2.7.19 PLCO by Plant City Observer

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VOLUME 6, NO. 32

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

PCPD investigation brings closure to fatal crash On Dec. 26 a fatal crash unfolded on James L. Redman Parkway. Thanks to the investigative measures of PCPD officers, the case was solved. SEE PAGE 11

TOP COPS GET COOKING

Justin Kline

Chad Chronister and Ed Duncan cooked ribeye steaks for the Feb. 2 show.

Plant City Police Chief Ed Duncan and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister cooked steaks at the Feb. 2 event. SEE PAGE 6

CHARGERTHON AHEAD BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Students at Strawberry Crest High School are fundraising for the annual Chargerthon dance marathon, which uses the money raised to help the Children’s Miracle Network. SEE PAGE 4

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019 Courtesy photo

NEWS BRIEFS

2018 Shoe Project success

Justin Kline

Mt. Olive honors local black trailblazers At Mt. Olive Baptist Church’s Feb. 3 service, the Ball Street church kicked off Black History Month differently than usual: by honoring those from Plant City’s black community that have opened new doors. Some of those honored were:

Sadye Gibbs Martin, Plant City’s first black mayor and city commissioner Bobby Miller, Plant City’s first black police detective Ted Taylor, Plant City’s first black attorney Floyd Kelly, Plant City High School’s first black head football coach Gerold Dickens, Strawberry Crest High School’s first black head football coach Marian Richardson, the first black girl to compete in the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Pageant Essie Dixon Lewis, the first black girl to place (First Maid, 1973) in the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Pageant Sonja Woodard, Plant City High School’s first black valedictorian

Rhonda DuPont, Plant City High School’s first black Calendar Girl Ginger Bennett Forte, Plant City High School’s first black Homecoming queen and first black female athlete to have her jersey retired Horace Broadnax, Plant City High School’s first black male athlete to have his jersey retired Derrick Gainer, former NFL player and Super Bowl champion

PIT count needs volunteers The 2019 Homeless Point in Time (PIT) count provides the most accurate representation of the homeless population in Hillsborough County. Once the final count is tallied the area’s homeless advocates can address the pressing needs for the represented community. The PIT survey for Plant City will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Feb. 28 and volunteers are needed to help support the Plant City community with the initiative. Anyone wanting to volunteer T:10” in the survey must attend a training

date. Plant City’s training dates are at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 11 and Feb. 19 at On Point Co. Work Solutions, 1805 James L. Redman Parkway. Registration is open at Thhi.org/ volunteer. You can also call Jennifer Anderson at 813-323-4013 for information.

Every year, the GFWC Plant City Junior Woman’s Club organizes the Shoe Project with local elementary schools to provide brand new shoes and socks to children in need. The 2018 Shoe Project was its most successful to date, reaching 16 local elementary schools with more than 600 pairs of shoes donated to students. The latest Shoe Project was headed by Mackensi Beers and sponsored by James Hardie Building Products, Gordon Food Services, Unity in the Community Inc., Happy Souls Sock Ministry, Star Distribution Systems Inc. and Payless Shoes. For more information on the Shoe Project and how to get involved with the 2019 shoe drive, visit gfwcplantcityjuniors.com.

New Suncoast center grand opening The new Suncoast Community Health Center Plant City Family Care facility, 801 E. Baker St., is getting ready to party as it opens its doors. A grand opening celebration is planned for Feb. 14 and the community is welcome to join in. There will be a food truck on location from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and more fun for everyone through 3 p.m. Services offered at the new facility include adult and pediatric medicine and dental work, women’s health, optometry, behavioral health and a pharmacy.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

LET ME PLAY AMONG THE STARS BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

On July 20, 1969, the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle landed on the surface of the moon, bringing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to a new frontier. The entire world held its breath as Armstrong took his first step onto the lunar surface and a new generation of space enthusiasts were born as he described the experience to viewers back on his home planet as, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Decades have come and gone but when someone takes a moment to glimpse the stars above them, they often feel the same awe and wonder that swept the world by storm on that fateful night in the 60s. Bruton Memorial Library is hoping to further that solar fervor with its upcoming Family Telescope Night on Feb. 13. Amanda Preece, youth services associate at Bruton, said throughout the evening families will have a chance to interact with hands-on stations about space, listen to a solar-system inspired story and peer through the massive telescope at the stars above them.

If it’s a clear night, there is even a chance Saturn may be visible from the scope. Images of space are woven into nearly every realm of communication. Children’s stories share conversations between Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare where one finally bests the other by saying they loved them “right up to the moon” and television shows use it to signify love like in Game of Thrones when Khal Drogo calls his bride “Moon of my life” and she in turn calls him “My sun and stars.” Astrology, which has a cult following, uses positions of astral objects to determine the very core of a human. Walk into any tattoo parlor and the walls will be covered with stunning works of celestial art. Children fall in love with the stars and continue to cherish them long into adulthood, but few actually understand the science behind the universe. Preece is hoping through their experiences at Bruton the next generation of Plant City youth will

have a scientific knowledge as deep as their varied passions. “I think STEM is important because it teaches options,” Preece said. “Libraries in general are going toward a more maker space atmosphere. That’s what I’m hoping to reflect here at Bruton. Reading is amazing, but the library is so much more than just a place to pick up amazing books… There’s more to the library than just literacy.” During the night under the stars children and their families will have a chance to do their own exploration of the universe thanks to the kindness of Craig MacDougal, who is bringing his personal telescope out to the event. Preece said MacDougal will teach the young students about the ins and outs of the universe they are gazing at as they take the time to soak in the objects on the other end of the scope. Children will walk away with a greater understanding of telescopes and the universe as a whole by the time the night is through. To offer the greatest one-on-one experi-

ence Preece said families will be given a number when they arrive for the event. Then, following story time, the numbers will be called out and the corresponding family can head over to the telescope. All other attendees will use the time waiting to check out the other booths and activities at the event. Preece used to be a science teacher and said she has always loved being able to share the scientific field with young minds. When the opportunity arose to come on board as a librarian at Bruton she jumped at it. Now she hopes she can instill her passion for learning into the hearts of everyone who walks through the doors. There isn’t an age limit for the event, though Preece said it is a family night. Anyone who has a passion for the stars and wants to learn more about the world in which they live are welcome to attend. MacDougal will be on site for approximately an hour so Preece recommends families come early to ensure they get a number and have a chance to enjoy the telescope.

IF YOU GO Bruton Memorial Family Telescope Night When: Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Where Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St. Website: plantcitygov.com/library

BRUTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY IS HOSTING A FAMILY TELESCOPE NIGHT ON FEB. 13. SPACE FACTS:

1. Space is silent due to the fact there is no atmosphere. However, radio waves can still be sent and received so astronauts use radios to communicate while traveling among the stars. 2. Avid stargazers often camp out to watch specific celestial objects cross the night sky. Halley’s Comet was discovered in 1705 by Edmond Halley and last flew by our planet it 1986. It won’t pass by Earth again until 2061 as it comes every 75 to 76 years. 3. Mercury is the fastest planet in our solar system and zooms around the Sun at an average of 107,000 miles per hour. A year on Mercury is equal to that of 88 days on Earth.

4. Thanks to new research from Cassini’s mission finale in 2017, researches found Saturn’s rings are relatively new and may have formed during the same time dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Another study found those rings may fall into the planet and Saturn may be completely void of them in the next 100 million years or so. 5. Neutron stars are tiny — with a radius of approximately 6 miles — and have a mass of a few times that of our Sun, yet they rotate up to 60 times per second after they are born from a core-collapses supernova star explosion and have occasionally spun 600 to 712 times per second because of their physics.

