4.9.20 PLCO by Plant City Observer

Plant City Observer

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THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

TO COMBAT SPREAD OF COVID-19

The Hillsborough County Emergency Policy Group is ramping up its efforts to keep communities aware of new developments with the virus and how residents can best practice social distancing procedures in light of recent developments and an increase in positive tests.

SEE PAGE 5

‘WE’RE STILL HERE FOR YOU’

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Residents of Grace Manor at Hunters Creek got a nice surprise on April 3, when they looked out their windows and saw a parade just for them. A line of more than 30 cars containing residents’ family members, many of them holding up signs for their loved ones, wrapped around the senior living facility that afternoon in a big display of love and support from the community. “We expected maybe five or 10 cars to come,” Executive Director Sheryl Vitelli said. “It was closer to 40. All the way around, they were completely connected around the building. I was speechless and completely overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. It was absolutely incredible.” The parade, Vitelli said, was kept a secret from the Grace Manor residents from the start. After seeing a video of some friends in Wesley Chapel hosting a neighborhood parade for area kids, Vitelli forwarded it to the Grace Manor marketing team and to residents’ families so they could all cook up their own parade plans together. “I thought that was a wonderful way to lift their spirits and let them know ‘we’re still here for you,’” Vitelli said.

Photos courtesy of Grace Manor at Hunters Creek

NEWS BRIEFS

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

YMCA feeding families If you’re having difficulty getting fresh food at this time, you now have another option for help. The Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA announced Tuesday its network is one of several in the Tampa Bay area partnering with community organizations to help food insecure people get what they need. In the Tampa Metropolitan network’s case, this is a partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay. All Y facilities in the Tampa Metropolitan network will get visits from the Tampa Y’s Veggie Van, a traveling mini-market that provides pre-packaged bags of produce for free with no ID, paperwork or pre-screening procedures required for people to obtain them. Dover and Plant City are set to be two regular stops on the Veggie Van’s route, which will also include Sulphur Springs, Wimauma, Lacoochee, Tampa Heights and the TGH Healthpark. Contact Lauren Reyes at Lauren.Reyes@tampaymca.org or 813-867-5440 for more information on schedules and stops.

Goodwill-Suncoast closing stores, donation trailers Goodwill-Suncoast has changed some things up as the social distancing movement continues. Its 20 retail stores and all donation trailers were officially closed to the public on April 3 and will remain closed until further notice. If you wish to buy anything from Goodwill, you’ll have to do so online at shopgoodwill.com or goodwill-suncoast.org/ shopgoodwill/. You can, however, still donate at all stores and brick-and-mortar locations. Donation carts will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Donation receipts are available on-site.

HCPS Grab and Go program expands Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Grab and Go program, which provides free breakfast and lunch meals a day for children, now has a much greater outreach. After starting in March with a handful of schools acting as collection sites, with all three Plant Cityarea high schools serving as pick-up points for locals, children can now get meals at many of the county’s elementary, middle and high schools. The list of sites in the Plant City area now includes the following schools: Bryan Elementary Burney Elementary Cork Elementary Dover Elementary Durant High School Jackson Elementary Knights Elementary Marshall Middle Magnet Pinecrest Elementary Plant City High School Springhead Elementary Strawberry Crest High School Trapnell Elementary Turkey Creek Middle Walden Lake Elementary Wilson Elementary All you have to do is drive up to any location between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and on-site workers will give your children one pack each per day. Children must be present in order to receive meals. The service is generally available five days per week but, since this Friday was supposed to be a non-student calendar day, all sites will be closed. To make up for the lost day, families who visit any of the sites today can collect two meal packs per child. The program has been scheduled to run through April 15. Visit sdhc.k12.fl.us for more information. Courtesy of Beth Rountree

Children all over Hillsborough County, including Plant City, have been able to get two free meals a day from Hillsborough County Public Schools since late March. Nearly all Plant City-area public schools offer the drive-up service and bus drivers are also distributing meals as needed.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

A CONVERSATION WITH MAYOR RICK LOTT

During this time of uncertainty, Mayor Rick Lott shared some insight on what the city and county are doing each day to combat the spread of COVID-19 and sits down to speak directly to local residents. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Mayor Rick Lott has had his fair share of sleepless nights over the past few weeks, lying awake consumed with thoughts revolving around how best to protect his city and his community from the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s worked around the clock both locally and as a member of the Hillsborough County Emergency Policy Group to get accurate information, protect local businesses and also put policies in place to keep residents safe. There’s never been anything like this in living memory and with that new territory comes an added layer of responsibility. There’s no one to learn from, no routine in place to follow. So our elected leaders must pave the way and will inevitably write the playbook for any other pandemic that could come our way. “This is something that, personally, I’ve had to dig down deep on who I am, what I believe in, what my strengths and weaknesses are and, at the end of that evaluation, the stress of trying to make sure that these decisions are affecting people’s lives in ways I never dreamt I would be affecting them when I got elected to office,” Lott said. “You know you’re going to deal with services and taxes and hurricanes, but never do you dream you will be dealing with a pandemic that would have this magnitude on society. For me, I’ve surrounded myself with those individuals who have greater knowledge in areas than I have, and to be a student of the facts and to search for the facts and to ask everyone that you possibly know that has information in different areas of our government, our business community, then take all that advice and when we go into a meeting lean on what your beliefs are and those facts are and stand behind your decisions. Then also look for balance that is good for Plant City, but is also good for the greater region because we are all interconnected.” Lott is a man of the people. It’s easier to find his cell phone number than it is to track down a manager at any of the local corporate stores. And he joked that

his phone has been ringing off the hook from residents wondering what they should do. Anything from “Can I ride my motorcycle?” to “Do I have to close my business?” has come his way and he said he doesn’t take the responsibility to act as the bridge between the quickly changing times and his constituents lightly. Lott connected with the Plant City Observer to discuss some of the topics on everyone’s minds and gave us a peek behind the curtain at what our elected officials are doing in this time of crisis to minimize COVID-19’s effect on the community. Some answers have been edited for length. What does your day-to-day look like now? Lott: The commission and I are working with the city to make sure we have the resources in place and the necessary services up and running so that our community can function. I’m also working hard with the Emergency Policy Group. Each day, we are taking the latest facts and data and looking at projections, and then we meet twice a week virtually to discuss the next steps… The third thing is I’m spending a lot of time answering questions from the public. Emails, phone calls, texts, our community is getting information from all different angles. Some are factual, some aren’t and I think what I’ve really noticed is people want to do the right thing. You mentioned the topic of mental health in the last EPG meeting. Can you elaborate on that concern? Lott: There has to be a balance in all of our lives and people are really struggling right now to find that. Social distancing equals isolation and I’m really hoping people are practicing social distancing skills, but aren’t so isolated that their mental health suffers… I know we have seen a major spike in Baker Acts. That concerns me greatly. I don’t want anyone in our community to suffer because they are practicing safe isolation. So I’ve asked the EPG for more information regarding that data.

