6.9.22 PLCO by Plant City Observer

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VOLUME 6, NO. 200

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

NEW PLANTS GRACE DOWNTOWN

GREENERY BUILT ALONG REYNOLDS - POTENTIAL HOME GROWTH ON WILDER

BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

LANDSCAPING WITHIN EXISTING BUMP OUTS

New plants and trees have been added to the bump outs along Reyn-

olds Street as the latest addition to make downtown Plant City more aesthetically pleasing. The bump outs were added along Reynolds Street, between Evers Street and Palmer Street about nine months ago. Plants were selected for the project that are conducive to both loca-

tion and environment of that section of downtown.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

THE PLANTS USED ARE: • Perennial Peanut • Frogfruit • Blue Daze • Blanket Flower • Liriope • Purple Heart • African Iris • Minima Jasmine • Pentas • Shumard Oak trees

PLANTS ARE CURRENTLY BEING PLACED WITHIN THE BUMP OUT STRUCTURES THAT LINE REYNOLDS STREET.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

NEWS BRIEFS

FDACS and USDA Partner for 2022 Summer BreakSpot Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried has announced the continued partnership between the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide summertime meals for Floirida’s school children. To help provide Florida children with access to wholesome meals during summer break, the FDACS Division of Food Nutrition and Wellness partners with schools and organizations to provide free meals to kids and teens from low-income households. The Summer BreakSpot Program provides meals at no cost to children 18 and under while schools are closed for the summer. “One of the most important missions of our department is providing access for all of Florida’s kids to healthy, nutri-

tious meals regardless of family income,” Fried said. “Florida is home to one million children facing food insecurity, worsened by the pandemic. For many, Summer BreakSpot meals are the only meals on which they can rely. I encourage all Florida families facing food insecurity while school’s out to find a Summer BreakSpot location near you – by phone, text, or online.” There are several ways to find a Summer BreakSpot site: Dial 2-1-1 Text “Food” to 304-304 Visit www.summerbreakspot.org Summer BreakSpot sites include open sites and camps (residential and non-residential). Open sites are sites where meals are available to all children in the area on a first-come, first-served basis. Acceptance and participation requirements for the program are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Summer BreakSpot is part of the National Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded program operated by the USDA. For more information, please visit SummerBreakSpot.org.

Hope Lutheran Church welcomes mobile food pantry Hope Lutheran Church will once again host their mobile food pantry in the church parking lot, 2001 N. Park Rd., on Thursday, June 16. This pantry, in association with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Lakeland, will begin distributing food to those in need beginning at 6 p.m., running until the supplies are distributed. Anyone in need of grocery assistance is encouraged to join as Hope Lutheran works to help eliminate food insecurities within their local community.

Various goods ranging from vegetables to meats to dairy and bakery goods will all be available. The pantry, “Moving Hope,” takes place at Hope Lutheran Church on the third Thursday of each month, no identification is required to participate and the pantry is open to anyone in the Plant City community who may need an extra hand. For additional information, contact the Hope Lutheran Church office at 813-7524622.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

PLANT CITY AUTHOR CELEBRATES RELEASE OF BEST-SELLING BOOK Plant City’s Victoria Smude released her new book “The Chonky Alphabet” earlier this month.

TAYLOR JENKINS STAFF WRITER

What began as a life-long love of cats and a growing fascination with an online community that centered around their furry friends, Plant City native Victoria Smude recently released her new book, The Chonky Alphabet. The word “chonky” itself has become popularly synonymous with pleasantly plump felines across the internet, making it a perfect descriptor to grace the cover of her alphabet book for cat enthusiasts of any age. “It’s 26 words based off of a kind of cat subculture,” Smude said. “It’s different words that people use when talking about their cats, and there’s certain rules. You don’t say chunky, you say chonky. Then there’s words like N is for ‘nip nops’ and B is for ‘blep’ and when you’re in this community you just understand what these words mean. So it’s just a very colorful, playful window into this other world all about cats.” So from “nip nops” to “blep,” from “loaf” to “peeps,” The Chonky Alphabet serves as a guide to some of the most vital terms necessary in a cat-thusiasts daily vocabulary.

Smude says that the idea for the book began during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was furloughed from her primary occupation, giving her six weeks to teach herself a new skill in digital art. As she worked on creating new artwork while taking inspiration from a Facebook group, she challenged herself to find one piece of cat-centric slang for each letter of the alphabet. And as the ideas began rolling along, the possibility of putting it all together in one creative book blossomed. Taking advice from friends who had recently released books of their own, Smude ultimately self-illustrated and self-published The Chonky Alphabet through IngramSpark and – upon its recent release on June 1 – it quickly became a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon in the Cat Breed category. “I’ve been posting about it throughout cat Facebook groups and people have been loving it people have even been ordering it to read to their cats before bed,” Smude said with a laugh. “It was the No. 1 bestseller for Cat Breeds, so it’s been really well-received. There are some people that didn’t know anything about this ‘language’, much like myself a few years ago, and

they were having to Google what ‘chonky’ even means, but now they’re learning all about it. Cat-lovers are loving it, but not only cat-lovers. While it’s a book for those cat-lovers out there, it’s also a fun alphabet book for kids or anyone who likes unique illustrations. I even had a couple of kids come up when I was taking pictures with the book at a coffee shop and a little girl wanted to read the book, she just enjoyed the illustrations and the colors and the funny words.” Smude will be holding a book signing at The Tipsy Bookwork in Plant City later in the summer and The Chonky Alphabet can be purchased online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and Walmart.com. All art from the book, along with additional information on the book and upcoming book signings, can be found by following The Chonky Collection on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. “So for anyone out there who doesn’t know whether they can publish a new book or learn a new skill or learn digital art, everything can be figured out,” Smude said. “There’s Google, there’s Facebook groups, there’s YouTube, there’s Skillshare. You can really learn to do anything at any age.”

ENTREPRENEUR SAYS THANK YOU WITH A MEAL

FREE KIDS’ EYE EXAMS TO COME

Tax Collector’s Office and partners providing youth with eye checkup

Beverly Vereen will entertain those supporters of her work

BRIAN FERNANDES

Courtesy of Glazer Vision Foundation Kids can get free eye examinations at a number of Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Offices throughout Tampa Bay, including in Plant City.