6. When man first walked on the moon the entire world watched in awe. Well those footprints will be there for approximately 100 million years because the moon has no atmosphere, aka no wind, or any water to wash them away. 7. There is a volcano on Mars that is 600 km wide and 21km high, aka three times the size of Mt. Everest. 8. If you look just below the belt of Orion you will find the Orion Nebula, which is a massive cloud of gas and dust. It acts as a star nursery, forming new stars from the hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen found inside the nebula.

9. Stars move, ever expanding in the universe, so one day the North Star, also known as Polaris, won’t be the North Star anymore. Between their movement and the fact the Earth wobbles on its axis, there will one day be another guiding light. Before it shifted into its northern territory our Polaris was called Phoenice. Another, Thuban, was once the northern star guiding ancient Egyptians. 10. In space, if two pieces of the same type of metal touch, they will bond and be permanently stuck together due to an effect called cold welding.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

‘DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT’ Students at Strawberry Crest High School will lace up their dancing shoes and participate in the annual Chargerthon to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Observer Publisher / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com

“miracles” for children throughout their community. The event STAFF WRITER is entirely student run and operated with a teacher, Dianne Schroeder, as an advisor. There are 20 students on three differFor years, students at Strawberry ent boards that work tirelessly to Crest High School have boogied pull off the massive event. all night to raise thousands of The event is comprised of a dollars for the Children’s Miracle variety of teams full of 10 to 15 Courtesy of JP Prescott Network. students that all pick a theme The group hopes to raise $25,000 at this year’s event. The annual Chargerthon event under the overarching topic to combines a dance marathon with represent at the event. This year social activism as students seek the theme for the event is movThe week prior to the dance watch with a smile as the hospisupport from the community ies and more than 30 teams with marathon is a spirit week that tal walks away with thousands of to sponsor their dedication to names like “The Breakfast Club” helps boost awareness and get dollars to help its patients. physically stand for hours on end “Star Wars” and “Mean Girls” everyone pumped and ready for This year the students have and raise awareness and support are competing to raise the most the big night. an even deeper motivation for for John Hopkins All Children’s money for the cause. “When this first started it raising as much as they can for Hospital in St. Petersburg. “Each hour there is a different was just a small group of IB the cause. One of the school’s IB “For me, Chargerthon was the theme (fairytale, glo, western) students,” JP Prescott, a senior teacher’s has a daughter seekway that I found a cause that and games and we line dance fre- who is a member of the event ing treatment at John Hopkins. was bigger than myself,” Jay- quently throughout the night,” operations board, said. “Now it’s They’re fighting for her as much san Shah, co-president, said. “I Nikita Bandarupalli, a junior grown into an event the whole as they are for every child that know it sounds a bit cliche, but who is a member of the commu- school is starting to be a part of. walks through its doors. Chargerthon in particular felt nications board, said. “We try to We’ve been exceeding our goals “Word is definitely spreading,” very whole circle because my get one kid from the Children’s every year and it’s really cool Yarlagadda said. “I’ve already father is a doctor and my fam- Miracle Network to share their that a bunch of students are able had some of students, both IB ily has always been affiliated story with the group as well so to work together and pull some- and traditional, come up to me with medicine. For that rea- we all can remember what we are thing this size off every year.” and ask to get on a team for next son I’ve always seen the merits working toward.” Chargerthon is also help- year. This isn’t just a little moveof medicine, but consequently There is also a scavenger hunt ing students develop skills ment anymore. Chargerthon has also seen the costs that come that takes students through a they’ll rely on for years to come. really become a staple at Crest.” with it. Ever since joining fresh- variety of games and sends them Meghana Yarlagadda, a junior The dance marathon is Feb. man year I’ve had the chance to on the hunt for unique locations who is a member of the finance 23 and the group will be accepthave my own impact and really as well as a lip sync/performance board, spends her days talking to ing donations through the end be able to gather the support of battle where teams can show off local businesses while sharing all of the event. You can follow the the community to help a cause I their movie themed routines. the reasons they should sponsor progress of the group on any of feel especially close to.” Students that participate are the program. The finance board its social media sites via the @ Edited Davidfor Steinberg Februarymanages 8, 2019the incoming funds and chargerthon handle. In the last few years the group allby fighting the opportunity has been able to raise more than to say they raised the most for at the end of the event are able to map cause. One 36 Sent a ACROSS 8 incenColorado $60,000 and this year they’ve 47 theMall reputable set the goal at It’s a lofty tive listing Facebook 1 $25,000. Wise Norse skiing mecca to keep the enthusiasm mark, but one god the team is deter- 48 going year round is a9created Respite request to Making FOR MORE INFORMATION mined to meet. category beforecalled “spirit points.” 37 Presupposes 5 ___ Dhabi it big SCHS Chargerthon When the dance marathon Every dollar raised 10 over the graduation, 38 Hits a 8 Secret Former When: Feb. 23 line drive comes to an end and the final $250 individual goal is oneFrench spirit coin perhaps Service Where: Strawberry Crest High School number raised is officially 51 point. Those points are added up and Pathetic 39 Gofers run operatives 11 Altimas announced the students go and winners will receive special52 Beach Boys’ them @Chargerthon, Snapchat: chargerthonschs 14 Moon Sentras Social: Instagram/Facebook To follow live: Search #Chargerthon2019 home knowing they pulled off ized baskets full of prizes. “Surfin’ ___” 42 Floral brew goddess BREANNE WILLIAMS

Universal Crossword

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53 Birthday 15 Nobelist candles, Hammarsymbolically: skjold Abbr. 16 Mixer 54 Nephews’ 17 Chicago siblings pizza style 56 Activist 19 First pope Lewinsky to broadcast 58 Kool-Aid on radio instruction 20 Strongly that can apdesires ply to either 21 Wetland part of 17-, 22 (Not my 24-, 34- or error) 48-Across 23 Dog’s 60 Continues archenemy until 24 NFL’s 61 “What a Marshawn surprise!” Lynch, is 100% owned | 62 Claudius’ for one locally adopted son 27 Nursery 63 Big Bird’s beds This week’s Sudoku answers street This week’s Crossword answers 29 Opposite PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER 64 Like every of ’neath prime but 30 End-of-term one test 65 Straightfor31 Scorch ward on the grill DOWN 32 Late guest’s 1 For ___ guess, briefly times’ sake 33 Skip over 2 Reasonable 34 Being harshly effort, at law criticized 3 Resistance 37 Rock concert to change venues 4 California 40 Prefix for wine valley “eminent” 5 Goodbye, 41 Jet set? 45 Woman in in Grenoble the Star6 Bottom of 2/7 © 2019 Andrews McMeel Universal bucks logo a chord www.upuzzles.com 46 ___ chi 7 “Blecch!”

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PICKING STRAWBERRIES

to help local youth

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

Community journalism lives on in Plant City

The annual Strawberry Picking Challenge is a great way for the community to step up and help local youth. The event raises money for the Redlands Christian Migrant Association.

DAVE NICHOLSON SPECIAL TO THE OBSERVER

When the Plant City Courier published its last edition nearly three years ago and I exited from the news business, I was confident that local journalism was far from dead. I knew that the Plant City Observer would carry on – and probably for generations to come. The paper is staffed by people with the ideals, dreams and the drive that made for successful community journalists. I could go into the reasons why I think the Courier failed after 130 years. But none of my opinions really matter.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Dave Nicholson nixed retirement after the Courier closed and has worked two temporary jobs since the Courier’s demise, including two years archiving old criminal cases at the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

Breanne Williams

Youth participate in a shortcake eating conteest at the picking challenge.