As we’ve mentioned, this is a situation no one on the EPG has ever been through before. How do you even begin to tackle this in meetings? Lott: I have a policy I follow at these meetings. I want to hear everyone’s views and I want to hear everyone’s thoughts. That’s a lot harder when we aren’t meeting in person because you can’t see their facial expressions, you can’t watch as they get animated and see what they’re passionate about. You have to leave everything up to tone. I think all of us have important roles and viewpoints for the EPG and, for me, I am trying to look for the unintended consequences. Every time we make a decision, there’s unintended consequences. I believe all eight people on the EPG are trying to make the best decision for the community. We have to just look ahead and strategize to make sure that from the first domino until the last domino falls that we are covering any gaps and making sure this goes successfully. In my opinion, the EPG is a great example of how democracy works. Representatives of different agencies, of different cities, who all have different problems and goals at the end of the day are coming together to do what’s best for everyone as a whole. I want to just kind of share something with you that I’ve really been focusing on. I think there’s a balance we are all fighting to maintain. We have to balance our family, our faith, our government, our schools, our medical community and our businesses. Every decision we make affects all of those areas and we know that. We are doing our best to protect all of those areas as much as possible. How do you stay informed when data and policies are changing so quickly? Lott: We are very fortunate in Plant City that City Manager Bill McDaniel is such an investigative genius. He has turned me on to so many informative websites that have answered practically every question I had. I’ve also been in frequent communication with Congressman Ross Spano and State Representative Lawrence

McClure and Senator Tom Lee as well as officials from the county. We are all trying to figure out and understand what’s coming next. Let’s take a moment to discuss the now six confirmed cases from Plant City. As the mayor, what is your response to knowing that COVID-19 is absolutely here? Lott: Whether those cases are from people in the city limits or from the unincorporated area, they are still our community. Obviously we try to be an example as a city to our local businesses. If people can work from home, let them work from home. People still need services, they need their water to be on, they need police and fire and likewise there are some jobs that people have to keep doing. So we are hoping we set an example on how to do so safely. I’ve been visiting businesses in the community and I’m really proud of what I’m seeing. They are taking this seriously and in many cases they are stepping up to the plate to help those in need. We are also working very closely with our county health department because those patients are under the health department’s control from the time we believe they were exposed to the virus until they recover. The fact is, the city is not medical. But what we can do is make sure we provide all the resources they need for them to be able to do their jobs and for us to be able to do our jobs for our citizens. I know last week the EPG was strongly urging churches to practice safe social distancing despite the fact Governor Ron DeSantis said they essentially don’t have to. Now that a weekend has passed, what are your thoughts there? Lott: Every pastor I’ve talked to has continued to look at different ways to meet the spiritual needs of the community. They’re podcasting, broadcasting, doing live streams, drive-up churches, drive-through churches — every pastor I’ve talked to is protecting their congregation. There is not a single church that I know of that held a service on Sunday

that had more than 10 people. And you have to look at the facts. The multiplier for this thing is every person that’s a carrier is infecting an average of five people. Right now as a community, as long as we obey the guidelines and are practicing safe distancing, we can really keep this thing from spreading. I’m thankful that from what I’m seeing, people are taking it seriously. As for the community, what is the one thing you want to say to them? Lott: I want to thank them for being a caring community and I want them to know the love and respect they are showing for one another under such stressful times is evident. On behalf of the commission I want to thank them. We want to keep everyone safe, but we can’t do that if people don’t take this seriously and make the decision to be safe as well. I totally understand the pain and agony of the stress. My father just came home from the hospital. We have had to deal with the stress of finding help to come and assist us, and we know the worries you all have for your loved ones. I understand this stress, the loss of incomes, the hurdles for our students. I have a senior graduating this year from high school and last weekend was prom night. I think our schools are doing everything they can, but we feel that loss. The medical community, you have to admire how they’re prepping for the worst to come and converting floors to isolation rooms. This is something we have never seen before. All of us are going through this together and I have been inspired by how our community has responded. Our business owners have done what was best for their employees and their customers without complaint. They’ve stepped up to help the medical industry if they can. Our nonprofit and faith-based communities have gone above and beyond to serve and help those in need. I think the best of us comes out in the worst of times. We’ve seen that here in Plant City.

COPS CORNER

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

PLANT CITY

Observer

This week on Cops Corner: Plant City Police investigated Shots Fired, a vehicle break-in, stolen rims and tires, $800 in stolen

Publisher / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com

coin rolls and more.

Managing Editor / Sarah Holt SHolt@PlantCityObserver.com Associate Editor / Sports Editor / Justin Kline JKline@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writer / Breanne Williams BWilliams@PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Graphic Designer / Juan Alvarez Circulation/ Office Manager / Linda Lancaster LLancaster@PlantCityObserver.com

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MARCH 27 AN APPLE A DAY 1500 block of East Alsobrook Street Burglary vehicle: Officers met with this victim, who told them an unknown subject entered her locked vehicle and removed an Apple iPhone 8 Plus. MAKING A POINT 1100 block of Turkey Creek Road Aggravated assault (Firearm): Officers responded to the above listed location in reference to a weapon being discharged during an argument.

IT JUST WASN’T YOUR DAY 1300 block of East Baker Street Possession of firearm by felon, possession of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, false name to L.E.O., NVDL and Felony fugitive warrant (arrest): Officers conducted a routine traffic stop on a silver Ford F-250 for a traffic infraction. A man was then charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, giving a false name to an L.E.O and NVDL. He was transported to Orient Road Jail without incident.

Universal Crossword

MARCH 30

APRIL 1

LEFT IN THE DARK 2700 block of Henderson Way Theft: Officers made contact with an employee of LC Electric Company, which was installing commercial light poles at the above listed location. It was discovered multiple LED lights were stolen.

CRIME AGAINST FASHION 100 block of Drake St. Residential burglary/grand theft: This complainant reported that between 11:30 p.m. on March 31 and 5 p.m. on April 1, an unknown suspect entered his residence by unknown means and stole eight Invicta men’s watches. The watches were valued together at $8,000.

TOOL TIME 4000 block of Coronet Road Theft: Officers made contact with the supervisor of Comanco Environmental. He told them someone went inside their closed-in trailer and took a Husqvarna back pack, two Honda generators, a Craftsman generator, three Leister and three DeWalt grinders.

