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Hopewell choirs Learnabout present “Home PlantCity’s for Christmas.” baseballhistory.
OUR TOWN
+ Curious duo spotted downtown
If you were in Historic Downtown Plant City last week, you may have spotted two peculiarly dressed ladies popping in and out of shops. Mabel and Myrtle went door-to-door wishing business owners and shoppers Merry Christmas. The Plant City duo is available for surprise visits for a variety of occasions, including birthdays, anniversaries and more. Fore more, call (813) 785-2826 or email iprashm333@aol.com.
Cheryl Biernat See her photo on PAGE 14.
real estate by Michael Eng | Editor
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Eighteen months ago, Durant High School alum Carley Osch created her jewelry company, Bourbon and Boweties. Since then, her designs have been spotted on the covers of People and Extra magazines.
Court gets $1.5M offer for Red Rose Inn & Suites
The buyer, Louis Spiro, lists a Pinellas Park address in court records. As of Dec. 23, the deal had not closed.
Despite a signed offer of $1.5 million for Plant City’s Red Rose Inn & Suites, the future of the hotel and banquet center still remains unclear. Last week, Louis Spiro, who lists a Pinellas Park address, agreed to buy the Red Rose for $1.5 million. However, as of press time Dec. 23, that deal had not closed. “There is no change in the status,” said Carl Carter, of Murray Wise Associates LLC, the agricultural real estate marketing and financial advisory firm that assisted East Coast Brokers and Packers Inc. and the Madonia family with their Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. “Things do not always happen on anticipated timelines, especially this time of year.” The Red Rose was the final piece of property to be sold following a series of live and online auctions of the assets realestate and equipment assets of East Coast Brokers & Packers. The auctions were handled by Murray Wise, with partnerships with Crosby and Associates, Inc., and Woltz & Associates on the real estate auctions and with Weeks Auction Co. Inc., for the sales of the equipment. The assets included more than 13,000 acres of farmland, packing facilities, labor camps and equipment, primarily located in Florida and Virginia. The sales totaled $75.8 million before the sale of the Red Rose. Evelyn and Batista Madonia, the owners of East Coast Brokers and Packers, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March. The exact figure of what they owe to creditors is at least $100 million. Spiro’s offer of $1.5 million is $600,000 less than the $2.1 million high bid received during the Aug. 16 live auction, at the Lakeland Center. That original high bid was rejected because of financial terms. Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.
The jewelry hadn’t even shown up yet, but already, there were curious bystanders mulling about Fringe Boutique, Dec. 18. The shop was hosting a trunk show for Bourbon and Boweties. The up-and-coming jewelry line was founded by Durant alum Carley Osch. The signature piece is a bracelet. The gold plated bangle has oversized stones strategically placed in regular intervals around the brass wire. Each bracelet is handmade. They glittered on the table as a hungry crowd descended upon the displays faster than associates could set up. “It’s like this everywhere we go,” Osch says. She had just gotten back from a show in West Palm Beach. Carrying stacked boxes into the store, the high heeled powerhouse was just as effortless and fashionable as her jewelry line. She also rocked some of her own accessories, preferring to wear natural stones stacked upon her delicate wrist. The fashion gods seem to agree with her styling. After sending samples out to various magazines, her jewelry has starting making the cover. Broadcast journalist Katie Couric wore some of Osch’s bracelets on the cover of People magazine. The newest Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock, also was outfitted in some bracelets during an Extra magazine shoot. Osch found out about the covers secondhand. A friend called her screaming about Couric. Osch thought something terrible had happened. She couldn’t make out what her friend was saying. A similar situation happened for the Hartsock cover. This time, one of the stores that carried her line made the call. Osch started the business just 18 months ago, but, already, her pieces are available in more than 300 stores around the United States. Bourbon and Boweties also has gained international notoriety and is featured in a store in Belgium. Osch’s line also has been invited by the likes of Lilly Pulitzer and Lauren Conrad to do special shows. The Washington Redskins even had the wives, coaches and players outfit-
Registration for the 2014 Florida Strawberry Festival Baby Parade will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at Plant City Mortgage, 1507 S. Alexander St., Suite 101 Plant City. Sign-ups for 1- and 2-year-olds will be from 8 to 9 a.m.; 3- and 4-yearolds from 9 to 10 a.m. Spaces are limited to the first 50 children in each age group. Registration is open to children ages 1 to 4, as of Jan. 31, 2014. Open to Eastern Hillsborough County residents only (east of U.S. 301), including Plant City, Thonotosassa, Mango, Wimauma, Brandon, Seffner, Dover, Balm, Valrico, Keysville, Lithia and Durant. Proof of residency (driver’s license) is required at registration. Registration is $25; cash only. Presented by the GFWC Plant City Junior Woman’s Club Inc., the parade will take place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 8, at the Wish Farms Soundstage, at the Florida Strawberry Festival, 2107 W. Oak Ave. For more, call chairwoman Natasha Davis, (813) 215-7698.
This week’s winner is
Trapnell Trappers visit Glazer.
SOUTHERN STYLE by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
+ Baby Parade sign-ups coming
, 3&
FREE • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013
Tampa Bay Times
It was not clear what Louis Spiro plans to do with the Red Rose Inn & Suites.
SEE FASHION / PAGE 4
EDUCATION Marlene Sokol | Tampa Bay Times
Board approves armed guards for elementaries Principals from several Plant City schools supported the measure at last week’s School Board meeting. TAMPA — Shoulder to shoulder they sat, each given two minutes to bring the Hillsborough County School Board into their world. They talked of cussing parents, road rage in school parking lots, threats against staff.
“I cannot control what comes through those front doors,” said Dina Wyatt, principal of Walden Lake Elementary School. Russell Wallace, principal of Bailey Elementary, teared up describing conversations with his family after the Dec. 14,
2012, killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. His daughter asked what he would have done. Kristin Tonelli, principal of Lewis Elementary, said she considers herself a good negotiator. “But I don’t know what I would say to someone with a gun on my campus,” she said. After their statements — and an hourlong discussion about the societal ills
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that brought them to this point — the board on Dec. 18, made its long-awaited decision on Superintendent MaryEllen Elia’s plan to put armed guards in elementary schools. In a 4-3 vote, with Cindy Stuart, Susan Valdes and April Griffin dissenting, they approved the first of four phases of a plan that eventually would post officers
SEE EDUCATION / PAGE 4 Vol.1,No.22 | Onesection
Crossword...................14
Obituaries...................10
Opinion ........................6
Sports.........................11
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