YOUR HOME COMMUNITY

The money raised goes directly toward the operating budget of RCMA, which helps the schools have supplies, lunch for the kids and other general expenses. During the picking challenge there will be 25 to 30 third graders from an RCMA school coming out to sing a few songs and lead the pledge of allegiance. Hundreds of attendees flood the farm and enjoy a lunch, fresh strawberry shortcake, games, photo opportunities and live performances. The children will also have the chance to participate in a strawberry shortcake eating contest where the winner usually walks away with tickets to the upcoming Florida Strawberry Festival. The picking challenge is Saturday, Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event and parking are both free and the u-pick is $5 per quart. Anyone who wishes to become a sponsor to get a team in the race should contact Hollenkamp at cr@rcma.org to see if there are spaces still available. Last year the group raised approximately $100,000 and the goal Hollenkamp said is to match that this year.

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6th Annual Strawberry Picking Challenge presented by Wish Farms and Monte Package Company Where: Fancy Farms, 3536 Futch Loop, Plant City, FL 33566 When: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 9 Cost: Free to the public, free parking. U-Pick Strawberries are $5 per quart Website: wishfarms.com/spc

1016 Bloomingdale Ave. Valrico, FL 33596 (Brandon Office) (813) 657-8989 DRIVE THRU: 8:00 - 5:30 Mon.-Thurs. 8:00 - 6:00 Fri LOBBY: 9:00 - 4:00 Mon. - Thurs. 9:00 - 6:00 Fri.

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In Plant City, strawberries are more than a sweet treat. The juicy berry is a way of life thanks to the abundance of strawberry farms that permeate the area. Wish Farms and the Monte Package Company use the love of strawberries to help children in need with the annual Strawberry Picking Challenge. As teams fight for the chance to be dubbed the greatest pickers and families come out for a leisurely u-pick, the community raises money for the Redlands Christian Migrant Association, a nonprofit that provides childcare and early education for children of migrant farm workers and rural low-income families “The event kicks off with a dinner the sponsors go to on Friday night and those sponsors have the option of entering a team in the picking challenge the next morning, which is open to the public,” Clay Hollenkamp, community relations manager for RCMA, said. “The u-pick will also be going on at the same time as the picking challenge. The challenge will have teams with coaches who are crew leaders of local picking companies. They help them know what to do and how to do it. The teams are judged on the quality of what they pick, the time it takes them to do it and what is picked and left on the plant.” This is the sixth year that Wish Farms has hosted the picking challenge, but its support for RCMA goes back more than a decade. Prior to the picking challenge Wish Farms hosted a tennis tournament to help raise money for the group. Hollenkamp said the picking challenge is one of RCMA’s two biggest fundraisers each year, with the other being a golf tournament that takes place in another county. “RCMA is a statewide nonprofit that operates 68 child development centers and three charter schools in 21 counties,” Hollenkamp said. “All of our locations are found in rural, low-income areas and we cater especially to the needs of the agricultural worker community.”

The important thing is that the Observer’s staff members understand community journalism; that from the Plant City readers’ perspective, what happens on “main street” is more important that what happens on Wall Street. Television and big newspapers are really good at telling audiences and readers about what’s up in Tallahassee and Washington. But there’s only one consistent source for local news – a community newspaper. My praise and admiration to the Observer for carrying on. Keep up the good work!

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

FROM COPS TO COOKS:

11th annual Celebrity Chef Dinner stars top lawmen

Justin Kline

Plenty of autographed sports memorabilia, ranging from photos and footballs to hockey jerseys, went up for auction.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Normally, the annual Celebrity Chef Dinner brings in someone with a wealth of culinary knowledge to put on a show for the audience. The 2019 event did just the opposite, but it went just as well. This year’s celebrity chefs were Plant City Police Chief Ed Duncan and Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, notable not only for catching criminals, but also for being completely unable to cook despite being meticulously healthy eaters. The event was about the two lawmen’s first experience taking a cooking class and the audience enjoying every minute of it. “I think the motto is, ‘If they can do it, we can do it,’” Mayor Rick Lott said. Duncan and Chronister were tasked with recreating the meal served to attendees: steak au poivre, better known in Plant City as ribeye steak with peppercorns. Luckily for their taste testers, who happened to be their wives, the men were helped by Chef Anthony Logerfo of the Publix Aprons program. Roasting wasn’t limited to the ingredients. The wives and colleagues of Duncan and Chronister past and present were invited to speak during the show, gently ribbing the two amateur chefs, and even Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd got in on the action with a video played just before the cast iron skillet heated up. “I’d be surprised if either of them can do any more than microwave a hot dog,” Judd joked. Midway through the demonstration, attendees were also treated to trays of glazed doughnuts — “a police officer’s favorite food,” Lott joked.

Justin Kline

The cooking class featured some nice visuals from the audience, including a skillet fire that made the audience gasp.

Justin Kline

Chronister and Duncan sample the sauce they made to see what else needs to be added to it.

The steaks were cooked rare with what tasters described as a generous portion of salt (Duncan and Chronister were encouraged to do their best “Salt Bae” impressions), but ultimately turned out to be edible. Whether Duncan or Chronister uses this cooking class as a stepping stone to spend more time in the kitchen remains to be seen, but both visibly had fun trying something new. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Sheriff Chad Chronister, who is a personal friend of mine,” Duncan said. Most importantly, the event was a financial success with Steve and Susan Hurley donating more than $15,000 during a live auction for a pair of dinner events. There was also a silent auction featuring dozens of signed sports memorabilia and other items, as well as a raffle containing $900 in gift cards. The dinner was catered by 911 Catering. The event is a fundraiser for the United Food Bank of Plant City, which director Mary Heysek said distributed 1.3 million pounds of food throughout the Plant City community in the past year. “This is a great cause… there’s no doubt that when you elevate people, our community benefits,” Chronister said.

Justin Kline

Plant City Police Chief Ed Duncan does his best “Salt Bae” impression.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

ROLLYSON MAKES

EAGLE SCOUT

Brendan Rollyson was honored in a special ceremony Tuesday evening as the community gathered to watch as Rollyson ascended to Eagle Scout.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Years of hard work paid off Tuesday evening for Brendan Rollyson as he accepted the honor of Eagle Scout in an official ceremony at the American Legion. Rollyson began his journey with the Boy Scouts when he was in fifth grade. Now he is one of the coveted members who have pursued and succeeded in obtaining the highest rank in the program. “He’s been at almost every single meeting, almost every single campout and every single summer camp from the time he was this big (gesturing to his waist) until he was taller than I am,” Scout Master Michael Wanner said. “I have stories, I have a lot of stories. You remember those things I mentioned earlier about what scouts strive to be, honest and loyal and helpful and trustworthy. You know him, you know what he’s like. He is helpful, he’s loyal and he’s courteous. He’s all of those things.”

Breanne Williams

Rollyson gave his mother a special Eagle pin during the cereomony and was awarded a proclamation from Mayor Rick Lott.

Wanner also shared a comical tale of Rollyson at his first summer camp. The washrooms were full of spiders, which Rollyson was deathly afraid of, and he went days without stepping in to use the facilities in fear of bumping into one of the eightlegged demons. Finally he couldn’t put it off anymore and an assistant scout master had to come in, catch a spider and lick it to prove they weren’t going to “eat him alive.” Wanner said it’s an image that will stay with him for years to come. Troop Committee Chair Karen Jacobi also helped facilitate the event, reading the Scout pledges aloud and leading Rollyson’s fellow scouts in the ceremony. The room was filled with Rollyson’s friends and family and everyone shared stories before the meeting began of Rollyson’s fine character and dedicated spirit.