YARD WORK UPGRADE MARCH 29 East Sam Allen Road/ Edited by David Steinberg April 10, 2020 North Maryland Avenue WORTH ITS WEIGHT Grand theft: Officers responded PIMP MY RIDE 2400 block of ACROSS 46West Unwelcome 34 Fantasized to the above listed location in 2000 block of Reynolds Street13 With Bleeds thechop Burglary cry at abusiness: china Unknown 49-Down, 37 Parkinson’s reference to1a theft of ain Stihl North Frontage Road insaw. The Modelwash TS420 saw was Theft: Officers made contact dividuals at shop entered the business classic treatment orange and 5 white in color. manager above listed location and took “Take a It was 48the What Aladdin sci-fi showwith the40 Stringof the business valued at $1,000. at the abovequartet listed location in approximately $800 in coin rolls. Chance on rubbed featuring a theft. He told them Me” group 49 Louise’s 57-Acrossreference tomember EASY PICKINGS MARCH 289 Elaine of friend in a 18 Feeling unknown 42subject(s) Bayer took four tires and rims offproduct of a 2020 Chevy Sil700 block of West Madison “Seinfeld” 1991 film of Street guilt which was parked on the burglary x3/resist arrest verado, 45 FOR THE LOVE OF GOD,form 14 Fencing 52Vehicle Neptune, 21 Bolivian City northlot, and then fled the w/o violence made during State LOCK UP YOUR GUNS 15 Tune for two to Greeks capital west of scene. Emergency 1500 block16 of East Young Apply, as Street 56ofPie chart (enhancement): 23 Drop the Cheyenne Atdividers approximately 12:35 a.m., Burglary vehicle: This victim pressure ___ offi(confess 47 Leaves out responded to the above listed called PCPD report the bur17to*Speedy 57cers Theoretical deep 48 “Casablanca” location in response to a report of glary of his unlocked vehicle. The drop at an spacecraft affection) actor Peter possible vehicle A man thief took the victim’s 25 (see Cal. ACP a system, air show and burglary. 24 North 49 See $ was placed three handgun from letters the unlocked OFF 4 to 8)car. a hint to under arrest for Dakota’s 13-Down On any job 1000 counts of vehicle burglary and more when you 19 Skylit courts the starred “Magic City” 50 Fabledormention race this ad. resisting arrest without violence. 20 Secretively answers’ 25 “25” singer loser

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

EPG CONTINUES TO COMBAT SPREAD OF COVID-19

The EPG is asking residents to start wearing masks out in public, looking into how isolation is affecting the mental health of the community and bracing for continued rising numbers as thousands more collection kits pour into the county. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Every week, members of the Hillsborough County Emergency Policy Group meet on Mondays and Thursdays to discuss the current status of COVID-19 in the community and to implement courses of action to help keep local residents safe. The scheduled meeting on Monday dealt with several influential topics and set the stage for further changes to come. According to the Florida Department of Health, Florida has 14,747 confirmed cases of COVID-19 from both in-state residents and non-residents who tested positive while inside Florida’s borders. There have also been 296 deaths in Florida from the virus as of press time. Monitoring the spread locally has been a major focus of the group and the latest numbers indicate Hillsborough County’s rate is now doubling every five days. As of 11:30 a.m. April 7, the county had 597 cases in ages ranging from 0 to 93 years old. Approximately 90 have been hospitalized and an update on April 8 found eight people have died from COVID-19. The growth of COVID-19 in the community has led to a surge of calls to the county’s call center, which schedules appointments to the drive-through testing facility at Raymond James Stadium. During Monday’s meeting, Emergency Management Director Tim Dudley announced the county received 7,744 additional collection kits for the site. Raymond James is averaging anywhere from 300 to 400 collections a day and slots fill up within a matter of days. On Monday alone there were 311 appointments scheduled and Friday saw a total of 367 samples collected. The alternate care sites set up by the county officially have residents, as well. As

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as they provide delivery of a product rather than have it available in a store. Plant City Mayor Rick Lott later told the Observer they went through every business one by one and were able to legally determine it did not affect the majority of businesses in town. Those who were not essential have mostly already closed and others have shifted some of their focus to providing an essential service — like making hand sanitizer or working to aid the hospitals — so they also get to remain open. If there is a business the EPG feels the governor has overlooked, they can formally submit a request to add said business to the essential business list. Lott also mentioned to the group that he wished to have a presentation on the effect of isolation on the community’s mental health sometime soon. “A concern I have is we are starting to see a spike in our community in the number of people that are being Baker Acted, and I would like to ask if someone can give us a report on our social services and our communities’ mental health as a whole

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of Monday there were six guests in isolation at one site and one guest in quarantine at the other. One of the recommendations to come from the EPG was for all local residents to begin wearing masks when they leave their homes. Some masks are still available online. The CDC has easy-to-understand designs for those who wish to make their own masks at home and there are countless social media posts and videos emerging with “how-to” videos using materials most people already have in their homes. The Florida Department of Health heavily supported the suggestion and Dr. Douglas Holt, director of the department for Hillsborough County, said he was relieved to see a large percentage of people already acting with that precaution over the past weekend. “What masks are designed to do under this situation is for those people who are asymptomatic to reduce the spread,” Holt said. “So it’s almost like having a continual sleeve on your nose if you’re coughing… There is still a little risk with your hands and picking something up and then touching your mask, so be mindful of that.” While the suggestion is not yet required, it is strongly urged and can only benefit the community at large if residents comply. Another major discussion on Monday was the push from Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis for all local government agencies to fully comply with his Safer at Home directive. In his document, only essential services, essential businesses and essential personnel are permitted to remain open. The details of what that entails is largely in line with the Federal CDC guidelines. The EPG discussed what this meant for the county and, essentially, if a business is not considered essential, it has to close its physical location to customers. They can still operate from home or remotely as long

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right now,” Lott said. “I think we all know that even though isolation and distancing is good for this virus, it does have an impact on other areas for the citizens in our community.” The EPG, which is comprised of three county commissioners, the mayors from the cities of Plant City, Tampa and Temple Terrace, the sheriff and chairman of the school board, said it has received an onslaught of messages and calls from newly unemployed residents who said they have been alerted their rents will soon go up. EPG chair Les Miller asked members of the EPG to send a letter to DeSantis to ask him to look into putting a stop to that in whatever method the government can. With the spread of COVID-19 leading to many residents being let go from their jobs, rising rent is something the entire group hopes to prevent. File photos

Above: The EPG is bracing for higher infection rates in the county. Below: Plant City continues to lock down and adhere to the Safer at Home order.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