STAFF WRITER

Author Beverly Vereen will be hosting the Set It to Positive Appreciation Dinner on June 25, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. It will be held at the Planteen Recreation Center at 301 N. Dort St., in Plant City. The event is Vereen’s way of showing gratitude for those who have supported her as an author and her Set It to Positive clothing line of which she is president. She is a Plant City native and has written four books. Vereen will honor several of those present and there will be prize giveaways. Those in attendance must have on a Set it to Positive t-shirt or can purchase one at the event. Those who would like to attend can R.S.V.P. by messaging Vereen on her Facebook page: www. Facebook.com/Beverly.CoffeeVereen

BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

Courtesy of Beverly Vereen Author and Entrepreneur Beverly Vereen will be hosting an appreciation dinner for those who have supported her work, on June 25.

The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office partners with Lion’s Eye Institute and the Glazer Vision Foundation to offer free eye exams and glasses to children in June. The examination will take place at the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office at 4706 Sydney Rd., in Plant City. The Glazer Vision Foundation Mobile Vision Clinic will be operating from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on June 23. Families can sign up their children, ages five to 17 by visiting bit.ly/glazer-glasses. “Eighty percent of all vision impairment can be prevented or cured. However, one in five children cannot afford eye care,” said Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy Millan. “That is why we are honored to partner with the Lion’s Eye Institute and the Glazer Vision Foundation to provide their Mobile Vision Clinic to our community. The Mobile Vision Clinic offers top medical resources and cutting-edge tech-

nology to provide eye exams and prescription glasses within three hours to children in need, all at no cost.” Other tax collector locations that will also offer examinations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: • Brandon – 3030 N. Falkenburg Rd., on June 9 • Drew Park – 4100 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, on June 10 • East Tampa- 2814 E. Hillsborough Ave., on June 16 • North Tampa – 3011 University Center Dr., on June 17 • Southshore – 406 30th St. SE, Ruskin, on June 24 To learn more about the services provided at the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office, visit HillsTax.org. Contact Debra Bellanti, director of Communications and Community Relations, by calling (813) 612-6712 or emailing BellantiD@HillsTax.org. Contact Nancy Millan, the Hillsborough County Tax Collector, by calling (813) 6126701 or emailing Millan@HillsTax.org.

COPS CORNER

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

PLANT CITY

This week on Cops Corner: Plant City Police

Observer

investigate a missing gun, stolen candy and a wrong-way driver.

Publisher / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com

istock

Managing Editor / Sarah Holt SHolt@PlantCityObserver.com Sports Writer / Taylor Jenkins tjenkins@plantcityobserver.com

MAY 26

DOOR JAMMING

SMOKING GUN

MAY 29

Staff Writer / Brian Fernandes bfernandes@plantcityobserver.com

INSIDE JOB

500 block of S. Maryland Ave. Theft of a firearm: An officer met with the victim at the listed location who advised that an unknown suspect stole his 9mm handgun from his girlfriend’s apartment.

LIKE STEALING CANDY FROM A BABY

Advertising Graphic Designer / Juan Alvarez

2600 block of James L. Redman Pkwy. Scheme to defraud: An officer was dispatched to a business at the listed location in reference to a delayed theft investigation that involved an employee.

4700 block of Bloom Dr. Criminal mischief: An officer responded to a residence at the listed location and made contact with the victim who advised that he heard something outside near the garage, only to go outside and find damage done to his garage door.

TROUBLE BREWING

TIME OUT

100 block of S. Lake Blvd. Minor in possession of a firearm: An officer responded to a disturbance call involving several juvenile individuals and one male that was possibly armed with a handgun. A juvenile was subsequently arrested.

1700 block of James L. Redman Pkwy. Trespass after arrest: An officer responded to a business at the listed location in reference to a suspicious person refusing to leave the business. They made contact with an individual that was previously trespassed from the property for one year on May 8. The individual was subsequently placed under arrest for trespass after warning.

W. Ball St. / S. Collins St. DUI arrest: An officer conducted a traffic stop after observing the vehicle in question being unable to maintain its lane of travel. The driver was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to Orient Road Jail.

STAY IN YOUR LANE

Circulation/ Office Manager / Linda Lancaster LLancaster@PlantCityObserver.com

2900 block of James L. Redman Pkwy. Petit theft: An officer responded to a business at the listed location and met with an employee in reference to juveniles taking candy from the store and exiting without paying.

TO ADVERTISE Call (813) 704-6850

Advertising / Richard Brame richard@plantcityobserver.com Advertising / Karen Berry kberry@plantcityobserver.com

WRONG WAY N. Alexander St. / W. Baker St. DUI: An officer observed a vehicle traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of N. Alexander St. from W. Baker St. The driver was subsequently arrested for DUI and driving without a license.

The Plant City Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. The Plant City Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100B. If you wish to discontinue home delivery or if you wish to suspend home delivery temporarily, call Linda Lancaster at 704-6850.

MAY 31 BLADE RUNNER 2700 block of Paul Buchman Hwy. Aggravated assault: An officer responded to a business at the listed location and met with the victim who reported having been fearful of a man that was wielding a machete.

SEND US YOUR NEWS

We want to hear from you. Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements. To contact us, send your information via: Email: Sarah Holt, SHolt@ PlantCityObserver.com. Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100B, Plant City, FL 33563

JUNE 1 HOLE-Y MOLY E. Cherry St. / Wilder Rd. Shooting into an occupied vehicle w/ firearm: An officer met with the victim who advised that she discovered a bullet hole in the door of her vehicle.

MAY 28

O Plant City Observer

is locally owned by Ed Verner, Karen Berry, Nate Kilton and Felix Haynes The Plant City Observer is published by Plant City Media LLC.