For his Eagle Project, Rollyson partnered with the Plant City National Guard Armory to find out what the needs were for the group and help meet them. The 3rd Battalion 116th Field Artillery Unit comprised of more than 125 soldiers were in need of supplies so he began to work tirelessly to send them as much as possible. Staff Sergeant Paladini was at the ceremony as well thanking Rollyson for his work with the group and sharing stories of how the packages he shipped helped his fellow soldiers. He also presented Rollyson with an American Flag he had flown overseas. Mayor Rick Lott also attended the event and read an official proclamation from the city in Rollyson’s honor. He praised the scout on his dedication and said his future was bright thanks to this achievement.

Rollyson received letters from Senator Marco Rubio, retired Senator Connie Mack, US House Representative Ross Spano, State Senator Tom Lee, State Senator Lawrence McClure, State Senator Mike Beltran, former State Senator Jake Raburn, U.S. Military Academy at Westpoint, NASA, the National Park and Wildlife Service, the Blue Angels and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Governor Ron DeSantis also mailed Rollyson a letter and even sent him an American Flag that had flown over the capital in Rollyson’s honor. Rollyson thanked everyone for participating in this achievement with him and said he his goal for the next few years is to give back to younger Scouts and to pay forward the foundation that way laid for him.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

PlantCityObserver.com

ESSIE DIXON LEWIS

Putting the ‘First’ in ‘First Maid’

Before 1973, no black contestant in the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Pageant had ever placed. Essie Dixon Lewis became the first that year.

Justin Kline

Essie Dixon Lewis hopes to see more black girls compete in Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Pageants. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Who would have thought that in 1973 an outgoing young black girl would not only place in the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Pageant, but earn the honor of First Maid? It certainly wasn’t Essie Dixon Lewis. Things like that just didn’t happen, she told herself and those who encouraged her to try. There was no way she even had a shot, she thought, no matter what her mother and fourth grade teacher and others who wanted her to run were then telling her. A girl who lived in the projects from a fam-

ily with a well-known name, but not a lot of money, who had to borrow her mother’s dress shoes and snap the bows off of them to meet pageant rules, who didn’t own a one-piece bathing suit and other required items, running for that pageant? It takes a village to raise a child, and it also took a village to get Dixon Lewis 1/10 everything she needed: the clothes, the Keiser – Lakelandto go hair, the makeup and the confidence out and actually do the231-1783-LL-PCO-Difference-CJ-5x6 thing. “It was amazing how the Plant Citycommunity Observer came through,” Dixon 5x6 Lewis said. “They wanted to do this and do RC that, and it was a blessing.” 1/3/19 She was told to keep smiling, put Vaseline on her gums to prevent them from

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

ESSIE DIXON LEWIS FROM PAGE 8

getting too dry and to power through any mistakes during the question portion. Dixon Lewis was still a little unsure, but she listened. The next thing she knew, her name was called and all eyes were on her as she received the title of First Maid. For once, the Plant City High School student known for her gift of gab was just about speechless. “Oh my God,” she remembered saying out loud on the stage. She wasn’t able to say much else, though she didn’t need to. Everyone understood. Dixon Lewis said she had no idea what she’d just done. Her friend Marian Richardson had gone out for the pageant before her — in fact, Richardson was the first black girl to ever even enter the competition, in 1968 — but no one that looked like her had ever placed. “That was something I never thought that a black would get on,” Dixon Lewis said. “Looking at the background of the Strawberry Festival, the farmers, you know — my thing was, ‘where does it fit in to the black community…’ it gave me a feeling that I can’t even describe, it really did.” Phyllis Head, a friend of Dixon Lewis’s from school, was crowned Strawberry Festival Queen shortly afterward and the court was completed. Dixon Lewis didn’t process what had happened until the next morning, when her mother told her she deserved to be driven to school that day, and then it all clicked. A dream was achieved. A door was opened. It’s no wonder Dixon Lewis didn’t think it would, though. That year, 1973, wasn’t the best of times for race relations in Plant City. The schools were already integrated by then and Plant City High School had moved into its current location at 1 Raider Place, but Dixon Lewis said there was still some “chaos” in town. One example, from a June 1973 report by Martin E. Sloane, Ed., details an incident from that February in which 150

Florida Strawberry Festival

Essie Dixon Lewis poses with the rest of the 1973 court.

black students staged a walk-out after a picture was removed from the school’s “Black History Week” display, which led to police action resulting in 12 arrests and four alleged injuries to students, which led to 350 of the 395 black students boycotting the school by not attending for roughly one week. “That’s when all the fights broke out and I was one of those hiding under tables,” Dixon Lewis said. Dixon Lewis said her experience wasn’t quite as bad as others’. She already had friends of other races made by being a social butterfly in the cafeteria, but she also said she noticed she was respected by more people around town after becoming First Maid. Dixon Lewis very much enjoyed her time on the court. She loved traveling from city to city to appear in parades, performing civic duties around Plant City and, most of all, being able to say she could represent

the black community on a stage it had never been able to get to before 1973. “Being the first black on the court, it was just awesome,” Dixon Lewis said. After her time on the court was up, Dixon Lewis wasn’t done with the pageant scene. She continued to compete in them through her entire time in college at Florida A&M University and, though at one point she had dreams of going out for Miss America, decided FAMU was the right place to retire from that scene. But like many who have worn the crowns or served on the courts, Dixon Lewis never got tired of serving the Plant City community and continues to be involved in area civic organizations to this day. Other black girls have managed to place and make it onto the court since Dixon Lewis’s time — Jada Brown being the latest to do so — but none have won First Maid. Dixon Lewis hopes to see more black girls go out for the pageant because the turnout

these days isn’t what it used to be. Eight black girls competed in 1973 and only two, Brown and Jade’a Broome, did so in 2019. Only one, Zharia Griffin, gave it a shot in 2018. No matter what their reservations are, whether it has to do with their own self-confidence or preconceived notions about who’s supposed to succeed at the pageant, Dixon Lewis wants to help convince them otherwise. She believes they shouldn’t be hesitant or scared go out there and give it their best shot, even if they don’t think they have one. After all, if anyone would know it’s possible to beat the expectations, it’s the first black woman who did it. “I will not give up on trying to get the black girls to run,” Dixon Lewis said. “I can see the changes with the Strawberry Festival… I love the fact that Hispanic girls are running. Let’s mix this court up. It’s beautiful. (Samantha Sun) won and I thought that was awesome, That was great.”

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

BAN FOR TEXTING AND DRIVING ON LEGISLATIVE FLOOR Tampa Republican Representative Jackie Toledo has submitted a bill to the senate floor in an attempt to prohibit texting and driving. The Florida Police Chiefs Association have officially endorsed Toledo’s bill.

PlantCityObserver.com

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.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Florida Police Chiefs Association officially endorsed Representative Jackie Toledo’s bill that would allow law enforcement to pull over Florida drivers for texting and talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device. The Tampa Republican’s bill, HB 107, would make cell phone usage while driving a primary offense if the driver uses their hands to utilize the device in front of law enforcement. “The Florida Police Chiefs Association supports any legislation that discourages distracted driving, including texting while driving,” the FPCA said in a statement distributed to state lawmakers. Under the current law drivers can only be cited for texting while driving if they are stopped for another reason like speeding, running a red light or driving with a stoplight out. Law enforcement have also run into the issue that a driver can state they weren’t texting and without a warrant they cannot take their phone to see if they were telling the truth or not.