PlantCityObserver.com

SUSPECT IN SUNOCO SHOOTING STILL AT LARGE

PCPD is asking the public for assistance locating the man who shot a clerk at a Sunoco gas station on April 6.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Plant City Police Department is still on the search for the suspect who shot a gas station clerk just after midnight on April 6. According to PCPD, the incident occurred at approximately 12:01 a.m. Officers received a 911 call that a store clerk at the Sunoco Gas Station, 2911 James L. Redman Parkway, had been shot. Two witnesses found the injured clerk behind the counter with a gunshot wound before police arrived. When the responding officers arrived at the scene, they looked the clerk over, assessed his injuries and observed the man did in fact sustain a gunshot wound to the face. They also found there was no readily apparent exit wound, according to PCPD. Shortly thereafter, Plant City Fire Rescue arrived on the scene and transported the 22-year-old man to the hospital. At the time of the incident, the injured clerk was still breathing and alert. According to PCPD, the clerk told officers prior to being transported to the hospital that he was shot during a robbery by a man. Police said the clerk had given the suspect the cash he demanded, but that the gunman shot him anyway. Surveillance footage police found on the scene showed a man wearing dark clothing. The man had his face covered when he entered the store and he had a silver revolver handgun. The clerk is listed in critical but stable condition, according to PCPD.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Plant City Police Department at 813-757-9200.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

CITY ROLLS OUT NEW PROGRAM TO HOST

VIRTUAL COMMISSION MEETINGS COVID-19 may cause the community to safely isolate at home, however, business will continue at City Hall thanks to a new program to allow commission meetings to be held online. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Despite COVID-19 driving everyone indoors, the City of Plant City has found a way to host a virtual commission meeting that will feature several presentations, public comment and, of course, the results of the group’s vote. Hosting meetings in person simply cannot happen if the city wants to guarantee only 10 or fewer people will attend and abide by social distancing guidelines. It was faced with the choice of either finding an alternative method or forgoing meetings until this pandemic ends. It seemed reckless to wait with the future so uncertain, so City Manager Bill McDaniel tasked his staff with finding a method of holding virtual meetings instead. “We’re using a technology called GoToWebinar to broadcast meetings,” McDaniel said. “A phone number and PIN will be provided for anyone who wants to be an audience member. We will also

provide links to watch the meeting on your computer. You can also install an app on your tablet to join. If you use a computer or tablet, you will have access to some visual aids because we have two presentations Monday and you’ll be able to see them on your screen. If you call in, you’ll hear the audio.” When city staff first began looking into finding a service to fit their needs, they hit a hurdle: how do we include public comment? Staff ended up building the operation from the ground up. The city has never had to do a virtual commission meeting before, so after going through a list of the “usual suspects,” it decided GoToWebinar would be best for its needs. It then developed a page on the website for the community to submit public comments prior to the commission meeting. If you head to plantcitygov.com, you can submit your comments for the April 13

meeting up until 3 p.m. the day of commission. Anything submitted after that time up until the 7:30 p.m. meeting will still be accepted, but it will only be included in the official record of the meeting. If you wish to call into the meeting, call 1-631-992-3221 and enter access code 917-780-830#. Live stream links will be on the city’s Facebook page and its YouTube channel. A link is also on the city’s website to register for the meeting via GoToWebinar. The plan is for the city to continue to use this program for commission meetings for the duration of COVID-19. Once things have finally calmed down and it is safe to meet in person again, meetings will resume like normal at City Hall. “Our team literally built this program from scratch in basically a little over a week,” McDaniel said. “We have tested it twice internally: a demo test and a load

test with a bunch of people on to test how it would handle that. We trained ourselves on the features and a whole new system had to be created to include public comment. We had to basically write a script for the meeting. It’ll be different for sure, you’re missing all of your usual cues and indicators, so we are doing one-on-one training sessions with all of our commissioners so they are not seeing the technology for the first time Monday evening. I kind of liken it to you holding a meeting in a dark room and you can’t see what you normally see. We had to work around that and build the infrastructure from the ground up. I’m really proud of our team for being able to accomplish this in such a short period of time.”

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

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1702 S. Alexander, Plant City, FL 33563 I want to take a moment to touch base with our loyal readers and advertisers. Many of you know me and my family well, but for those who don’t, Plant City is in my blood. I was born and raised here and my heart has been so heavy as I watch the way COVID-19 has affected our community. However, it has been an honor to be able to continue to bring breaking news and cut through the confusion running rampant in this time of crisis. Our paper continues sharing stories of businesses stepping up to lend a helping hand, highlighting the resources still available in the community and sharing your stories to everyone safely socially distancing at home. It’s crucial we, as a community, step up in this time of uncertainty and embrace our roots. If you need supplies, go to a local business or order online. If you want to treat yourself to a meal cooked by someone else, don’t forget about the countless businesses that call Plant City home and that will rely on your support more than ever during this pandemic. The character of this city and its strong community ties have always been what I love most about my hometown. If there’s any way the Observer can help spread the word on what your business is doing, don’t hesitate to reach out by calling 813-704-6850. Our reporters are working around the clock to get the latest updates and then relay that information back to our readers. We are here for you and though we may be operating a little differently, our objective hasn’t changed. We will seek out truth, bring the latest updates and shine a spotlight on the heart of everything, our community, regardless of what this world throws at us.

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For the past seven — nearly eight — years, we have built relationships with local businesses and our readers that we cherish more than you’ll ever know. We pride ourselves on acting as a bridge that connects different aspects of our community together. You have trusted us this far with your partnerships and we plan to continue to provide an informative, in-depth and heartwarming paper every week.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

‘SOCIAL DISTANCING VIRTUAL ART EXHIBITION’ ON ITS WAY BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

paycheck despite everyone being asked to remain at home. The exhibition will not have a cap on how many pieces as a whole it will take, so those at home will see a wide variety of artwork. Its reception from the local art world has been strong and there will likely be several pieces you will want for your own collection spread throughout the gallery. “I think people in the Tampa Bay area that we have worked with are just anxious to be a part of the community,” Hollenkamp said. “There’s some amazing organizations in the area here that have started to come together and kind of connect through various different means. Periphery is always looking for opportunities to present their work.” If the world returns to its normal pace in the next few months, Periphery plans to continue on with its AIR Show — which stands for Artists in Recovery — at The Portico, 1001 N. Florida Ave. The exhibition will accept submissions until June 1 and will open June 26. AIR Show was created to open an exhibition up to artists that are recovering from anything ranging from heartbreak to a crippling substance addiction. Recovery often leads to incredible displays of art, so Hollenkamp said they are hoping things will have calmed down enough by the end of June to allow the show to still go on.

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Just because residents are all stuck inside doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have access to local art. Periphery Media aims to bridge that gap with its upcoming exhibition.