This week’s Crossword answers

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

110 E. Reynolds, Suite 100B Plant City, FL 33563 (813) 704-6850

Unscramble theseanswers four Jumbles, This week’s one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

Jumbles:

VONEY

USEQT

MUTUNA EGDELP

Check out the new, free JUST JUMBLE app

This week’s Sudoku answers

Publishers of the

Plant City Observer

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

VARIOUS PLANTS LINE REYNOLDS CORRIDOR PROJECT ADDS MORE GREEN TO DOWNTOWN - HOME EXPANSION ON WILDER BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

The project that began on Monday, is expected to be completed by the end of the week with no more lane closures expected. The bump outs were built with the purpose of easing traffic and to provide safety for pedestrians crossing Reynolds Street. The initial concrete curb installation costed $81,000. The current planting plus a two-year health maintenance cost is $93,000, for a total estimated at $174,000 – funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). It was a joint effort between FDOT, Plant City Main Street, and the City of Plant City that was finalized in early 2020. Community Design Solutions, a consultant group hired by Plant City Main Street and the City of Plant City, presented renderings of what the final product could possibly look like. Reynolds Street is a stateowned road, so FDOT has been tasked with providing the renovations. “FDOT agreed to focusing on the bump outs,” said Plant City City Manager Bill McDaniel in a past statement. “We’ve been working with FDOT quite a while for various things, and this was

something we felt could be done quickly and easily and make a major difference in our city. That’s been an issue we have had our eye on for a while. We’ve seen the potential, but the vision plan we now have helps really focus our efforts.” As of yet, there are no plans to build more of the concrete structures in downtown Plant City. “The city maintains the landscaping after completion just as we do other landscaped state roadways in the city such as Alexander (Street) and I-4 interchanges,” McDaniel said. NORTH WILDER ROAD

The Plant City City Commission approved an amendment to change property on Wilder Road from having one residential dwelling per acre to allowing six residences per acre. The 9.72-acre site is located just south of Williams Road and north of East Sam Allen Road, along the westside of Wilder Road. It is also within close proximity to the interchange at Park Road and Interstate-4. It currently has two single-family homes that have vehicular access to Wilder Road. Several factors that supported the amendment: 1. Provides the same future

land use designation and density of the adjacent parcels to the west and south of the future land-use map amendment 2. It unites the project area included in the planned community of North Park Isle under a single future land use (the six residences per acre), promoting proper service delivery, compact growth and the expansion of the municipal boundaries of Plant City 3. Similar and consistent with the future land-use map, adopted on July 26, 2021 4. The future land-use map amendment is intended to be included in the planned development zoning district for North Park Isle The Plant City Planning and Zoning Department found that the property has the potential to have up to 58 dwelling units. This location does not consider any non-residential development. The Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission and the Plant City Planning Board found the map amendment to be consistent with the Imagine 2020: Plant City Comprehensive Plan on December 6 and 8, respectively.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

SUMMER PROGRAM TEACHES FUTURE INNOVATORS CAMP INVENTION IS OFFERING FUN ACTIVITIES FOCUSED ON STEM Students from kindergarten to sixth grade took part in this year’s Camp Invention program held from Monday, June 6 to Friday, June 10.

BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

The annual Camp Invention program made a return to Plant City on Monday, at the Arthur Boring Civic Center. The event focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning, and takes it a step further by offering more hands-on activities than what may be offered in a classroom. Its theme this year is ‘Explore.’ Paul Coletti is a fourth-grade math teacher at Walden Lake Elementary School and serves as the camp director. “If I could do this in the classroom five days a week, to me, it’s a game changer, because you’re getting away from reading in a textbook,” he said. “You’re taking the teacher’s guide that they’re giving you…and they’re creating and they’re failing, and they’re succeeding. It’s not based on tests. It’s not state scores. It’s just getting to be hands-on, minds-on, and playing.” During the program, young campers between kindergarten and sixth grade, rotate from five classes. • Physical education allows kids to take the fun outdoors and play activities

• Robotic Aquatics lets campers design a device to retrieve animals that live in the water and create a habitat for them inside a tank. It also requires kids to think outside the box as to the importance of robots and their survival in the ocean. • The Attic lets campers use art, chemistry and other forms of science to build their own robot. The class also uses design thinking to bring creative ideas to fruition, and through intellectual property, campers learn how to preserve their ideas. • The Spacecation class lets the youth learn more about technology used out in space. They also get to build their own crafts such as spacepacks and astroarm devices, and observe ice volcanoes. Campers learn about asteroids, gravitydefying cooking, how animals hatch eggs and grow in space as well as certain astronauts and their functions • With the Marble Arcade, campers will learn how to use physics, engineering, and gaming while designing and building and testing their own mega marble arcades. They will also be taught how mass and size affects movement. “It pushes into that creative side,”

Coletti said. “Some that are not creative, do the very best they can. Whatever works for you.” This year, the Plant City program has 127 campers engaging in these activities while supervised by 58 staff members. It is inclusive as it welcomes students outside of Plant City, and 20 to 25 schools are represented, Coletti said. “The reputation of it has exceeded my expectations as far as people loving it,” Coletti said. “The feedback from everybody. The relationship with the Strawberry Festival, it’s just been a beautiful relationship as far as their help and their support.” And while the program takes place outside of school, the same principles still apply. Teachers and counselors continually emphasize the importance of respecting others – especially between campers who are meeting for the first time. Camp Invention is a nationwide program that has served more than 1.9 million children 210,000 teachers and leadership interns, since 1990. Every year it teaches approximately 130,000 students and is affiliated with over 1,800 schools.

Coletti has been affiliated with the Plant City branch since its inception eight years ago, and has served the one in Gainesville for 19 years. Many of those who are counselors and teachers for each class are teachers in schools as well. “Each teacher basically has the curriculum laid out for them. An overview, every day, of what they’re doing,” Coletti said. Also, some of the high school students who are now counselors, were once students of Coletti’s back in fourth grade. He hopes that the program will inspire the campers to steer toward a career related to the subject matter that they are exposed to and tries to help them reach their full potential. “I’m waiting for the day when somebody actually graduates college and this is their career, and they come back,” Coletti said. “I’m waiting to get back to that point. We’re rooted in. I knew once this program got started here, it would grow roots, and now it’s just flourishing.”