This isn’t the first time Toledo has introduced a similar bill. In the 2018 legislative session her proposed bill would have banned texting and driving. It passed the State House 112-2, but the Florida Senate did not approve the bill. Opponents of the bill frequently state examples of drivers using their cell phones as GPS devices as a reason to forgo making it a primary offense. She’s hopeful the second round will be a success as a similar bill is back on the floor for the 2019 session. State Senator Wilton Simpson followed Toledo’s footsteps and also introduced a bill to make texting and driving a primary offense. However, Simpson’s bill, HB 45, has been withdrawn. “The FPCA and its members around the state feel strongly that the oftendeadly effects of the distracted epidemic will only continue to grow and more lives will be lost unless our legislators implement laws to discourage this type of driving behavior,” the FPCA added in the news release.

KEY WEST, FLORIDA: David and Stephanie Hrenchir enjoyed their holiday trip to Key West and broke out a copy of the Observer to read on a break from a motorcycle ride. David and Stephanie Hrenchir brought the Observer to Florida’s southernmost point.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

PCPD investigates fatal crash on James Redman BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Plant City Police are using their detective work to set the stage for future cases. On Dec. 26, a driver of a red Chevrolet Colorado was traveling northbound on James L. Redman Parkway. Suddenly it veered west through a grass median that separated traffic and plowed into incoming southbound traffic. It struck a gray 1995 Ford Contour, then it deflected into a black 2016 Ford Focus. During the crash the Chevy rolled onto its right side where it finally came to a rest. The Contour also came to a stop in the roadway, but the Focus came to rest in a drainage ditch. The complex collision resulted in the death of Maria DeJesusRodriguez, 57, who was a passenger in the Contour. The driver of the Contour, Manuel Flores of Mulberry, had injuries as a result of the crash. Bradley C. McTaggart, 38 of Seffner, was driving the Chevy and was later arrested and charged with one count of vehicular homicide for the death of DeJesusRodriguez and one count of reckless driving with serious bodily injury for the injuries sustained by Flores. When the traffic homicide team from PCPD arrived at the crash late in the evening of Dec. 26 they knew immediately something was different about the scene. The position of the cars, the debris and the skid marks didn’t add up for the story that was being told. PCPD spokesman Sgt. Al Van Duyne said the officers were told by eye-witnesses the path the vehicle took into incoming traffic. Officer Christian Lopez, a traffic homicide investigator, and his team comprised of Lopez, Officer Adam Heist, Officer Kyle Russell

and Officer Jason Fowler began to pour into the i n ve s t i ga t i o n . Lopez was at the scene for six to eight hours, not leaving until a p p rox i m a te ly 2:30 a.m. “A lot of this stuff is time sensitive,” Lopez said. “The physical evidence will be destroyed or deteriorated the longer you wait to document the scene. People remember details best the closest to the time of the accident you can get them to talk. Then it doesn’t matter if days or weeks later they don’t remember a detail, you’ve got it on the record.” Rubber evaporates, denim or other clothing items imbedded in the asphalt can be picked up with a strong enough wind or soft rain or even other cars. The officers on this team have undergone intense training to be able to handle fatal crashes. There is a six week minimum training and then they go through another 240 hours of additional training split among three classes: basic traffic homicide, advanced crashes and reconstruction. There are a variety of other courses officers can take the time to go through, which means they could have “well over” 500 hours by the time they’re hitting the scene. Van Duyne said it’s important the public knows they have highly trained professionals at the scene. Using a new total station, which Chief Duncan used PCPD’s annual budget to purchase for $20,000

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Left: Breanne Williams; Above: Courtesy

Left: Diagrams are used to sketch out debris and to recreate the events during an accident. Above: McTaggert’s mugshot.

in October, the team was able to record every single piece of debris at the scene. Essentially the officers walks around the crime scene and the machine follows their movement. Each piece of debris is logged and soon a full diagram of the incident is made. A program in the computer can use the math needed to seal up any error that could potentially stop the case before it begins. PCPD only had the machine for two weeks before it was first put into use on the accident on Sammonds Road. The older total machine it replaced was not automatic and required multiple officers to operate effectively. The old machine will be used for training and as a backup in case the need arises for both at the same time. The new machine has been utilized multiple times since then and despite the hefty chunk of change it took to get it, officers say they are ecstatic to have it. “That machine is worth its weight in gold,” Van Duyne said. “It has allowed us to drastically lessen the amount of time we have to have the roads closed and has increased the accuracy of our reporting at the scene.

We can get every single scrap of debris logged in a fraction of the time and get that roadway cleared.” Lopez and his team created a file hundreds of pages thick of interviews, evidence at the scene, the background of the driver and other pieces of the story they discovered as the investigation continued. “For whatever reason this stuff clicks with me,” Lopez said. “With the McTaggart case I was literally on my desk with three foam cars figuring out how this went together. Before I took those classes and having this experience, I didn’t get the full picture… I’m a visual learner so sometimes I have to actually sit down and try to fit the puzzle pieces together to figure out what I’m looking at. It’s a matter of looking at the damage and letting it talk to you.” Lopez knows first hand the pain that comes with a case not being investigated to its fullest ability. His brother was in a motorcycle accident and was paralyzed as a result. Lopez said the investigators were more interested in writing citations than figuring out exactly what happened. He vowed then and there that would never be him, that every scene he goes to

would get the greatest investigating he can provide. It’s been weeks since the night of the accident, but Lopez and his team still spend countless hours every week digging further and further into the story. They presented the full picture to a review board and it was officially picked up as a case. Once the warrant for McTaggart’s arrest was out, PCPD was there to send him to jail. Lopez said he was hiding and had no idea they were coming. McTaggart, a self-employed mechanic, has had his bond hearing and will soon have pretrial hearings. The first hearing is set Feb. 15 at 9 a.m. in Tampa. Its a three to six month process if McTaggart doesn’t accept a plea. “When we’re investigating a case we want to put people in jail, not because we’re mean cops, but because they have seriously hurt someone else,” Lopez said. “This is for the family. This woman is gone, her family is alive and we want to get closure for them. We also want people in Plant City to know their officers are committed to go above and beyond to keep them safe. It would have been very easy to just tackle this like a normal accident scene, but our guts told us there was more and we followed that.”

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

BICYCLE RODEO TEACHES SAFETY TIPS The Plant City Family YMCA hosted its bike rodeo last week. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Plant City youth are ready to safely ride their bikes in style thanks to the the Ride the Right Way 2019 Plant City Family YMCA Bike Rodeo last weekend. The event was held for any child in the community ages 5 to 12 years old. Once they arrived with their bikes in tow the kids got to participate in a hands on bike clinic. They moved from station to station to learn about bike maintenance, rules of the road and proper helmet fit. Officers from Plant City Police Department were onsite to discuss safety and teach the children how to properly signal they were planning on turning or slowing down. Plant City Fire Rescue was also at the event, sharing stories with the youth about their job and letting them climb up into the truck for a fun photo-op. Once the youth had their helmets properly fitted they pedaled over to a bicycle obstacle course, where they tested their signaling and weaving skills and learned how to navigate through the toughest terrain. Based on the rules of the road, the children were able to complete it knowing how to handle their

bikes should they ever take them for a spin on the asphalt. St. Joseph Children’s Hospital’s Wellness and Safety Center partnered with the YMCA for the event. Using a Safe Routes to School grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, they were able to secure more than 130 helmets and teach safety to the community. Now thanks to the event, the participating children know how to run through a quick A.B.C. checklist to make sure they’re ready to ride and how to properly fit their helmets for optimum protection. The representatives from St. Joseph’s are certified for fitting the helmets and teach clinics involving bicycle safety throughout the area. This is the second bicycle rodeo for the Plant City Family YMCA, but the first with the partnership from St. Joseph’s. Four lucky riders even went home with their own bicycle. The new rides were donated by Pepper Berry Farms Inc. via Darryl Williams and Gwen Ford, Bart Borders of Borders Insurance Inc., Sue Mitchell, who is a dedicated friend of the YMCA, and an anonymous supporter provided the last bike.