One sentiment shared as the entire world heads indoors to slow the spread of COVID-19 is that in times of uncertainty and peril, humanity tends to turn to one form of relief: art. Streaming services are being flooded with avid viewers, books are being downloaded at an unprecedented rate and video games are still a hot commodity all over the country. If you go on YouTube, one of the trending videos will likely be a painting or cooking “how-to” feature, and those corresponding supplies are flooding out of local stores and Amazon warehouses. Art offers solace and acts as a simple method to transfer hope during this uncertain time. Clay Hollenkamp and Shelby Baerwalde of Periphery Media hope their upcoming virtual exhibition will both offer the community a way to tap into some of the impressive art found in their area and give local artists a spotlight. “Throughout this time when everyone is stuck inside, artists are going to do what artists do: artists are going to make art,” Hollenkamp said. “Being that Periphery Media is in the art world and we make exhibitions, we are going to make an exhibition. We wanted to do something to continue providing artists with opportunities. That’s our goal. Our whole Raison d’être is to provide artists

with opportunities to show their work, to perform, to be in front of people and just to put out there the work that they do. Being that nobody can go to an art exhibition, I’ve seen so many cancelled or postponed… we wanted to create an opportunity where artists had the opportunity to put their work in front of people.” The group is accepting submissions through tomorrow. The show will go live on April 13 and remain open until April 27. The online gallery will be found on peripherymediaonline.com and the public will have the chance to peruse the entries and vote on their favorite. You will also find links to the gallery on Periphery Media’s social media pages. The artist whose piece receives the most votes will win a cash prize composed of 97 percent of the submission fees — the group’s credit card process takes the other three percent. Each submission is $10 and artists can submit up to three pieces. People will be able to vote once per email address. Part of the unique appeal of this exhibit lies in its ability to transform people’s homes into a mobile gallery. While you’re sitting on your couch scrolling through the gallery, you can look around at your empty walls and decide right then and there to change that. If there’s a piece in the exhibition you want, you have the opportunity to buy it. You get a locally crafted piece of art for your unique decor and the artist gets a

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APRIL 9, 2020

SPORTS

SENIOR SHOUT-OUTS:

PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL Two weeks ago, we put a call out for Observer readers to share with us the stories of their favorite high school seniors in sports. Because of the uncertainties facing the future of the 2020 spring season, we felt recognizing those whose athletic careers may come to an end sooner than they hoped deserve a shout-out for all their hard work over the years.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Our first Senior Shout-Out is for Plant City High School’s baseball team, which has 10 seniors set to graduate in the spring. The Plant City Raiders had lofty goals for 2020: winning the Saladino Tournament, districts, regionals and getting back to states to try and repeat as champions. By mid-March, the Raiders looked every bit like a contender with a 7-1 record and a six-game winning streak where they scored 34 runs and only allowed five. The Raiders were getting ready to play in the Saladino Tournament, which was supposed to start March 14, when the news broke that high school sports were going to be put on hold through April 15. Then the return date got moved back to early May. With the rest of the spring 2020 season covered in the shadow of doubt, we may never know if this team really was as capable of repeating as it looked on paper.

“Not only is this devastating to the players, but it’s pretty upsetting as a parent, too,” Tifaney Cothren said. “I’m devastated that I didn’t get to watch my son’s last high school baseball game.” One of the Raiders’ biggest keys to success in 2020 was its senior class, which saw a lot of action in 2019 and contributed heavily to the team’s first-ever state title win. Everyone who follows Tampa Bayarea baseball knows about Plant City’s big three, in particular. Cole Cothren, who in 2019 cemented himself as one of Hillsborough County’s best hitters with a .467 average through 31 games, was batting .318 and tied for the team lead in hits (seven) and RBI (six) to start this season. “Silent assassin, loveable, Mr. Clutch and, more importantly, a stud on the diamond,” head coach Mike Fryrear said. Jarod Wingo, who started and won the 2019 state title game, struck out 46 batters in 26.2 innings as the team’s ace pitcher and also recorded a complete game no-hitter. “One word: ‘bulldog,’” Fryrear said.

SHOUT-OUTS: QUICK HITS

Tyler Dowdy, who never saw a pitch he couldn’t hit out of the park in the 2019 state semifinal, busted an early slump this year to tie with both Cothren’s batting average and the team’s lead in doubles (three), and he also had three wins pitching with 26 batters struck out. “If Parker Messick was Mr. Baseball last year, Tyler was on his way to make sure that title stayed at P.C.,” Fryrear said. Three other seniors have not only made an impact on the field, but also off it as ambassadors for the program who Fryrear said will set the tone for everyone who comes along after them. Chris Rodriguez is one of the hardestworking student-athletes at Plant City High School. His 6.61 GPA is one of the highest at PCHS and is the highest in the baseball program’s history. He joined the varsity baseball team in his sophomore year and has been a steady presence in the outfield since then, working his way up to the title of captain. “Chris has always been the voice of reason in the program and he is the definition of what it means to be a PCHS baseball player,” Fryrear said. “The character, work ethic and dedication to the program has been one of the best. He was one of the first guys to say ‘I love you, Coach’ after we won state last year. That will always be remembered through my eyes.” Rodriguez played two other sports: he was the football team’s kicker and helped Plant City end a three-year playoff drought in 2018, and he also played basketball. When Tre Ragan got a chance to crack the starting lineup this season, he took his time to shine and ran with it. Ragan, who played in seven games in 2019, played in every game in 2020 and showed improvement everywhere. Though his glove already had a good reputation, Ragan got better with the bat and led the Raiders with a .350 average in 20 at-bats. He tied with Cothren and Dowdy for a team-high seven hits, scored five runs and stole three bases. “Tre enjoys everything about the game but continues to be a great teammate, even off the field,” Fryrear said. “He loves to joke but he always wants to win for his teammates and P.C. baseball.” Like Rodriguez, Ragan also played high school basketball. The third is designated hitter Brayden Crews, who batted .429 in 17 plate appearances last season. Crews made the lineup as the team’s designated hitter for 2020. His personality, Fryrear said, is essential for the team’s success.

“Brayden has been a very hard worker on and off the field,” Fryrear said. “He has been a true asset to the baseball program with his loveable character during practices and games. He keeps the team loose, accountable and dedicated to winning games… his most quality trait, I must say, is his willingness to be an overall great person and the future is sky high with him.” The Raiders have four other seniors on the roster. Fryrear called third baseman/designated hitter Jose Machado “one of the best character guys I’ve ever seen, as well as a program guy.” Alex Rodriguez, starting shortstop and a captain, was called the “smoothest infielder, and to see him grow into the man he is becoming may be one of my best gifts as a coach to see happen right in front of them.” Righty pitcher Wyatt Rogers is “energetic, fun, a competitor and willing to win with his brothers at all costs — respectfully, of course.” And starting catcher Chase English grew into “maybe one of the best ever” team captains, Fryrear added. Even if they aren’t able to play baseball together again in a PCHS uniform, these seniors’ contributions to the program are going to stick around in the memories of Raider Nation for a long, long time.

File photos

Many of Plant City High School’s 2020 seniors contributed to last year’s historic state championship win.

