule that no longer includes Champions League play like it did in 2021 has allowed the team to find their confidence early.

“Last year we had a lot of games where we were in it but no one could find a goal,” Henderson said. “Whereas this year, for starters, we’re not leaking goals out of the back and that’s huge. We haven’t given up more than two goals all season and really since the Robinson game with our starters, we haven’t given up more than one in a game. And then up front, the seniors are finding ways to score but we also have a variety of guys that can score, unlike last year. We just played Brandon on Friday and we beat them 7-2 last year, but we played our goalkeeper Estaban Navarrete at forward that game and he scored five goals. This year we beat Brandon 9-2 and we had eight different goal scorers, so I think the depth of guys that can score is just better this year. I think that’s why in a game like this if we can keep the ball in the offensive half someone is going to get the ball at their feet and make magic happen.”

Plant City will finish their week at home against East Bay on Friday while Durant heads to Riverview before their girls take on Tampa Catholic on Saturday.

PLANT CITY BASKETBALL EASILY HANDLES SPOTO IN DOMINANT VICTORY

The Plant City Raiders traveled to Riverview on Friday where they moved to 4-2 on the season with a dominant 59-37 victory over the Spoto Spartans.

“We started off with some really tough competition,” head coach Billy Teeden said following the win over Spoto. “Opening week we had Newsome, then Plant was tough, we played Winter Haven this week as well, so if I thought 4-2 would be our record after the first few weeks I’d be OK with that. We’re going to get better and I’m excited about this group.”

Spoto opened the contest with a deep three-pointer to take an early lead, but center Elijah Dawson immediately answered by driving the lane and converting on a layup on the Raiders’ first possession. On the next trip down the court for Spoto, junior Malachi Morris forced a turnover and sent the ball downcourt to Dawson who finished the run with a big dunk to give Plant City a 4-3 lead. And immediately following the big play, Dawson got a steal of his own and took it to the rim with another huge dunk.

Spoto was able to end the Plant City run with a layup on the other end, but Plant City once again responded with a three from Mike Bell that would kickstart a 15-0 run to end the first quarter, giving the Raiders a 21-5 lead heading into the second quarter.

In the second, Plant City would continue to dominate the game with tough defense, flawless execution in transition and strong play inside the paint from Morris and fellow senior Damian Jones. Outscoring the Spartans 15-11 in the second quarter, the Raiders took a 36-16 lead into the half. Plant City hit their first speed bump early in the

third as they struggled for several minutes offensively, but benefitted from Spoto’s continued struggles as the Spartans were only able to cut the Raiders’ lead to 36-20 well into the period before Plant City was able to once again find their rhythm. A pair of trips to the line put Plant City back up 40-20, but a rough quarter from the field finally saw the Spartans outscore the Raiders with a 9-8 advantage in the third, but the narrow margin would be far from enough to overcome their overwhelming 44-25 deficit heading into the game’s final quarter.

In the fourth, Plant City was able to run away with the contest as they raced out to a 59-37 win to put them at 4-2 on the year.

Plant City had three different double-digit scorers in the contest, led by Dawson with 14 points, Jones with 13 and Bell with 10, followed by Morris with seven.

The Raiders then returned to action on Tuesday as they faced 4-1 Sumner, coming away with a 63-57 win and moving to 5-2 on the year.

And the road to 5-2 hasn’t been easy as they Raiders have had tough contests throughout this opening stretch, including a narrow 54-52 loss to 7-1 Newsome to open the year, followed by a 73-60 loss to an undefeated Winter Haven squad earlier in December and a handful of talented teams in-between. But in their wins, Plant City has outscored their opponents 343-256.

“For us, we definitely don’t look the part,” Teeden said. “We walk into a gym and we’re undersized, we’re small, but these guys are all comfortable together. They’ve been playing together for the last three years,

they play hard and they play tough. I like this group. We may surprise some people because we don’t have a lot of height, but we have a lot of heart.”