Breanne Williams

Above: Children rode their bikes through obstacle courses after stopping at a bike maintance booth. Right: Siblings encouraged each other on as they rode through the obstacle course in the parking lot of the Plant City FamilyYMCA. Below: Experts from St. Joseph Children’s Hopsital’s Wellness and Safety Center brought more than 130 helmets to give away to the young riders. They also taught them how to properly fit them before they hit the pavement. Local youth also volunteered with the event to help teach kids how to ride.

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL GUIDE COMING FEBRUARY 28 ™

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

SHIOBHAN OLIVERO

How changes in federal tax laws might impact your divorce

adjusted gross income. This deduction was available whether taxpayers itemized deductions on their tax returns or not. Additionally, the ex-spouse receiving the alimony had to claim the payments as income on their tax returns. HOW ALIMONY PAYMENTS NOW IMPACT YOUR TAXES

hanges to federal tax laws may affect you if you are in the midst of a divorce or contemplating divorce in 2019 and alimony is an issue in your situation.

Effective January 1, 2019, major changes to the tax treatment of alimony have upended more than 70 years of established federal tax rules.Â

HISTORICAL TAX TREATMENT OF ALIMONY

Previously, alimony was a highly lucrative above-the-line federal tax deduction, which meant that it reduced taxable income prior to calculating

As of January 1, 2019, however, alimony payments are no longer a deduction for the payor. This can lead to ex-spouses who are paying alimony being liable for thousands of dollars more in taxes than they would have been had they divorced prior to December 31, 2018. Furthermore, the ex-spouse receiving alimony payments no longer must report the payments as income. These changes are part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in December 2017. This change, however, does not impact child support payments, which are neither tax-deductible for the payor nor count as income for the recipient. Likewise, the change does not affect individuals who already are paying or receiving alimony pursuant to a court order dated prior to December 31, 2018.

PROJECTED OUTCOME OF TAX CHANGES ON DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS

According to some professionals, the concern with these changes in tax law is that alimony payments in general will shrink, which will disproportionately affect women. On the whole, women tend to be financially worse off than men following a divorce and they make up the bulk of alimony recipients. Since alimony payors no longer will be able to benefit from a large tax deduction for paying alimony, the concern is that they will be more reluctant to pay alimony at the levels that they would have in the past, or even to pay it at all. Although women may benefit from receiving tax-free alimony income, it is likely that they nonetheless will receive a decreased amount of alimony overall.

Shiobhan Olivero was born and raised in Plant City. Her law office can be reached at (813) 534-0393 or by email at SOlivero@ oliverolaw.com.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

Plant City Police investigated

COPS CORNER

and swiped baby formula.

JAN. 25

SLIM PICKINGS 4100 block of Longfellow Dr. Trespass conveyance: This complainant told police that early on the morning of Jan. 25 an unknown suspect entered his vehicle, rummaged through it and then left without taking anything. SHOOTIN’ AT THE CAR WASH 1400 block of S. Alexander St. Criminal mischief: When the employees of this carwash arrived at work early on the morning of Jan. 25 they found the large plate glass window of the business, which was valued at $1,000, had been shot out from the front of the car wash.

JAN. 27

PAGING GPS 3400 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Recovered stolen vehicle: Officers came out to the location after a GPS indicated a stolen vehicle had been left there from Hillsborough County. The Mustang was recovered, but they found vehicle damage on the car. They turned the vehicle over to the owner who arrived on-scene after being notified of the recovery. BABY FORMULA 200 block of W. Alexander St. Retail theft: An employee at this establishment told officers multiple cans of baby formula and other miscellaneous items, which totaled approximately $100, were stolen.

JAN. 29

BOAT BIDS ADIEU Processor St./Hunter St. Abandoned vehicle: Officers came out to the intersection of Processor St. and Hunter St. and found a boat and trailer within inches of the roadway. The boat was blocking the view of drivers exciting Hunter St. At-

tempts were made by police to locate and contact the owner of the boat and trailer, but they were unsuccessful. The boat was impounded by Brewingtons and registered as abandoned. IN PLAIN SIGHT Trapnell Road at Turkey Creek Road Drug arrest: A man was driving through town with a front headlight that didn’t work. Officers stopped him and when they walked up to the window they saw drug paraphernalia in plain view. The driver was arrested for drug possession and paraphernalia.

JAN. 30

ISN’T IT IRONIC 500 block of S. Maryland Ave Robbery by sudden snatching: This victim had just purchased $98 worth of scratch off tickets, hoping to be the next big winner. As he walked out the door the large pile of tickets were snatched from his grasp and the suspect fled the scene.

JAN. 31

REPAIR OR RECOVERY? 2300 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Stolen/Recovered vehicle: This victim told officers he left his vehicle at a transmission shop to be repaired. As he was waiting to get the call it had been fixed he was notified the vehicle had been impounded in Tampa to a towing company. There was no information about how or why the car was there. STRESSFUL COMMUTE 800 block of W. Spencer St. Felon in possession/L&P: Officers came to the area after receiving word a man was pointing a handgun at passing motorists. The man in question was arrested for multiple offenses and transported to Orient Road Jail.

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CUTEST CRITTER

This week on Cops Corner,

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Sir Percival Pipsqueak, the Third Count of Catnip, aka Percy the Persian, is a nine-yearold Persian cat that loves to help his dad work on the laptop. He’s especially fond of using the mouse. After particularly tiring sessions Percy will occasionally take a brief cat-nap before resuming his duties.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

PlantCityObserver.com

FEBRUARY 7, 2019

SPORTS Quick Hits

Tri-Star hoops results Forty-three boys and eight girls competed in the 2019 Tri-Star Basketball Skills Contest on Feb. 2. The 46th annual event was once again held at Tomlin Middle School’s gymnasium and 26 awards were given out after the kids, who ranged from age 8 to 13, were finished putting their shooting, passing and dribbling skills to the test. WINNERS Age 8 Girls 1. Rylan Rollyson (98 points) 2. Harper Mueller (81 points) 3. Eliana Vicente (46 points) Age 8 Boys 1. Zijohn Stallworth (113 points) 2. Anthony Gonzalez (58 points) 3. Tyler Arias (48 points) Age 9 Girls 1. Ayana Francis (76 points) Age 9 Boys 1. Brayden Thompson (147 points) 2. Daron Cofield (125 points) 3. Luke Cipriano (117 points) Age 10 Girls 1. Makelsey Harkins (76 points) Age 10 Boys 1. Brody Holloway (140 points) 2. Jacob Carbaugh (118 points) 3. Brendan Smith (117 points) Age 11 Girls 1. Emily Blair (118 points) Age 11 Boys 1. Will Cline (143 points) 2. Kyle Lewis (120 points) 3. Lane Baxter (112 points) Age 12 Girls 1. Thalia Gonzalez (14 points) Age 12 Boys 1. Conner Smith (142 points) 2. Dailyn Wood (125 points) 3. Logan Teeden (120 points) Age 13 Girls 1. Faith Torres (76 points) Age 13 Boys 1. Taylor Teeden (152 points) 2. Angel Andino (123 points) 3. Ray Cowen (88 points)

FHSAA announces new volleyball assignments The FHSAA released Feb. 1 the likely new classifications for the next two girls volleyball seasons, coming in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. There have been some changes affecting Plant City-area schools. Durant finds itself in Class 7A — Region 2 — District 6 with Haines City, Ridge Community, Newsome, Osceola (Kissimmee) and Celebration. Plant City and Strawberry Crest will now compete in Class 6A — Region 3 — District 11 with Kathleen, Lakeland, Bartow, George Jenkins and Armwood.