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

Strawberry Crest Graduate in Top 17 at Miss Florida Competition Lauren Abbey details experience in striving for crown BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

It’s been a memorable year for Lauren Abbey as she has walked across two different stages: her Miss Florida USA/Miss Teen USA competition and her high school graduation ceremony. In fact, both events occurred back-toback in a day. “It was pretty great,” Abbey said. “I graduated the night before, and we had the car packed up and ready to go, and we drove three and a half hours and we got there at 1:30 in the morning and had to be up at 5:30 a.m.” The Strawberry Crest High School graduate received her diploma on May 26 and headed out to partake in the threeday competition held at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts. Being named as Miss Dover Teen USA is what propelled her to the state competition. “This was her first big state competition,” said her mother, Crystal Peeples. “We did our research, and we knew a couple people that we spoke to that have done the big Miss USA and Miss Florida, and they gave us pointers.” This came after much success last year when she was named as Strawberry Crest’s cover girl as well as calendar girl for December. On the morning of March 27, with barely four hours of sleep, Abbey got up for registration and met over 100 girls who would be vying for the crown as well. With such limited time to prepare for the show, some girls took naps while still in makeup and gowns, Abbey said. During that first day, she also did her

interview and costume contest segments. When she made it to the final 17, Abbey was required to perform in the fitness and evening gown contests. What’s more, she decided to fix her hair and makeup herself, without a personal beautician. Abbey chose not to have a coach either and instead practiced her walking at home, in her gown. “She’s always been a performer,” Peeples said. “She’s cheered since she was four. Anytime I’ve watched her compete at competitions or anything, it’s emotional because she steals the crowd.” The community showed outpouring support for the competition through Facebook, Peeples added. During the interview segment, she was asked what she is bilingual in which is sign language. She gave a definitive “yes” when asked if her parents were supportive. “Advocating for better education for special needs kids,” was her answer when asked what she’s passionate about. And when asked what it meant to her to be present at the competition, she said “just being in a room with so many successful girls.” She is no stranger to pursuing championships, especially as a cheerleader. In high school, her cheer team won three state titles as well as two national titles. Back in middle school, Abbey was a junior coach for the younger cheerleaders. She participated in flag football, track, and was president of her school’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, and vice president of the National Honor Society (NHS). She also understands and has taught sign language for the Exceptional Student

Lauren Abbey, Strawberry Crest High School graduate, represented Dover when she took part in the Miss Florida USA/Miss Florida Teen competition.

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Education (ESE) program and has worked with autistic children. Taking on multiple activities is the norm, Abbey said. “I multitask by having a planner and just writing everything out so I can see what I need to do on each day,” she said. “I had a job as well while doing all of that. I think what motivates me is just getting involved in all of those different things. It brings me excitement…I don’t know what life is like not being busy.” She will be attending Florida Atlantic University, where she will study special education. Also, she has sent audition videos to the school to be accepted into its cheer team. And if her school schedule permits it, she plans on entering the same competition as well as the Strawberry Queen pageant. Among her goals for next year, she would like to be even more active in the community. However, it was during this recent event that she gained something she didn’t have when arriving. “We didn’t realize how close we were going to get after three days,” Abbey said. “I met a lot of friends – some from Jacksonville, Miami, Pensacola…everywhere.” While Peeples is anxious about her daughter starting this new chapter in her life, she said that she’s confident Abbey will be successful.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

Long-time Plant City daycare employee celebrates birthday downtown Sybil Peacock spent 30 years working with children throughout Plant City.

Ed Wise presented a wreath at the Memorial Day event held at the Norman McLeod American Legion Post 26, on May 30.

TAYLOR JENKINS STAFF WRITER

Sybil Peacock celebrated her 86th birthday at the Whistle Stop Cafe in downtown Plant City this week, surrounded by her closest family and friends. A Trapnell native, Peacock began working at in the infant room at Eastside Baptists Church, remaining there for 20 years until the position was eliminated. Following her time at Eastside Baptist, she spent brief periods at multiple different daycares

in Plant City before ending her career at 78 years old after eight years at Lil Munchkins Learning Center. “I just loved them all,” Peacock said about the kids she worked with. Her daughter-in-law Andrea Peacock noted how they would regularly be approached by people who had either worked alongside Sybil Peacock at one daycare or the other or had attended one of the daycares while she worked there. “A lot of times we’d be out in public and someone would recognize her and come over to talk to her,” Andrea Peacock said.

“They’d say that she had them at the daycare or that she had their baby at the daycare and she would just light up, she could tell them things that they couldn’t even remember. In the mornings she would always bring and banana and if the kids didn’t have enough food, she would smash it up and feed it to them with their formula. She just really loved working with the babies.” Andrea Peacock joked that Sybil Peacock had helped raise Plant City, working with so many young children over the years that grew up throughout the area.

“It made me feel good to know that a lot of them went on, went to college and I even had some of their children later,” Sybil Peacock said. “I really enjoyed it, I sure did.”

SPORTSENTS TEAM FLORIDA AT

PLANT CITY REPRES 2022 SPECIAL OLYMPICS USA GAMES The Unified basketball team started 3-0 in Orlando this week.

TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER

Plant City’s Unified Special Olympics basketball team took to Orlando on Friday for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, opening the event with three wins over Oregon, Washington and Utah earlier this week. The team is comprised of both Plant City High School’s Special Olympics athletes and general education Unified partners, led by coaches Lisa Goad, Jacob Goad and Maverick Lawrence. “It’s exciting,” Lisa Goad said. “You see the kids and they’re so excited, just so proud to be here.” This year’s USA Games unites more than 5,500 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean — along with 125,000 spectators — as they come together to celebrate dedication and perseverance both on and off the field. In addition to the competition, the team had the opportunity to participate in last weekend’s opening ceremonies and meet with some of the highprofile athletes and celebrities in attendance, including Tim Tebow and the Harlem Globetrotters.

“It’s really amazing,” athlete Parker Hancock said. “I’ve been dreaming about this my whole life and I’m thankful for the coaches who have taught me to play basketball, that’s why I’m here today… It’s really cool to me, all of the different states, different personalities, different teams and seeing how they play.” Their selection to represent Team Florida comes off of an impressive stretch for the group, finishing third at the 2018 USA Games in Seattle before becoming the first team in Plant City High School’s 106-year history to win multiple state championships as they clinched consecutive state titles in 2020 and 2021. Following the opening ceremonies on Sunday, Florida pulled away with a 56-41 victory over Oregon on Monday morning, then narrowly escaped with a 51-49 win over Washington on Tuesday. “It’s all showing that hard work pays off,” Lawrence said after the wins. “Be consistent, keep doing what we’re doing. Even though we’re playing different teams from different states, we still play how we play. The competition’s a little different, the styles are slightly different but overall we have to

just keep doing our thing. Our first game was much better, our defense was better. I think we got this win today because we scouted out the team before so we knew their habits. Keep playing aggressive, keep playing our ball, keep working together and that’ll get us through.” They returned on Wednesday morning to face Utah, coming away with yet another win in their final game of pool play to move to 3-0 on the week. Based on their results, teams will now be broken into separate divisions as they work their way through the medal round, all battling for a chance to bring home the gold medal. “The first two or three days we didn’t even play a game and I had a blast,” partner Taylor Teeden said. “The opening ceremonies were insane and then to come out and get two wins off the bat it just feels amazing. It feels like our hard work has paid off. We won states twice and then they picked us to be here, so seeing all of these other states represented here and knowing that those teams went through the same things that we did, it just feels good, like our hard work has paid off.”

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

FEATURED FUTURE: MARCUS MIGUELE Featured Future is a summer series where the Observer will highlight local student athletes who are preparing to continue their athletic and educational careers at the college level, or those who have already began that journey.

TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER

Marcus Miguele began his football career at Durant as a wide receiver, moving over to quarterback as a junior as the offense began to transform with him under center. “I had Marcus in two facets,” head coach Claybo Varnum said. “I had him on the football field for four years but I also had him in the classroom for three. He’s really a funny kid. He’s goodnatured, he’s always laughing, he’s

always smiling, he doesn’t take himself too seriously and he’s very creative. For football, he was a dude that showed up and got his stuff done. He was never a complainer, never a whiner, a bit of a quiet leader. We put him in a bunch of situations and he moved positions a couple of times but he was always a guy that we knew would show up and play hard. He was always super reliable from that aspect.” In 2019, Durant threw for just three passing touchdowns as a team en route to a 4-6 season. When Miguele moved to quarterback full time as a junior in 2021,

he threw for seven touchdowns and seven interceptions and the Cougars improved to 5-5. As a senior in 2021, Durant’s first season under Varnum, Miguele had become a focal part of the offense as he threw for 1,087 passing yards, tossed 15 passing touchdowns and finished second on the team with 674 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, leading the Cougars to an 8-3 record, their highest single-season win total since 2016. CONTIUNED ON PAGE 10

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

FEATURED FUTURE: MARCUS MIGUELE Miguele will head to Mount Union, a DIII powerhouse in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER

“As a sophomore he played receiver and the athleticism for him has always been there,” Varnum said. “He’s always been a freak athlete. Watching them go out and just throw the football around, he’s the guy that’s going up with one hand and making a crazy catch. That part we always knew was there and to be honest, that opened a lot of doors for him throwing the football. When we would run play action, all he’d have to do is take a step forward and he’d suck defenders in. I think we had four or five passes this year of 75 yards or more where he was just such a running threat that he could throw it. And he throws a great deep ball. He laid some passes in there this year that were just unbelievable. So the arm talent was there and the legs were there, all we had to do was get him in a position where he could be successful and a lot of times we leaned on him.” With interest from several DII and DIII schools, Miguele ultimately committed to Mount Union, a DIII powerhouse in Alliance,

Ohio that boasts a record 13 DIII National Championships, 32 DIII playoff appearances, 21 DIII National Championship appearances and has been named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) champions nearly every year since 1992, with the lone exception coming in 2016. Mount Union finished the 2021 season with a 13-1 record, advancing to the national semifinals before falling 26-13 to Illinois’ North Central College. In quite a small world moment, Miguele will actually join two other Plant City natives at Mount Union, one in tight end Chase Lawson — a graduate of Lakeland Christian High School — and another in starting quarterback Braxton Plunk, a graduate of Plant City High School, winner of the 2021 OAC Bob Packard Offensive Back of the Year and a semifinalist for the 2021 Gagliardi Trophy, awarded annually to the most outstanding player in DIII football. “A lot of schools were after him and liked the athleticism,” Varnum said. “But I think at the end of the day Mount Union won him over because of the prestige that came with their program. They win a bunch of games.

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You’re going to go to that place and it’s one of the most electric DIII schools in the country. It’s more electric, in reality, than a lot of FCS schools around the country. There’s a lot of prestige there, a lot of history and I think that Marcus wanted to go be a winner somewhere. They’re a big-time program. They know how to do it, they know how to recruit, they know how to stay connected with these kids.” And while Miguele was recruited to Mount Union as a wide receiver, Varnum argues that with his speed, his toughness and his strength, he wouldn’t be surprised to see him succeed at any position on the offense. “I think the sky’s the limit for him,” Varnum said. “He’s got the legs, he’s a legitimate 6-foot-1, we saw his strength running it. It’s a bit hard to gauge how good he can be at receiver specifically because we haven’t seen him in that situation since he was a sophomore but you can watch guys, even when they’re messing around, and see him elevate, see him climb, he’s got the power, he’s got the speed. He’s also a guy that might get there and they’ll realize that they have to put him at quarterback because the

arm talent and all that’s there. I think that if he locks in, he’s got the potential offensively to do whatever he wants up there. I know they’ve got Plunk playing quarterback, he’s tough and doing a great job for them, so there’s probably a need at receiver, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him fight for it and maybe even win it when a quarterback spot opens up. But no matter where Marcus plays on offense, he’s going to be successful.”

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

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

REAL ESTATE

May 2022 Real Estate Transactions

Local May 2022 sales and trend information courtesy of The Crawford Group. Housing Markets Shifts! Truth be told, it’s been ever-changing since the establishment of data collection. Some variables increase while others decline. This narrative can lead you in many directions, depending on how each data variable is represented. As a practicing Real Estate Team, we represent both sides of the transaction and sometimes the data doesn’t substantiate the current market conditions with one of the transaction sides. Inventory Supply - Most Realtors tend to believe an equilibrium is established when we have a four to six month’s inventory supply. As the number decreases from the equilibrium, the pricing advantage increases to the seller and when the number moves higher than the equilibrium, the advantage shifts to the buyer. We finished the month of May with a supply equal to 1.7 month’s supply an increase over April’s 1.1 and the previous 17 months with a supply less than 0.8 month’s supply. Average days on market (ADOM) - The time it takes for a property to go from listing to under contract. Last year’s average was 17.3 days, the current yearto-day number is 17.1 days and last month it was 15.9 days. The telling fact is that when a property is priced correctly it goes under contract within 2-3 weeks. Looking back to the last financial/ real estate fiasco (2006-2011) the ADOM was 161 days. A more