Want to give the senior athlete(s) in your life a shout-out in an upcoming issue of the Plant City Observer? Email Sports/Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

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If you’re looking for ways to pass the time, the NFHS and BSN Sports are offering free online courses to help you learn about the sports you love. If you’ve considered coaching youth sports when we’re all free to leave our homes and get back on the playing fields, BSN Sports is hosting a series of coaching clinic webinars at set dates and times

— Lacrosse (2 p.m. April 14) — Swimming with Olympic gold medalist Jessica Hardy (7 p.m. April 15) — Softball with former All-American India Chiles (12 p.m. April 21) — Track and Field, 100m & 200m training (2 p.m. April 23) Visit bsnsports.com for more information.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH: HOW DO YOU HEAR AND SEE LOVE? Though language barriers can make communication difficult at times, love can break through them.

DR. DANIEL MIDDLEBROOKS

I met Rebecca while deployed to Mobile, Alabama for a post-critical incident intervention for various law enforcement officers and support staff. As my team began training in the areas of stress and trauma, I watched this young woman move to the front of the training room and begin to do sign language. It finally dawned on me (yes, I am a bit slow) why the business card the Special Agent in Charge handed me had small bumps on it: there was a member of his division that was deaf. During one of the breaks, I took the opportunity to talk with her and asked about her position as an interpreter for the FBI. Since I was preparing to conduct a training on communicating to connect, I inquired about the power of her form of communication and some of the areas that seemed most critical. I wanted to discover how to connect with someone when they cannot hear words or tone of voice, and said that I do not know sign language. She said, “Over 58 percent of your communication is done through the face, eyes, and in my case, hands.” She described how an interpreter can come across as insincere or lackadaisical by the lack of strength with the hands, the numb expression on the face and even the occasional rolling of the eyes.

She went on to say, “If I want to let the person know that I understand and value them, they have to see it. It must be on my face, in my eyes and through my sign language that I ‘hear’ them.” As I considered these reflections, I wondered if people “hear” God’s love in my eyes, on my face and through the actions I do even when I do not speak a single word. I remember the various mission crusades I participated in and the vast amounts of people I encountered that did not speak my language. Although we all came from different cultures and countries, we were still able to connect through the greatest conduit of communication: love. Through the years of speaking and presenting, I have found that people will feel your attitude long before they hear your words. They will feel the warmth of acceptance and value in your smile and eyes long before you open your mouth. They will feel comforted by your calm and gentle presence without the first sentence spoken. I believe that in a time such as this with a lot of noise, panic and problems, the “language of love” is our greatest tool. For us here in Plant City, this language of love is more than just the actions of our hands. It is the movement of our hearts. It is heard with every phone call made to check on someone and every meal prepared for others that cannot get out. It

is seen with every warehouse worker, shelf stocker, semi truck driver and first responder who is committed to bring the confidence, care and commitment to “love one another.” This is what challenges and changes a community to be its best in the worst of times. I remembered a story of a blind man that sat on steps with a sign that read “Blind, please help!” As footsteps would walk by, occasionally someone would put some change in his small bucket. About midmorning, he heard the sound of high heels walking by. The high heels stopped, turned, and came back. The blind man thought he would receive some money. Instead, his sign was taken from him and he could hear scribbling on it. Once finished, it was handed back to him and the high heels walked away. Within minutes, the blind man began to hear change clinking around in his small bucket. Person after person passing by dropped money, to the growing amazement of the blind man. At the end of the day, when he could feel the sun going down, he heard the high heels again. Knowing it was the same shoes, he called out. “Excuse me. Can you tell me what you wrote on my sign?” The high heels came to him and a tender woman’s voice said, “I changed your words. I wrote, ‘It is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.’”

With all the words of problems and panic, I am thankful Plant City has decided to change the words to help, healing, and hope. Only when we are willing to change the words of worry can we hear the clinking sound of “change” in our community that starts with the language of love we speak from our hearts. This type of love is one that even the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

Dr. Daniel Middlebrooks is the Senior Chaplain of First Call Church and the CEO/President of Chaplaincy Care, Inc.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

MARCH 2020 REAL ESTATE says otherwise,” Mitchell Crawford, of the Crawford Group, said. “Although the units sold were down in March, we had about 20 percent cash buyers, a 100 percent increase over March 2019 figures. The average and median prices are increasing. Yes, we have concerns about who may qualify for the loans due to the uncertainly of the job market but, if you’re a qualified buyer, waiting may cause you to pay a higher price.”

in median (vs. $196,750 in 2019). Homes in March 2020 sold for an average price of $139 per square foot (versus $121 per square foot in March 2019). The highest home sale price for March 2020 was $710,000 for the home at 5625 Stafford Road. Eleven parcels of vacant land were sold last month, almost twice as many as in March 2019 (six). “Some sellers are considering waiting for a better time to sell, but the data

TOP BUILDING PERMITS These are the largest building permits issued in Plant City for the month of March 2020, in order of dollar amounts. Address Permit Amount 3304 Sydney Road

Commercial addition

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Lydia Karina Gutierrez, 28, of Ruskin, born in Tampa on Miriam Elizabeth Still November 19, 1991, entered into eternal rest on April 3, 2020. Miriam Elizabeth Still, 85, of Plant City, born on Nov. 22, 1934, entered into eternal rest on April 2, Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com. 2020. She was a lifelong resident of Plant City, and a retired teacher with Hillsborough County Public Schools. She loved her family, enjoyed sewing, and her second home in the mountains of HawasHOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM see, Georgia, and an avid fan of Rays baseball, and NASCAR. She was preceded in death by her husband Dean R. Jenison of 53 years, Al Still; and parents, L.H. and Annie Gertrude Cooper. Dean R. Jenison, 92, of Sun City CenShe is survived by her children, Alvie Still ter, born on Feb. 14, 1928 in Davenport, (Ann), Allan Still, Alton Still (Sheree), and Denise Iowa, entered into eternal rest on Platt (Joe); grandchildren, Richmond E. Helms, March 25, 2020. Amie Still (Luke), Amber Tew (Bill), and Megan Expressions of condolence at Pollen (David); great-grandsons, Richmond L HopewellFuneral.com. Helms, and Cole Pollen; siblings, Aileen Pelham, Jean McGowan (Ronald), Naomi Gray (Dick), and Charles Cooper (Laura); and many nieces and nephews. HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM A private graveside service was held on Tuesday, April 7 at Mt. Enon Cemetery, Plant City. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral. com. Michael W. Sanders

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Opal Othelia Murphy Opal Othelia Murphy, 88, of Plant City, born on April 25, 1931, entered into eternal rest on April 5, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

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HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

Robert Scott McCormack, 54, of Plant City, passed away on Wednesday April 1, 2020. Robert was born Oct. 7, 1965 in Buffalo, New York.

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Lyndal Margaret (Taylor) Caudill

Lyndal Margaret (Taylor) Caudill, 90, of Lithia, born on March 12, 1930 in Mayo, passed away peacefully in Plant City on April 1, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

10/27/15 10:42 AM

McCormack

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

into eternal rest on March 31, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

Local March 2020 sales and trend information courtesy of The Crawford Group. Permit information was obtained from the City of Plant City.

Plant City-area real estate sales took a big dip compared to March 2019, but sale prices also picked up quite a bit. Last month, 66 singlefamily homes sold with an average sale price of $244,902 and a median of $228,950. Compared to last March, that represents a 20 percent decrease in sales (vs. 82 homes sold in 2019) but also a 14 percent increase in average sale price (vs. $214,049 in 2019) and a 16 percent increase

OBITUARIES

REAL ESTATE

PlantCityObserver.com

10/27/15 10:42 AM

Michael W. Sanders, 55, of Plant City, Florida, born on Oct. 8, 1964 in Pasadena, Texas, entered into eternal rest on March 31, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Patricia ‘Pat’ Louise Schumacher Patricia “Pat” Louise Schumacher, 89, of Plant City, formerly of Jacksonville, born on June 11, 1930 in Great Bend, Kansas, entered into eternal rest on March 31, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Gary R. Helmick HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Edward Morris Kelley Edward Morris Kelley, 88, of Plant City, Florida, born on January 13, 1932 in West Palm Beach, entered

Gary R. Helmick, 68, of Valrico, born in Clarksburg, West Virginia on April 8, 1951, went home to be with his Lord on April 2, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewelFuneral.com.

WELLSMEMORIAL.COM HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Wells MeMorial & event Center PlanT CiTy

813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com M2313_4832_Wells_PNT_Comm_7-25x9-75_C.indd 1

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CRAWFORD & ASSOCIATES CRAWFORD & ASSOCIATES

Outstanding Agents. Outstan Outstanding Agents. Outstanding Results. Outstanding Agents. Outstanding Outstanding Agents. Outstanding Results. R CRAWFORD & ASSOCIATES

CRAWFORD & ASSOCIATES

(813)967-0168 or (813)305-1616

2803-4 James L. Redman Parkway, Plant City Florida 33566 (813)967-0168 or (813)305-161 (813)967-0168 or (813)305-1616 (813)967-0168 or (813)305-1616 (813) 967-0168 (813) 549-9412 Office: (813) 305-1616 | Fax: (813) 754-8099 Email: Malissa.Crawford@Gmail.com

James L.Plant Redman Parkway, Plant 33566 City Flor 2803-4James James2803-4 L. Redman Parkway, City Florida 33566 2803-4 L. Redman Parkway, Plant City Florida Office: (813) 305-1616 |Office: Fax: (813)(813) 754-8099 Email: Malissa.Crawford@Gmail.com RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE 305-1616 | Fax: (813) 754-8099 Email: Malissa.Crawford@G

288047-1

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

Office: (813) 305-1616 | Fax: (813) 754-8099 Email: Malissa.Crawford@Gmail.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

OBITUARIES Alfreda Duncan

Alfreda Duncan, of Plant City, peacefully passed away Saturday, April 4, 2020 at age 91. Freda was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 58 years, Edward Duncan Sr. She is survived by her daughter, Linda Gregg (Glenn) of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and her son, Edward Duncan Jr. (Kelley) of Plant City. She is also survived by three grandsons, Jeff Gregg (Ashley) and Lance Gregg of Lawrenceville and Matt Duncan (Amanda) of Plant City. Freda enjoyed time with her five great-granddaughters, Kelsey, Savannah, Aubrey, Kennedy and Sutton. She retired from Kraft Foods after 20 years of service and could often be found quilting. Freda took great pride in her family and her home; always a gracious host making sure everyone had plenty to eat. She often harvested and preserved the vegetables used for her delicious home cooked meals that were usually accompanied by her famous coconut cake. Freda was a faithful Christian who worshipped at Bethany Baptist Church in Cork. One to never complain, Freda courageously displayed a spirit of grace and dignity during the challenges of her declining health.

John Benjamin Reid

Mary Lucille Hanna

and daughter-in-law Margaret (Billitter); and seven grandchildren, Nicole (Jonathon) Hanlon, John Benjamin Reid, 76, of Tampa, Mary Lucille Hanna, 85, of Plant Jessica (Robert) Ruwe, Jack passed away on April 3, 2020. City, died Monday, March 30, (Erin) Harrer, Marissa Harrer, Services are being held pri2020. She was born July 7, Megan Hanna, Morgan (Mark) vately. 1934, the youngest daughter of D’Angolini, Molli (Jason) WorOnline condolences may be left Arch and Mary Gladys (Altenrell; and four — almost five! — for the family at www.haught.care. burg), who preceded her in death, as did her sister, Beatrice Precious great grandchildren: HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM Madeline, Colt, Hannah, Olivia Royce, and her brother, Ernest. and Sage, who is due anytime. Lucille, as she was known, No service is planned at this grew up in Townville, a small Billy Ray Wise time due to recent national town in northwest Pennsylvaconcerns. nia, where her family owned a Billy Ray Wise, 81, of Plant City, HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM A family memorial is being hardware store and she doted born on Sept. 15, 1938 in Opp, planned for a later date. In lieu on her horse, Tony. In addition, Alabama, entered into eternal Gerald Lee Maquet of flowers the family would apmusic played an important role rest on March 31, 2020. He was a member of Hopewell Gerald Lee Maquet was born Dec. in her life, singing and the trum- preciate donations to Kingsley pet in the high school band, and Cemetery (in remembrance of Baptist Church, a veteran of the 31, 1929 in Pekin, IL, entered into she was an accomplished baker Jack & Lucille Hanna) 29234 United States Marine Corps, eternal rest on April 4, 2020. Lyona Rd. Guys toMills, PA. Fond fair riband a retired supervisor with He was a United States Air Force — she even won we’re dedicated helping families create a W Ea ’ REstate P RO U D TO S E RV E our community unique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate care since 1896. memories and expressions of bon in the pie competition as a The Mosaic Company. He loved Veteran. celebrates the life it represents. As your Dignity Memorial professionals, sympathy be shared at clever his family and enjoyed helping The family suggests memorials teenager. She was also > 100%aService Guarantee > Nationalmay Plan Transferability Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline®for the > Bereavement www.WellsMemorial.com seamstress, her nimble fingers friends and his church. to Life Path Hospice of HillsborHanna family. fashioning closets of clothes He is survived by his wife of ough County, 11125 North 52 nd R and housefuls of windowProudly dress59 years, Doris Cantrell Wise; Street, Temple Terrace Fl 33617. supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival. ings and other projects. children, Elizabeth Wise TayThe family will be holding serLucille and Jack, her husband lor of Plant City, Pamela Wise vices at a later date. Sharp of Plant City, and Bruce Online condolences may be left of 61 years, loved entertaining Ray Wise (Debbie) of Plant City; for the family at www.haught.care. and traveling, especially their WELLSMEMORIAL.COM 11 years of motor home adveneight grandchildren, and eight tures. The couple retired toWells Sun MeMorial & event Center great-grandchildren; dog, Abby; PlanT CiTy City Center (Fla.), where they813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com and many extended family and lived for 20 years after Jack friends. retired from J.C.Penney Co. A private funeral service was Lucille is survived by her held on Saturday, April 4 at children, daughters Cindy Hopewell Funeral Home, 6005 Hanna, Mar (Hanna) and sonSouth County Road 39, Plant City. HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM in-law John Harrer, son Mark Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

A private graveside service will be held at Chapel Hill Gardens, Dade City, Florida. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

Taking care of each other is what

community

is all about.

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ALL OBITUARIES ARE SUBMITTED AND EDITED BY FAMILIES OR FUNERAL HOMES

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

10/27/15 10:42 AM

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg April 9, 2020 PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

I LOVE PLANT CITY

4/9

FORECAST THURSDAY, APRIL 9 High: 87 Low: 71 Chance of rain: 20%

FRIDAY, APRIL 10 High: 80 Low: 58 Chance of rain: 40%

33 Smith of punk rock 34 Removes wrinkles from 35 R.N.’s work area 36 Teeny 37 Formally revise 38 Shiner? 39 Prohibition 40 Buenos ___, Argentina 41 Olympic skater Ohno 42 You might have an A+ on yours 45 Suit material 46 Trojans of the NCAA 47 Prep, as water for pasta 48 What a 4Runner runs on 50 Greek god with arrows 54 “You can count on that!” ... or what you may do with

a 17-, 27- or 42-Across? 58 Greek vowel 59 “Far out!” 60 Low-maintenance plants 61 Your, once 62 It merged with Mobil 63 Some are fudge covered DOWN 1 The Crimson Tide, familiarly 2 Quite often 3 Blackmail fodder 4 Become very unpleasant 5 Part of ESL: Abbr. 6 (Alas) 7 “The Giving ___” 8 Tear

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

High: 85 Low: 69 Chance of rain: 20%

SUNDAY, APRIL 12 High: 94 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 10%

TOMATOES

Shipping point: Central Florida $9.95

9 Cool ___ cucumber 10 Field for Marie Curie 11 Noted Union ironclad ship 12 Something to pick 13 Complete collection 18 Superfruit in a bowl 19 Hair on a mare 24 Sushi fish 25 2019 N.L. Rookie of the Year Pete 26 A terrible thing to waste, it’s said 27 Like some attractions 28 Dramatic rejection of an apology 29 Hunter in Genesis 30 Color of lime Sour Patch Kids 31 Burn with water 32 Italian currency 33 ___ Xtra (soft drink) 37 Senate staffer 38 Key used to type its name 40 Given name of Virginia Woolf 41 Window units, briefly 43 Injury, to a toddler 44 Hurry 47 It may be drawn at the end of a tough day 48 Reliable choice 49 Oodles and oodles 51 Hurry 52 In the know about 53 Hits the slopes 54 Vietnamese New Year 55 ___-Mex 56 Figure on a receipt 57 Prefix for “system”

SUNRISE/SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, April 9

7:09a

7:51p

Friday, April 10

7:08a

7:51p

Saturday, April 11

7:07a

7:52p

Sunday, April 12

7:06a

7:52p

Monday, April 13

7:05a

7:53p

Tuesday, April 14

7:04a

7:53p

Wednesday, April 15

7:03a

7:54p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, APRIL 11

Paper Trail by Katelyn Glassman and Ross Trudeau

ACROSS 1 Girl Scout’s award 6 Bra part 11 “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” channel 14 Unfamiliar 15 ___ wolfhound 16 Weeding tool 17 Homeowner’s expense, often 20 Envelope abbr. 21 Michael of “SNL” 22 “Ditto” 23 Battery in a digital camera, perhaps 25 ___ acid (protein part) 27 You may need one to drop a line

Apr. 22 New

Apr. 27 First

May 6 Full

Apr. 18 Last

RAINFALL Monday, March 30

0.00

Tuesday, March 31 0.19 Wednesday, April 1

0.00

Thursday, April 2 0.00 Friday, April 3

0.00

Saturday, April 4 0.00 Sunday, April 5

0.30

YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2020 03.15 in.

2020 0.30 in.

2019 04.03 in.

2019 0.42 in.

WEATHER

18 Superfruit in 38 Key used ACROSS 47 Prep, as a bowl to type its 1 Girl Scout’s water for 19 Hair on name award pasta a mare 40 Given name 6 Bra part 48 What a 24 Sushi fish of Virginia 11 “Full Frontal 4Runner 2019 N.L. Woolf on SendWith your photo submissionsruns to Associate Editor25 Justin Kline at jkline@PlantCityObserver.com Rookie of 41 Window Samantha 50 Greek god or hashtag Instagram for @igersplantcity to feature. the Year units, briefly Bee” #iloveplantcity onwith arrows Pete 43 Injury, to a channel 54 “You can 26 A terrible toddler 14 Unfamiliar count on thing to 44 Hurry 15 ___ that!” ... or waste, it’s 47 It may be wolfhound what you said drawn at 16 Weeding tool may do with 27 Like some the end of a 17 Homeowner’s a 17-, 27- or attractions tough day expense, 42-Across? 28 Dramatic 48 Reliable often 58 Greek rejection of choice 20 Envelope vowel an apology 49 Oodles and abbr. 59 “Far out!” 29 Hunter in oodles 21 Michael 60 LowGenesis 51 Hurry of “SNL” maintenance 30 Color of lime 52 In the know 22 “Ditto” plants Sour Patch about 23 Battery in 61 Your, once Kids 53 Hits the a digital 62 It merged 31 Burn with slopes camera, with Mobil water 54 Vietnamese perhaps 63 Some are 32 Italian New Year 25 ___ acid fudge currency 55 ___-Mex (protein part) covered 33 ___ Xtra (soft 56 Figure on 27 You may DOWN drink) a receipt need one to 1 The Crimson 37 Senate 57 Prefix for drop a line Tide, staffer “system” 33 Smith of familiarly punk rock 2 Quite often 34 Removes 3 Blackmail PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER wrinkles fodder from user @thehikerdad 4 Become very Instagram shared this stunning photo of Lower Green Swamp Preserve with 35 R.N.’s workof Plant Cityunpleasant the Instagramers account. area 5 Part of ESL: us on social media: @PCObserver on Instgram, ON L I N E Follow 36 Teeny Abbr. @PlantObserver on Twitter and Plant City Observer 37 Formally 6 (Alas) on7Facebook. revise “The Giving 38 Shiner? ___” 39 Prohibition 8 Tear 40 Buenos ___, 9 Cool ___ Argentina cucumber 41 Olympic 10 Field for skater Ohno Marie Curie 42 You might 11 Noted Union have an A+ ironclad ship on yours 12 Something 45 Suit material to pick 4/8 46 Trojans of 13 Complete © 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com the NCAA collection

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2020

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