Taylor Teeden’s 152 points led all Tri-Star competitors. See Page 19

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY 2019 AROUND PLANT CITY Athletes from Plant City and Strawberry Crest signed NLIs Wednesday. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

s always, National Signing Day 2019 was an eventful one for Plant City and Strawberry Crest high schools. Eleven total athletes — seven from Crest, four from Plant City — put their pens to paper Wednesday in morning and afternoon ceremonies on the schools’ grounds. Plant City High School went first at 9 a.m. in the auditorium. Classmates, coaches, teachers and parents watched as Reagan Tears, Reagan Brown, Ashton Mincey and Amber Trejo made their college commitments final and heard kind parting words from their coaches. Tears and Brown are the first PCHS cheerleaders to sign athletic scholarship offers, with both headed to Warner University in the fall. Mincey is headed to Southeastern University on a football scholarship and Trejo is bound for Georgia Gwinnett College, where she will play soccer. Strawberry Crest held its signing ceremony in the cafeteria at 2:30 p.m. with a similarly packed house. The baseball and softball teams each had three players sign letters and wrestler Connor DePianta finalized his choice to wrestle at the Citadel, making him the first Crest wrestler to get a Division 1 scholarship. From the baseball team, Kade Manderscheid (Polk State College), Alex Marshall (South Florida State College) and Ryan Dell (Univer-

sity of West Alabama) signed NLIs. The softball team had Taylor Jones (Pasco-Hernando State College), Kacey Fultz (Southeastern University) and Brianna Moffitt (Polk State College) sign their letters. Durant does not have National Signing Day events, as the school prefers to let athletes have their own individual signing parties throughout the school year. Four Cougars have signed NLIs in 2019: Demarcus Governor (Central Michigan University football), Andrea Rebello (Southeastern University softball), Samantha Hampton (State College of Florida softball) and Maggie Pate (Furman University tennis). Southeastern University leads the pack with three signed athletes from the area. Polk State College and Warner University each had two athletes sign.

sity — Cheerleading James “D.J.” Gordon IV — University of Minnesota — Football Tyreke Harrison — Georgia State University — Football Ashton Mincey — Southeastern University — Football Amber Trejo — Georgia Gwinnett College — Soccer STRAWBERRY CREST

Ryan Dell — University of West Alabama — Baseball Taylor Jones — Pasco-Hernando State College — Softball Kacey Fultz — Southeastern University — Softball Brianna Moffitt — Polk State College — Softball Connor DePianta — The Citadel — Wrestling

Kade Manderscheid — Polk State College — Baseball Alex Marshall — South Florida State College — Baseball

2019 SIGNINGS AS OF FEB. 6: DURANT

Demarcus Governor – Central Michigan University – Football Andrea Rebello – Southeastern University – Softball Samantha Hampton – State College of Florida – Softball Maggie Pate – Furman University – Tennis PLANT CITY

Reagan Tears — Warner University — Cheerleading Reagan Brown — Warner Univer-

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

JUSTIN KLINE

Signed an NLI? Keep your head Sending your letter of intent may create an agreement, but it doesn’t give you freedom from responsibility.

’m happy for everyone who put pen to paper yesterday, everyone who’d already done it earlier in the school year and everyone who plans to do so in the next few months. I know I wrote a takedown of the national letter of intent last month but I’m holding out hope that none of you will ever have to worry about coaches bailing and programs restructuring and you losing your way. And since National Signing Day was yesterday, I think now’s as good a time as any for

some advice to our future collegiate athletes. This time, it’s simple: keep your head. Now that you’ve signed your letter — heck, let’s also include those of you who are seeing offers come in — I hope you don’t think you’ve just signed up for a free pass to cruise for the rest of the school year. If you do, I’ll tell you right now that you’ve got too much dip on your chip. Stop that.

SEE KLINE, PAGE 19

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

PCHS dominates Newsome in district finale A 6-1 win put the Raiders back in regionals on Jan. 31.

UPCOMING GAMES BOYS BASKETBALL

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Jan. 31

Plant City 6, Newsome 1

Plant City 74, Chamberlain 47

Feb. 6

Feb. 1

Chamberlain 50, Plant City 41 Armwood 76, Strawberry Crest 46

Spoto 76, Durant 73

Feb. 1

Feb. 5

Spoto 49, Durant 46

Durant 73, Brandon 66. Strawberry Crest 63, Armwood 56

Feb. 4

Feb. 7 Durant at Leto, 7 p.m. Hillsborough at Plant City, 7 p.m. Strawberry Crest at Blake, 7 p.m.

Timber Creek at Plant City (Result not available at press time)

SPORTS

GIRLS SOCCER Jan. 24

Durant 41, Bloomingdale 34 Strawberry Crest 46, Plant City 16

Plant City 1, Strawberry Crest 0 Jan. 28 Riverview 2, Durant 0 Newsome 3, Plant City 0

Feb. 5 Strawberry Crest 66, Durant 47

Feb. 9

Feb. 7

Plant City vs. Kathleen, 11:30 a.m. (Mosaic Stinger Shootout at Bartow HS)

Strawberry Crest vs. Tampa Bay Tech, 7 p.m.

UPCOMING DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS BOYS BASKETBALL at Plant City, Feb. 12-15

BOYS SOCCER Feb. 12

Luis Leos fires a shot at Newsome’s goal. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Plant City Raiders didn’t look like a team that learned a new formation just one day before a championship game. They looked equal parts comfortable and aggressive in their 6-1 win over Newsome at home on Jan. 31. “We reworked the whole formation from (Jan. 30) because it wasn’t producing on (Jan. 29, against Strawberry Crest). So we reworked the whole formation, entered some new guys back into the lineup that haven’t been playing that much and it worked out for the best for us in one day,” head coach Caleb Roberts said. It was an especially good night for Paulino Ramirez and Epifanio Castro, who each finished with two goals scored. Plant City scored three goals in each half. Luis Leos opened up the scoring about midway through the half, then Ramirez and Castro scored a pair of quick goals with less than six minutes to go in the half. Rex Lott sent a header past Newsome’s goalkeeper on a corner kick to open up the second period’s scoring. Ramirez and Castro once again scored back-to-back goals to give the Raiders a 6-0 lead. The Raiders also had four shots hit the goalpost. “What’s working is we’re getting players higher up the field,” Roberts said. “It doesn’t matter who it is, it’s just getting players up the field to create dynamic opportunities for the goal scoring options that we’re creating. It doesn’t matter who it is — the pieces are in place.”

Durant vs. Lennard, 4 p.m.

It was a major turnaround from the Jan. 29 semifinal game against Strawberry Crest, a 3-1 win for Plant City that was much closer than the final score suggests. “They felt a lot of pressure heading into Tuesday because they just wanted to make it back into regionals,” Roberts said. “Getting past Tuesday, that felt like a weight lifted off of them. They didn’t want to be the defending state champions and not make it back to regionals. Once they got to Tuesday, got the win, you saw the weight gone tonight. They played free and loose and they were having fun tonight.” Though Newsome was able to put a goal on the scoreboard around 60 minutes into the game, the Wolves couldn’t find a way to solve Plant City’s puzzle. Plant City found itself back at regionals again, but with a new twist: this time, the Raiders gained hosting privileges. “We know what’s coming. It’s a very hightempo, fast-paced game — which we enjoy playing,” Roberts said. “Fortunately, this year, we get to do it on our field. We’re gonna push the pace here on our field… we’re gonna dial it in even more in the next four or five days here and I think by Wednesday, we’ll be firing on all cylinders.” They kicked things off with a Wednesday night game against Timber Creek, for which results weren’t available at press time. The winner of the game advanced to face the winner of the Newsome-Winter Park game at 7 p.m. Feb. 9. Plant City faced Winter Park in the first round of the 2018-19 regional tournament and cruised to a 3-1 win, then faced Newsome in the semifinal round and scored a 2-1 win. Timber Creek lost to Winter Park, 2-1, in this season’s 5A-District 5 finale.