With a strong start, the 2022 Raiders look exceptionally similar to their 2021 team that finished the year with a 20-8 record on the heels of a trip to the district finals and a regional quarterfinals appearance. But while Plant City has indeed seen a lot of talent across the roster return, they entered the year without their most impactful player from last season in D.J. Haynes, a senior that led the Raiders in points, assists, rebounds and steals per game in 2021. But behind Haynes, five of the Raiders’ next six high-

est scorers from last season are all back in 2022.

“The biggest adjustment to losing D.J. I’d say, and we said it this summer, was that guys just have to get better,” Teeden said. “Malachi Morris has been one of those guys, he’s in the gym on Sunday evenings getting extra shots up and he’s been big bonus to us, so guys have just gotten better, that’s what they had to do. We’re shooting pretty well right now and I think it’s because they put such hard work in over the summer.”

Plant City will wrap up the week with games against 1-4 Brandon on Friday and 4-3 Robinson on Saturday.

Taylor Jenkins is the Sports Writer at the Plant City Observer. Email: tjenkins@ plantcityobserver.com.

The Raiders moved to 4-2 on the year with their 59-37 win over the Spartans.

Head Coach – Bert Gideons Assistant Coach – Ami Gideons

“Going to see Christmas lights!”

- Arienne Plyler Middlebrooks

“Christmas Eve at my parent’s house.”Deborah Middlebrooks Gray

“Tamales!” - Christian Arteaga

“Before I retired, the time off fom work.” - Gary Hughes

“Candlelight service on Christmas Eve.” - Meg Scott

“Cleaning up mounds of ripped up wrapping paper.” - James Jackson

“Posadas!” - Christopher Vargas

Mario Jesus Enciso, Jr.

Mario Jesus Enciso, Jr., 71, of Plant City, Fla., born in Havana, Cuba on Jan. 13, 1951, entered into eternal rest on Dec. 3, 2022.

Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

Wanda Wall

Wanda Wall, 86, of Plant City, Fla., passed away on Dec. 8, 2022.

Funeral services were held Dec. 13, 2022 at Haught Funeral Home Chapel, 708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haught.care.

Anthony ‘Tony’ Apfel

Anthony “Tony” Apfel, 79, of Lithia, Fla., born in Budapest, Hungary on Oct. 19, 1943, entered into eternal rest on Dec. 3, 2022.

Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

Maria Rodriguez

Maria Rodriguez, 75, of Dover, Fla. passed away on Dec. 9, 2022.

The family will receive friends Dec. 15, 2022, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Haught Funeral Home Chapel, 708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563.

Funeral services will follow at 3 p.m.

Tommy Samuel Burnett

Tommy Samuel Burnett, 55, of Lakeland, Fla., born in Ala. on Dec. 17, 1966, entered into eternal rest on Dec. 6, 2022.

Expressions of condolence at www.HopewellFuneral.com.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haught.care.

Josefa ‘Maria’ Christian Age 77, went to Heaven

Nov. 25, 2022

Born Josefa Vera Ballesteros in 1945 in Malaga, Spain, she emigrated to the US at age 18 and lived in Brooklyn, N.Y.. She has traveled, and lived in several states, and spent many years in Sparta, Illinois. She was an avid walker, chatting with all the animals she encountered on her way. She was known in the community and her church for giving toys to needy children and preparing food & donating clothes for those in need.

Predeceased by her late husband, Herbert Lantz Jr, and the late Fritz Lee Che, her mother Dolores Vera Sanzone, and her son Theodore Wilfred Lantz. Survived by her

children: Kim Elizabeth Stewart of Sebring, Fla, Herbert “Jimmy” Lantz III of Knoxville, TN, Stefanie Alicia Christiana of St Louis, Missouri, and Christina Marisa Morales of Riverview, Fla., and her seven grandchildren: Raven Stewart, Emily Lantz, Arianna Lantz, Melia Lantz, Maya Morales, and Michael Morales.

Service to be held Dec. 17, 2022 at 3 p.m. in the chapel at First United Methodist Church, 303 N Evers St, Plant City, FL 33563.

ALL OBITUARIES ARE SUBMITTED AND EDITED BY FAMILIES OR FUNERAL HOMES

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

5 to 7 p.m. at 2709 Thonotosassa Rd. The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce presents their Eat, Drink & Be Ugly Sweater Party, a Business After Hours Parter that will feature food, raffle pres and more. The event will take place at the TownePlace Suites Plant City and is free for all Chamber members to attend. These monthly events bring together business community members in a fun-filled atmsphere, designed to encourage networking and interaction while enjoying delectable food and drinks. For more information, contact the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce by phone at 813-754-3707 or by email at info@plantcity.org.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17

STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CRUISE-IN

3 to 6:30 p.m. at 102 N. Palmer St. The Plant City Strawberry Classic Cruise-In is back on Saturday, Dec. 17, rain or shine.

Cars and trucks manufactured in or before 1996 can register for free starting at 3 p.m. Live music by DJ John Paul Gasca.

CHRISTMAS WINE RUN 5K

9 a.m. at 5202 Thonotosassa Rd. Like walking or running and wine? This race is for you. Join in on a “Christmas-themed” timed race at Keel Farms this month. The event’s $50 registration fee includes a t-shirt, wine glass, finisher medal race bib and a pour of wine. For more information or to register, visit https://runsignup.com/ Race/FL/PlantCity/KeelFarmsWineRun5k.

SANTA SLED FESTIVAL

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1601 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The Plant City Black Heritage and Des’Aimes Social Club hosts this annual event at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center, providing toys, groceries, clothing and more to local families in need. To register for the event, families can obtain an application at Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 118 West Reynolds St. or the Sadye Gibbs Martin

Community Center, 302 South Maryland Ave.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21

FREE ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY VETERANS

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Federal, state and local opportunities are constantly changing. If you’ve served any time in the military, retired or non-retention, and would like to review your benefis please take advantage of free assistance at the Bing House Museum, 205 Allen St., every Wednesday. Walk-ins welcomed or call 813-704-5800 to set a specific tim.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 3

BEGINNING MODERN WESTERN SQUARE DANCE LESSONS

6:30 to 8 p.m. at 4401 Promenade Blvd. Head down to the Strawberry Square Dance Center for Beginning Modern Western Square Dance Lessons, starting on Tuesdays in January. No experience is

required and the fist lesson is free, with each additional lesson costing $7. For more information or to register, call Cherylene at 770-825-6513 or the Strawberry Square Dance Center at 813-752-0491.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

BEGINNING RUMBA CHOREOGRAPHED BALLROOM DANCE LESSONS

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 4401 Promenade Blvd. Head down to the Strawberry Square Dance Center for Beginning Rumba Choreographed Ballroom Dance Lessons, starting on Fridays in January. No experience is required and each lesson will cost $7 per person, per lesson. For more information or to register, text Cindy at 864-723-6965

SATURDAY, JANUARY 7

BLUEGRASS JAM!

6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. This is an open invitation for local Bluegrass musicians and fans to come to the Krazy Kup loft and jam, clap hands, stomp feet and enjoy! Krazy Kup holds their Bluegrass JAM on the fist Saturday of every month.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14

OPEN MIC NIGHT

7 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Open Mic Night is back at Krazy Kup. Join them for a fun night where you get to be the star of the show. Come out, strut your stuff and shw everyone what you’ve got.

FORECAST

THURSDAY, DEC 15

High: 77 Low: 52

High: 69 Low: 49

Chance of rain: 4%

SATURDAY, DEC 17

High: 68 Low: 51 Chance of rain: 50%

SUNDAY, DEC 18

High: 60 Low: 42

Chance of rain: 15%

MONDAY, DEC 19

High: 68 Low: 55 Chance of rain: 10%

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Dec 15 7:12a 5:34p

Friday, Dec 16 7:12a 5:35p

Saturday, Dec 17 7:13a 5:35p

Sunday, Dec 18 7:13a 5:36p

Monday, Dec 19 7:14a 5:36p

Tuesday, Dec 20 7:14a 5:37p

Wednesday, Dec 21 7:15a 5:37p

Doris