stable ADOM time frame would be in the 30-45 days range. Median selling prices per square foot - Let’s look at the previous market cycle for our Plant City community in real estate. In 2006 the median price per square foot peaked at $133.13 then after the financial fiasco the median price per square foot bottomed out in 2011 at $58.94. Since 2011, the median price per square foot has steadily increased year over year; 2021 we finished with a cumulative median price per square foot at $171.29. Year-to-daye 2022 at $194 and last month at $206.99. As we continue to look at the Plant City housing data, we just completed the fifth month of the year, May, 2022. Our market area saw 83 homes sold this month, a second monthly decline from the previous months. The average selling price per SF was $214.60, which accounted for a 7.9 percent increase over last month. The average selling price was $380,131 or a 6.9 percent increase over last month. The active inventory increased for the second month in a row from 1.09 to 1.69 month’s supply. We are gaining ground on the equilibrium of 4-6 month’s supply levels, but still have probably six to twelve months from obtaining that equilibrium, While comparing the Median prices month over month data, May finished with a Median sales price of $360,000 which was

higher than April and a 9.2 percent increase over the 2022 YTD average. What does the near-term future in real estate look like? Inventory levels are starting to gain more supply, which may lead to increased ADOM levels. Some may conclude the market is slowing instead of getting closer to normalcy. Pricing strategies will become more important. As the variable time moves forward, the seller’s advantage will lessen giving way to more buyer options. The need for professional representation is more crucial now than ever before. There are many fundamentals that influence our local housing market and have reviewed a few here, but many more exist. Over the next few months, we will continue to highlight these fundamentals and adjust to the different circumstances, CPI numbers, mortgage rates, etc. as we enter the primarily housing selling season. As always, if you are in the market to buy or sell your home … seek out an experienced professional realtor to assist you in this transaction process. There are too many consequences to go it alone without representation. If you have any questions, please reach out. SALES SNAPSHOT The following residential properties were a sample listed as sold on the Greater Tampa

Realtors Association MLS in May 2022 for the Plant City Market Area. The home at 801 N Merrin St sold May 20 for $185,000. Built in 1948, it has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and 840 square feet of living area. The home at 159 Alexander Woods sold May 13 for $242,000. Built in 2016, it has 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bath and 1466 square feet of living area. The home at 1905 W Keysville Rd sold May 31 for $255,000. Built in 1962, it has 5 bedrooms, 4 bath and 1872 square feet of living area. The home at 3102 Thackery Ct sold May 5 for $295,000. Built in 1992 it has 3 bedrooms, 2 bath and 1856 square feet of living area. The home at 3816 Pennsylvania Ave sold May 5 for $330,000. Built in 1952, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 bath and 1384 square feet of living area. The home at 3116 Azalea Blossom Dr sold May 26 for $345,000. Built in 2007, it has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1730 square feet of living area. The home at 604 N Wills St sold May 21 for $360,000. Built in 1960, it has 4 bedrooms, 3 bath and 2089 square feet of living area. The home at 3428 San Moise PL sold May 19 for $368,000. Built in 2015, it has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1846 square feet of living area.

The home at 2825 Holly Bluff sold May 19 for $385,000. Built in 2014, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1864 square feet of living area. The home 1904 Teakwood sold May 20 for $390,000. Built in 1976, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1934 square feet of living area. The home at 3925 Swindell Rd sold May 27 for $405,000. Built in 1969, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 1776 square feet of living area. The home at 2914 Sutton Oaks Ct sold May 12 for $450,000. Built in 1999, it has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and 2174 square feet of living area. The home at 2806 Wedgewood Dr sold May 20 for $560,000. Built in 1984, it has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and 2608 square feet of living area. The home at 1526 Ranchero Ln sold May 18 for $675,000. Built in 1991, it has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and 2644 square feet of living area. The home at 5104 N Poel Rd sold May 26 for $850,000. Built in 1974, it has 5 bedrooms, 3 baths and 1926 square feet of living area. The home at 2512 E Knights Griffin sold May 4 for $965,250. Built in 2013, it has 3 bedrooms, 2 bath and 2576 square feet of living area.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR AROUND TOWN

289704-1

We asked Plant City: What’s the silliest way you’ve ever hurt yourself? “As for my own story, I remember taking the meatloaf out of the oven without the protection of mitts.” - Jayne Bray “Broke my toe by stubbing it on a bed post, broke my toe by a heavy glass bottle falling on it - I don’t know how but the toe by my pinky stays broken.” Stephanie Oliva “When a bowling pin fell on my foot, shattering two toes.” - Carol Richards “Reached under the couch to get a cat toy out and pulled something in my shoulder. It still hurts over 10 years later if I overuse it.” - Jennifer Scott “Tried to pry a cord that was stuck out of the socket with a butter knife.” - Jennifer Morgan Alderman

“My younger sister and I were putting a tricycle together for my son. She was reading the instructions. I had put the cap on the wheel and had to take it back off. My hammer slipped and I hit myself right between the eyes. Boy, did I see stars.” - Susan Gail Cribbs “Scrapbooking. Eight stitches.” - Kristen Marie “Slammed my thumb in the car door at the dealership turning in my lease.” - Stephanie Hinson

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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Barbara Meikle, 91, of Plant City, Fla., born in Baltimore, Md. on Dec. 1, 1930, entered into eternal rest on May 31, 2022. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral. com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Arnulfo ‘El Don’ Guzman Garcia Arnulfo “El Don” Guzman Garcia, 82, of Dover, Fla., born in Michoacan, Mexico on Oct. 25, 1939, entered into eternal rest on June 1, 2022. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral. com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Guy Steven Justen Guy Steven Justen, 68, of Brooksville, Fla., passed away on May 20, 2022. The family will receive friends June 9, 2022, from 10 to 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Plant City, 3309 Jim L Redman Parkway Plant City 33566. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. Online condolences may be left for the family at haught.care.

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

Taking care ofDale Franklin Ines Rivera Adolfo Anayaeach other is what Taking care of Roush Melendez each Franklin Dale Roush, 84, other is what Adolfo Anaya, age 19, community of Hartford, Ala. passed of Plant City, Fla., passed is all Ines Rivera - Melendez, about. community away on Tuesday, May 24, away on June 3, 2022. The age 95, of Plant City, Florida about. 2022. Franklin was born is all family will receive friends passed away on Wednes-

June 27, June 9, 2022, 5 Sto we’re1937. dedicated to helping families create a day, June 1, 2022. Ines was W E ’ R E from P R O U D TO E RV E our community unique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate care since 1896. memories and 8 p.m. at Haught Funeral born April 30, 1927. celebrates the life it represents. As your Dignity Memorial professionals, Fond dedicated to helping families create a W E ’ R E P R O U D TO S E RV E our community expressions of sympathy Home Chapel, 708 Dr. Guarantee Fondwe’re memories and ex> 100%W. Service > Nationalwith Plan Transferability unique and meaningful memorial that truly personal, compassionate care since 1896. Compassion Helpline® > Bereavement Travel Assistance > The celebrates life it represents.may As your Dignity Memorial professionals, may be shared at www. Martin Luther King Jr. pressions ofthesympathy > 100% Service Guarantee National at Planwww.WellsMeTransferability WellsMemorial.com for the Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563. be >shared R Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® > Bereavement family. A Mass will be JuneProudly 10, supporting Roush morial.com for the Rivera the Plant City Strawberry Festival. R family. 2022, 11 a.m. at St. Clem- Melendez Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival. ent Catholic Church, 1104 N Alexander St, Plant City, FL 33563. WELLSMEMORIAL.COM Online condolences may WELLSMEMORIAL.COM be left for the family atWells MeMorial & event Center PlanT CiTy www.haught.care. 813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com Angela E. Perez ®

OBITUARIES

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HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

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community community Plant City entered into eterDoris P Swilley, 90, of 10/27/15 10:42 AM

HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

Mildred Mobley

nal rest on June 1, 2022. is all Plantabout. City, Fla., passed is all about. She was born on Jan. 4, away on Wednesday, June 1, M2313_4832_Wells_PNT_Comm_7-25x9-75_C.indd 1

10/27/15 10:42 AM

1938. 2022. Doris was born Aug. we’re dedicated to helping families create a 4, 1931 in Seffner, Fla. E ’ R E P R O U D TO S E RV E our community Fond memories MildredWwith Mobley, age 87, we’re dedicated to helping families create a W E ’ R E P R O U D and TO S E RV E our community unique and meaningful memorial that truly personal, compassionate care since 1896. unique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate care since 1896. celebrates the life it represents. As yourFla., Dignitypassed Memorial professionals, expressions ofDignity sympathy memories and of Plant City, celebrates the life it represents. As your Memorial professionals, Fond > 100% Service Guarantee > National Plan Transferability may be shared at www. expressions ofTransferability sympathy away on June 5, 2022. The > 100% Service Guarantee > National Plan Helpline® > Bereavement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Travel Assistance The Compassion Helpline® > Bereavement WellsMemorial.com for the may be> shared at www. family will receive friends R Perez family. WellsMemorial.com for the June 12, 2022, from 1 to R Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival. family. 3 p.m. at Haught Funeral Proudly supporting Swilley the Plant City Strawberry Festival. Home Chapel, 708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563. FuWELLSMEMORIAL.COM neral services will be held WELLSMEMORIAL.COM June 13, 2022, 10 a.m. at Wells MeMorial & event Center Wells MeMorial & event Center First Baptist Church-ImpePlanT CiTy PlanT CiTy rial Lakes, 1905 Sheppard 813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com 813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com Road, Lakeland, FL 33811. Online condolences may be left for the family at HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM www.haught.care

Kasey Smith, 40, of Brandon, Fla., passed away on May 29, 2022. The family will receive friends June 11, 2022 from 3 to 4 p.m. at Haught Funeral Home Chapel, 708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563. Funeral services will follow at 4 p.m. Online condolences may be left for the family at haught.care.

M2313_4832_Wells_PNT_Comm_7-25x9-75_C.indd 1

10/27/15 10:42 AM

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ALL OBITUARIES ARE SUBMITTED AND EDITED BY FAMILIES OR FUNERAL HOMES

116 North Collins Street Plant City, FL 33563 ph: (813) 567-5735 allabloomtampa.com

YOUR CALENDAR

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

BEST BET FRIDAY, JUNE 10 MOVIE TRIVIA NIGHT 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E J. Arden Mays Blvd. Bring your friends and family to grab a cup of coffee and head up to the loft to show off your movie knowledge, or just to cheer on your loved ones, with a chance to win a prize at this month’s Movie Trivia Night. As always, the event is family-friendly and free.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11

SATURDAY, JUNE 18

SUMMER BASH 4 to 8 p.m. at 3102 Thonotosassa Rd. Horse Force and Small But Mighty Heroes will be hosting a start of summer bash with vendors, food trucks and a petting zoo, benefitting the non-profit organization Small But Mighty Heroes. The organization focuses on resources for pediatrics cancer patients and their families and will provide funding for the therapeutic riding arena purchased for Horse Force. The arena will allow Horse Force to continue providing Equine Assisted Therapy services for mental health and substance use disorder as well as the opportunity to begin services with medical and first responders that are seeking therapy. Admission with cost $20 for adults, $10 for children 13 and under and a family package for four to six people is available for $40. Grab bags are included in the admission price. For more information, visit www.horseforceherd.com or contact Christina Dawson at 727287-8893.

STRAWBERRY CLASSIC CRUISE-IN 3 to 6:30 at 102 N. Palmer St. The Plant City Classic Cruise-In is back on Saturday, June 18, rain or shine. Cars and trucks manufactured in or before 1996 can register for free starting at 3 p.m. Live music will be provided by DJ John Paul Gasca.

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

SICKHOT LIVE 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. SickHot is a loud and electric band that’s tearing up stages all across central Florida and you’ll have the chance to see them live at Krazy Kup later this month. Formed in 2017 by Nik Wilson, Cory Bernardi and Chris Erickson, adding Brandon Chacon in 2019, their style boasts a blend of Aerosmith’s swagger with the power and energy of Led Zeppelin. The band has found notoriety on the Tampa Bay concert circuit, being featured at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa Sessions, USF’s Bullstock, the Florida Strawberry Festival and more. TUESDAY, JUNE 21 CONNECT & GROW 8 to 9 a.m. at 1601 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Connect & Grow provides opportunities for Greater Plant City Chamber members to connect with other businesses and business leaders within the community. If you attend, be ready to share best business practices, build business relationships and generate referrals. This group

meets bi-monthly on the first and third Tuesday of the month and is limited to two members from each business category. Admission is free for all Chamber members. If you are interested in joining Connect & Grow, contact Jerilyn Rumbarger at 813-7543707 ext 102 to check for openings. FRIDAY, JUNE 24 LAST FRIDAY IN DOWNTOWN 5 to 9 p.m. at McCall Park, 100 N. Collins St. The Last Friday in Downtown Food Truck Rally is held with a new theme each month. There will be live music, market vendors and food trucks. The event is family and pet friendly and all are recommended to bring chairs and blankets. This month’s theme will be Sweet on Summer. WEDNESDAY, JULY 6

SUPPORT GROUP FOR PARENTS WITH ESTRANGED FAMILIES 6:30 to 8 p.m. at GracePoint Church, 1107 Charlie Griffin Rd. Join other parents who are estranged from their adult children. PEAK (Parents of Estranged Adult Kids) group provides a safe place to listen, share and support others going through the hurt of adult family abandonment. Meetings will include group discussions, self-care and positivelyinfluenced activities to help cope with the situation. Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month. For more information, visit www.peaksupportgroup. com.

Rally

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FORECAST

Send your photo submissions to staff writer Taylor Jenkins at tjenkins@plantcityobserver.com or hashtag #iloveplantcity on Instagram for @igersplantcity to feature.

SUNRISE/SUNSET Sunrise Sunset

THURSDAY, JUNE 9 High: 89 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 34%

FRIDAY, JUNE 10 High: 88 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 59%

Thursday, June 9

6:31a

8:23p

Friday, June 10

6:31a

8:24p

Saturday, June 11

6:31a

8:21p

Sunday, June 12

6:31a

8:24p

Monday, June 13

6:31a

8:25p

Tuesday, June 14

6:31a

8:25p

Wednesday, June 15

6:31a

8:26p

WEATHER

I LOVE PLANT CITY

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JUNE 11 High: 87 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 43%

June 30 New

LAST WEEK:

High: 88 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 35%

MONTH TO DATE:

1.97in.

1.97 in.

YEAR TO DATE:

JUNE AVERAGE:

18.55 in.

9.71 in.

BLUEBERRIES

MONDAY, JUNE 13

ONLINE

June 22 Last

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, JUNE 12

Judy Wise snapped this photo of a young mockingbird hanging out in a palm tree near her house in Plant City.

June 16 Full

July 6 First

Shipping point: Central & North Florida $14.00-$26.00 Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

High: 91 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 32%

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

VONEY

24 *Elementary school fundraiser 26 Whistle blower 28 Piece for three instruments 29 They’re often pop-ups 32 Major artery 36 Irritate 39 Quick swim 40 Fell behind 42 Golf ball holder 43 Stockpile 45 Dig deeply (into) 46 Pigs out (on), briefly 47 Blacken in a pan 49 Dictator Amin 51 *Rank for TV’s Columbo 56 “Shoo!”

60 The “I” in MIT: Abbr. 61 Ceremonial conical structure 62 Tra-__: refrain syllables 63 “__, humbug!” 64 Track meet infractions ... or short words hiding at the beginning of the answers to starred clues 66 Musician Brian 67 Had the flu, say 68 Cove, e.g. 69 Tennis do-over 70 Sanctify 71 Love to pieces Down 1 Faux pas

USEQT MUTUNA

EGDELP Ans. here: Yesterday’s

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

Across 1 Nannies and billies 6 Skylit courtyards 11 Toyota Prius, e.g. 14 Tin Pan __ 15 Transactions with interest 16 Pub pour 17 *Data transmission science 19 Khaki-colored 20 Pedal pusher 21 Full moon, e.g. 22 Cartoon maker of iron bird seed 23 Salinger teen who says, “I prefer stories about squalor”

2 Mixed bags 3 “Tuesdays With Morrie” author Mitch 4 Wobble 5 Leb. neighbor 6 A, as in Athens 7 Invoice word 8 Employee’s reward 9 Motivate 10 Biblical beast of burden 11 Not be fooled by 12 San Antonio mission 13 Continue to subscribe 18 Decide on 22 Z __ zebra 25 Swapped 27 Patronizes, as a restaurant 29 Oral health org. 30 Not bright, as a light 31 Many a NASA mission 33 “Far out, dude!” 34 White-__: formal 35 Every one 37 Ref. work that added “YOLO” in 2016 38 Proposer’s preferred response 41 Paperless party announcements 44 “__ up!”: “Quiet!” 48 Sell directly to the consumer 50 Manhattan or Staten 51 Defame in print 52 Foolish 53 Woman’s name backward or forward 54 Vaulted alcoves 55 Requirements 57 Monte __ 58 Raise a hemline on, say 59 Sample, as food 64 Tide alternative 65 Spanish aunt

Check out the new, free JUST JUMBLE app

Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

(Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: ELUDE DERBY BRIGHT FILTHY Answer: When the storm knocked out power to the school, the students were — “DE-LIGHTED”

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

Great health care is closer than you think. South Florida Baptist Hospital is more than just a small community hospital. We’ve got a wide array of specialty care and surgical services that you don’t have to travel far to get. Our surgeons are experts in minimally invasive robotic surgical procedures that provide lots of benefits, including shorter hospital stays, decreased blood loss and smaller incisions that reduce the risk of infection. Plus, faster recovery times that mean you can get back to your normal activities sooner. You’ll find comprehensive orthopedic care—whether you’re an athlete who needs sports medicine services or you’re someone who needs a total joint replacement. Our all-inclusive gynecology program offers high-quality care to the women and mothers in our community with a variety of women’s care services. We’ve even been designated as a Center of Excellence for our weight loss surgery program, meeting nationally recognized standards and providing outstanding care to our patients. And all of this extraordinary care exists right here in Plant City. Learn more: SouthFloridaBaptistSurgery.org

21-1493769-0521

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