Plant City’s aggressive style was too mcuh for Newsome to handle.

Jan. 29 Plant City 3, Strawberry Crest 1

FHSAA ADOPTS NEW RPI SYSTEM FOR FOOTBALL The Ratings Percentage Index will now determine how football teams make the playoffs in 2019-20 and beyond.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Two years ago, the FHSAA introduced its playoff points system as a way to give football teams a fairer shake in playoff eligibility. The system was tweaked last year but, apparently, it still wasn’t good enough. The points system is now out and, beginning in the upcoming 2019-20 school year, the Ratings Percentage Index is now in. Ranking every FHSAA team in the state just got more complicated, but the FHSAA hopes implementing a deeper system will lead to more accurate rankings and eliminate “scheduling havoc.” The organization said the RPI offers a metric with more transparency than the previous system, which just focused on the winning percentages for a team and those of all its opponents. The move comes after a season in which the points system, which was considered an upgrade over the previous district champion/runner-up guarantees, was widely criticized after Andrew Jackson (4-5) lost a playoff spot to a winless Gadsden County (0-9) team by coin flip — Gadsden’s opponents were considered good enough that the team’s losses netted it the same amount of points as a Jackson team that actually won games. Switching to a points system was supposed to eliminate situations like that, which could previously happen if a district runner-up was nearly winless, but it wasn’t entirely effective. Now, three factors determine one’s ranking: winning percentage, opponents’ winning percentage and opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage. The formula is RPI = (0.35 × WP) + (0.35 × OWP) + (0.30 × OOWP) and only regular-season games against

varsity opponents (even if they’re from another state) count. Any ties count as half a win. Opponents’ winning percentage is calculated on an individual, team-byteam basis ignoring the team whose RPI is being evaluated. So, when calculating Durant’s RPI and looking at its opponents’ schedules, one wouldn’t count games played against the Cougars in the process. Opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage is calculated in the same way. This potentially creates more work for those who determine the rankings, which the FHSAA said will be posted to its site at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays. Unlike the playoff system, the RPI does not offer bonus points for scheduling past playoff teams. That’s the situation the FHSAA described as creating “scheduling havoc,” as it favored teams who scheduled anyone with a playoff appearance in the previous two seasons. Because the RPI leans more heavily on win percentages than points, game cancellations that can’t be rescheduled won’t hurt anybody’s odds. That could be helpful during hurricane season, which always creates uncertainty and was even more stressful with the playoff points system’s insistence on reaching a certain number of games played to achieve postseason eligibility. The RPI does continue the points system’s trend of ignoring win quality in favor of straight-up wins and losses, meaning Plant City gets the same treatment for a 41-14 win as Strawberry Crest would for a 10-7 win. Tiebreakers will be determined by six factors: head-to-head results, win percentages, opponents’ win percentages, opponents’ opponents’ win percentages, highest-rated win (per final RPI standings) and, if all else fails, the next-highest rated win.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

The Feb. 2 Tri-Star Basketball Skills Competition at Tomlin Middle School featured many great performances by the area’s young hoopers, but nobody on the Tigers’ home court scored more points than Taylor Teeden. Teeden, who plays guard for Tomlin’s basketball team, finished with 152 in the shooting, dribbling and passing competition to lead all competitors on the day. You came out here and did a great job. How were you feeling today? I felt great. I came out here expecting to do my best. I just wanted to come out here and have fun. I didn’t expect to get first place and score the most points. It feels good. How long have you been competing in the Tri-Star events? Ever since I started playing, like five years now. You’ve also played baseball with your brother, but are sticking to basketball now. What made you want to pick basketball over everything else out there? I just like the fast-paced game and I’m pretty good at it. It’s doing what’s fun for me and I enjoy it. Your dad (Billy Teeden, Plant City High School varsity boys basketball head coach) knows a thing or two about the game. What’s some of the best advice he’s given you?

JUSTIN KLINE

Signed an NLI? Keep your head

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

FROM PAGE 17

Who are some pros you try to play like on the court? James Harden is my favorite NBA player and I watch a lot of LeBron, too. I love scoring and I love trying to be smart and draw fouls, too. If you could meet any famous coach or player, who would it be and what would you want them to teach you? Probably Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski, Duke). I’d ask for basketball advice. What’s something about the game you’ve learned that someone younger than you, maybe someone at these Tri-Star competitions, might want to know? Always keep your head up and have a good attitude. What’s your favorite subject in school? Math. How do you get ready for a game? I drink an energy drink to get ready and get pumped up. What’s the coolest thing you’ve done on a basketball court? I made five threes in one game for the win.

Keep your head up and don’t listen to anybody in the stands, except for your coaches. What’s your favorite position to play? I love playing guard. I love having control of the ball. You’ll be in high school next year and I’m guessing you’ll end up playing for your dad at some point. Are you excited to move up? Yeah I’m excited. He’s coached me when I was younger, too. What sport have you never tried, but would if you could? Probably golf.

Signing your letter doesn’t guarantee you as much as you might think. You still have to show your coaches that they got what they were looking for and not an unpleasant surprise. Letting your grades slip is only going to tell coaches that you get lazy when you think no one’s looking. Letting your ego run wild in high school because you’ve got college programs competing for your signature won’t do you any favors in college, where you’re going to be nothing but a warm body with a roster spot unless and until you prove yourself to your coaches and peers. Thinking you’ll come out OK if you get into trouble because you’re a star athlete won’t do you any favors — we live in a small town, but not Varsity Blues small where you could steal a cop car and not spend the rest of the year in jail because you’re a good wide receiver. In a way, you’ve got more of a microscope on you than ever before. You may not have to worry about the hustle and bustle of the recruiting process anymore but it’s like they say about sports in general: defending what you’ve earned is harder than getting it was. Coaches will swear up and down that they care about you as a person but mark my words, if you give them any reason to believe you’re going to be a liability, they’ll start planning to get you out of the paint faster than you think they will. In this business (it’s definitely a business, no matter what the NCAA wants to call it) there’s always someone who can be brought in to compete with you, take your spot and maybe even convince you (indirectly, of course) to straight up quit the team. You have much more to lose than the coaches do, much more than the program does, because you’re replaceable. If you get the feeling you’re

not replaceable because you got a lot of hype and attention in high school, you’re wrong. The bigger the program, the easier you are to replace. The smaller programs might be more tolerant at first but, if you’re not a living, breathing deity of your college sport, you’re gone eventually. And unless you’re a carbon copy of Randy Moss, Mike Trout, Serena Williams, Wayne Gretzky, Mia Hamm or any other world-class superstar athlete, you’d have something to worry about. If you’re serious about playing college sports, don’t call my bluff. Just know that you haven’t made it yet. This is a big milestone, sure, but it’s a stepping stone. If you can play college sports and say later in life that you went out on your own terms, whether that’s because you turned pro or decided college was as far as you wanted to go, you’ll be a success story. Control your own future to the best of your ability. How you can do that? It’s simple: keep your head.

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

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WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7 2019

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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK