7.28.22 PLCO by Plant City Observer

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VOLUME 6, NO. 207

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THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

CITY BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR 2022-2023 CITY DETAILS WHERE FUNDS WILL BE ALLOCATED.

BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

Fiscal year 2021-2022 showed that of the 27 trends that are analyzed on an annual basis, 24 were positive, three were marginal, making it a successful year. This year’s fiscal budget is at approximately $91.2 million with next year’s 2022-2023 budget increasing to $96.4 million. Of next year’s budget, 49% will go toward the general funds at $46.8 million, while 24% will go toward water/ sewer at $23.1 million.

HELEN PARKE CELEBRATES 97 YEARS Pat Carter, Helen Parke and Patsy Berry

As it trickles down, 10% will go toward solid waste, stormwater will receive 4%, street (gas tax) will receive 3%, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) at 3%, special revenue at 3%, and other agendas at 4%.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

PLANT CITY CANDIDATE MEET AND GREET RUNNERS FOR UPCOMING ELECTION TO SPEAK TO PLANT CITY

BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

PERFORMER DENNIS LEE HEADLINED THE 97TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR PLANT CITY ICON HELEN PARKE. TAYLOR JENKINS STAFF WRITER

Helen Parke celebrated her 97th birthday on Tuesday, surrounded by friends and family at Grace Manor in Plant City.

The celebration was organized by Parke’s daughter, Sandee Sytsma, along with other family and friends, featuring food and drinks and desserts, headlined by a live musical performance from entertainer Dennis Lee and his accom-

panying musicians, including the accomplished fiddle player Stephanie Ann.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

The community is invited to meet the candidates on the ballot who want to represent Plant City on Aug. 9. The Plant City Candidate Forum will also be an opportunity to hear each one make a case for why they should be voted into office. The event will be held at the Trinkle Center at the Hillsborough Community CollegePlant City campus at 1206 N. Park Rd. and will be hosted by the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Plant City Chamber of Commerce. The meet and greet segment will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Supervisor of Elections will host a straw poll, providing unofficial vote counts to see who and what voters support. Candidates that are expected to be present are running for the seats of attorney general, circuit court judge districts, county commissioner, county court judge, governor, school board, state representative, state senate, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senate and Soil and Water Conservation. The primary election will be on Aug. 23 and the general election will be on Nov. 8.

NEWS BRIEFS

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

PlantCityObserver.com

Demolition continues at Walden Lake What began as the fi st step toward future development in Walden Lake as the old clubhouse was demolished in 2020, progress has continued as the former fitn ss center followed suit this past week. Despite moving forward with the deconstruction of the former golf course’s facilities, the development plans are still in waiting as the most recent plan was opposed by the Plant City Commission with a unanimous vote of 7-0 in March. Development team Walden Lake LLC’s most recent proposal included both residential and commercial additions to the community, with a mixed-use Village Center as well as 10 new neighborhoods to be build across 58 acres of land. Since March’s proposal, Walden Lake, LLC has created a revised proposal that will again be presented at a later date.

LAWRENCE

McClure Endorsed by

The Police Benevolent Association Attorney General Ashley Moody Sheriff Chad Chronister ElectMcClure.com

D RepMcClure E RepMcClure

Paid by Lawrence McClure, Republican, for State Representative.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

PROPOSED BUDGET FOR UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR

BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

The city will receive 10 new positions: a building permit coordinator, planner for the Planning and Zoning Department, four police officers, an information technology system administrator for the police department, two plant operators, and a utilities staff engineer. The cost for the new personnel salaries and benefits will amount to $749,000. A pay study was also conducted with a total of $1.2 million in funds for non-step employees. Minimum starting rate for fulltime employees is $15.15. It establishes additional pay grades for future growth and there will be a minimum of 6% pay increase or minimum of the new pay grade that will be effective on Oct. 1. For the police department, the base step will be increased by 6% and the step plan will be adjusted while maintaining the percentages between steps. Employees at the police department will receive a new rate at current step on Oct. 1 and will be eligible for the next

TILE & GROUT STEAM CLEANED 50 cents per Sq.Ft.

  

Carpet Repairs Carpet Restoration & Dyeing Minimum Service job $70.00

step increase on their anniversary date. In regards to the fire department pay plan, captains and battalion chiefs will see an increase in their base step by 6%. Employees of the fire department will receive a new rate at the current step on Oct. 1 and will be eligible for the next step increase on their anniversary date. Firefighters and drivers pay will be determined based on a collective bargaining agreement. In regards to employee benefits, there will be a 10% increase to health insurance shared with employees and an increase in annual bonuses from $100 to $250. There will also be an increase in the monthly car allowance from $243 to $400, and there will be a night shift differential of $1 per hour for eligible positions. There will be more investing into the workforce with a tuition reimbursement of $20,000, certified public manager designation for $40,000, as well as training and development courses and certifications. For operating expenses, funds will be increased for chemicals

Emergency

24-Hour

WATER REMOVAL

Storm Water, A/C Leaks, Broken Pipes, Toilet Overflow

by 23%, fuel by 17%, electricity by 11%, fleet maintenance by 8%, and janitorial by 10%. The general funds for next year’s budget will be distributed as follows: • The police department will receive $13.2 million • Parks and Recreation will receive $7.9 million • Fire department will receive $7.7 million • Administration will receive $5.4 million • Development Services will receive $3.6 million • The Public library will receive $1.1 million • Other uses will receive $7.9 million Approximately $3,000 will be added toward the city commission for travel to the Florida League of Cities annual conference, while the Arts Council will see an additional $4,000. The budget for the Economic Incentive Program varies annually based on approved agreements and Contingency will maintain a budget of $350,000. Approximately $61,000 in these funds will go toward outside agencies.

CARPETS

STEAM CLEANED

3 ROOMS $90

Includes Hallway cleaned Free

• Black Heritage Celebration will receive $2,000 • Improvement League of Plant City will receive $2,000 • Plant City Christmas Parade will receive $2,000 • Arts Council of Plant City will receive $10,000 • Railroad Museum Society will receive $25,000 • Boys and Girls of Plant City will receive $20,000 Other outside agencies that will be getting assistance in the sum total of $269,189: • Plant City Economic Development Corp. will receive $150,000 • Plant City Chamber of Commerce will receive $65,000 • Plant City Main Street will receive $50,000 • Economic Incentive QTI Program will receive $31,189 The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office will receive a budget of $106,325 for school crossing guards. There will be 13 school crossing guards: eight for elementary schools and five for middle schools. There will also be one supervisor and five summer school crossing guards for two elementary schools and three middle schools. Walden Lake,

Jackson, and Burney elementary schools will have one crossing guard, while Bryan will have two and Wilson will have three. Marshall Middle Magnet School will have three crossing guards and Tomlin Middle School will have two crossing guards. Asset maintenance projects will also get their share of funds: • Bike/Natural Trail-Sansone Park - $51,250 • User fee park improvements - $40,000 • Park improvements $100,000 • Air conditioning units $75,000 • Roofs for city buildings $291,944 • City hall exterior brick $6,000 • Elevators in the city facilities - $25,000 • Financial Management Information Systems - $100,000 • Computer Aided Dispatch and Records System$100,000 Also, cemetery improvements will receive $635,000 in allocated funds.

COPS CORNER

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

PLANT CITY

This week on Cops Corner: Plant

Observer

City Police investigate a suspicious person, a vandalized car and ransacked air conditioning units. istock

Publisher / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com Managing Editor / Sarah Holt SHolt@PlantCityObserver.com Sports Writer / Taylor Jenkins tjenkins@plantcityobserver.com Staff Writer / Brian Fernandes bfernandes@plantcityobserver.com Advertising Graphic Designer / Juan Alvarez

JULY 15

JULY 17

CAR TROUBLES

NOT A WALK IN THE PARK

1800 block of James L. Redman Pkwy Criminal mischief: Officers responded to the listed location in reference to the vandalism of a vehicle.

W. Terrace Dr. / Paul Buchman Hwy. Warrant arrest: An officer made contact with an individual that was sitting at a picnic table at the listed location after park hours. During the contact, an FCIC/ NCIC check was conducted that revealed an active warrant issued by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Officer on May 5. The warrant was verified and the individual was subsequently transported to Orient Road Jail.

STICKY FINGERS 2600 block of James L. Redman Pkwy. Petit theft: Officers responded to the business at the listed location in reference to a shoplifting incident. DON’T COME KNOCKING 3600 block of Boot Bay Rd. Criminal mischief: An officer responded to the listed location in reference to a suspicious person knocking on the front door of the residence. One individual was subsequently arrested for felony criminal mischief and loitering and prowling.

THAT’LL LEAVE A MARK 2600 block of James L. Redman Pkwy. Criminal mischief: An officer responded to the parking lot of a business at the listed location in reference to a vehicle being keyed.

JULY 19 CURBSIDE SERVICE

JULY 18

2900 block of James L. Redman Pkwy. Burglary: An officer responded to the listed location in reference to items stolen out of the victim’s vehicle.

NOT COOL

JULY 20

3700 block of Capri Coast Dr. Burglary: Officers met with the complainant at the listed location who stated that between July 13 and July 18, an unknown individual removed the interior air conditioner’s air handler from the building.

REALLY NOT COOL 1400 block of Tahitian Dr. Grand theft: Officers were patrolling new subdivisions at the listed location when they were flag ed down by the employee of a building company who reported that two air conditioning condensers

had been stolen from the home, valued at a total of $6,000. CRASH TESTING S. Alexander St. / Mendonsa Rd. DUI: An officer responded to a vehicle crash with injuries. One individual was subsequently arrested, charged with DUI involving property damage or personal injury and was transported to Orient Road Jail.

JULY 21 DE-FENCE-LESS 700 block of S. Frontage Rd. Criminal mischief: Officers responded to the listed location in reference to a cut perimeter chain link fence. According to the reporting individual, a nearby neighbor had cut the fence to retrieve fi ewood from the lot. The individual admitted to cutting the fence and trying to repair it. The individual agreed to pay for a professional repair and a waiver of prosecution was signed.

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

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

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.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

INSIDE LOOK AT PLANT CITY S.W.A.T. OPERATIONS LOCAL POLICE DIVISION’S EFFORTS TO STABILIZE PEACE BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

Like the other agencies that make up the Plant City Police Department, its Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) team has proven itself in protecting the community it serves. The local police department’s S.W.A.T. team is comprised of 12 members from all of the department divisions and is an Ad-Hoc function of the Investigation Services Department. The team’s agenda is to identify and confine suspects of a crime, making an evaluation of any threats, use appropriate weaponry and tactics to contain a scene and minimalize any danger to law enforcement or the community. When a threat has been identified, officers on the scene use judgement as to whether the situation is one that may be out of their control and is in need of a greater magnitude of force. “If you have a situation where you have initially, officers go on-the-scene and they’re doing the investigation, and then it turns into something else, that is when the time is called that they (bring) in S.W.A.T. and also additional resources,” said Capt. Robert McLellan of the Plant City Police Department. When the request is made to bring in the team, it goes higher up a chain of command ultimately reaching Plant City Police Chief James Bradford. Once he gives consent for S.W.A.T. to be deployed, the command is then sent down the chain of command and the team is assembled for active duty. Officer Thomas Trimble is a part of the team that is called out for missions occasionally. He says that being a member isn’t about harming a suspect but first negotiating with that individual when the situation calls for it.

“What we’re trying to accomplish is a peaceful resolution,” he said. “That’s ultimately the end goal.” To become a S.W.A.T. member, an officer has to go through the process of being a field training officer, going through try-outs with physical activities during the morning and tactical activities in the afternoon. Before receiving a certificate of completion, the trainee is in what is known as a probationary period. “You go through extensive training from clearance shooting, some of the tactics that we use, the verbage that we use,” Trimble said. “Once you complete that, you’re issued a certificate which then brings you out of probation and you’re a member of the team.” Training takes place not only by police departments, but sheriff’s offices as well. “We look at everything across the board between disciplinary action, how they handle themselves in stressful situations, how they interact with other members on their squad, coming over to our specific team,” he said. “A lot of these guys – they do have some prior knowledge and we want guys that are willing to learn (and are) easy to work with” Daniel Hernandez is also a team member who serves alongside Trimble. As a full-fledged S.W.A.T. member, he’s always ready to help others who are trying to become a part of the squadron. “After we get our members caught up with us, and they complete the basic S.W.A.T. school, (they) go off into more advanced tactics and branch off from there.” Team members also undergo monthly training with physical exercises such as hand-to-hand combat, practicing at a shooting range, and going over different tactics. During training sessions, its mandatory to wear tactical gear so they can acclimate to the additional weight, better preparing

for an actual situation. The gear consists of a helmet, a ballistic vest with armored plates to stop high-powered rifle rounds, agency-issued rifles, and night gear when needed. The squad is then taken to their destination in an armored military-style vehicle called a BearCat. The Plant City police squad assists and is assisted by other law enforcement agencies when necessary. The local department has a mutual aid agreement with the S.W.A.T. teams of other police departments such as those in Temple Terrace, Tampa, and Lakeland. In some instances, either squad members from other police departments or the sheriff’s office will be requested to assist when those on duty are suffering from heat exhaustion, hunger, or anything else that may hinder them from completing their mission. The initial squad members can then fall back as their replacements step forward. Fire rescue, medics and an ambulance are on the scene with S.W.A.T. if there should be any casualties when suspects are confronted.

Going into combat mode after having a day free of confrontation requires team members to remain vigilant under those circumstances, Hernandez said. “They transition almost like the changing of the hats, from a patrol position or an investigative position…,” Trimble added. This year, the Plant City squad has been called out for situations related to narcotics search warrants and barricaded individuals. “Knowing the training they’ve gone through and the training they do in house, and they’ve received outside, I always have 100% confidence that they’re going to be able to do the job to the best of their ability,” McLellan said. “To see the team perform at the function that they do, it’ll make anybody proud, and it’s even an honor to be able to help command those people when they do whatever they do.”

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

OUR DREAM KITCHEN: SMALL BUSINESS OF THE MONTH THE INTERIOR DESIGN GALLERY IS RECOGNIZED FOR ITS SERVICE TO PLANT CITY BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

For Chris Perry, interior design is not just renovating a home, but pushing the boundaries as to what and how accessories can be constructed. His company, Our Dream Kitchen, is all about doing just that, and its growing prominence in town is why it was chosen as the Small Business of the Month for July by the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. Our Dream Kitchen remodels different areas throughout a home by installing new countertops, cabinets, drawers, kitchen sinks, faucets, and new flooring, among other things. Although he has been involved with the chamber for several years, Perry said he never expected his business to be recognized for the month. “It’s really cool to get noticed,” he said. “It makes you realize you’ve done something right.” He established his company with humble beginnings in 2010, and he gradually expanded its services to better accommodate his clients. “I worked out of my house for a long time, and it got to the point where I had to show the product,” Perry said. “Things have pretty much exploded from there.” He transferred the company to Tampa and opened a showroom so that customers could see the accessories up close and get an idea of how they would like to remodel their kitchen or bathroom. The gallery operated out of the building of the company’s manufacturer, Innovation Cabinetry. However, the trip to Tampa was a long commute for Perry and some of his clients, so he set up a new gallery in the building where he has worked from for three years now. Located on the busy corridor of Park Road, the site has been an advantage as

it attracts more clientele and stands out from other establishments, Perry said. “Pretty much when someone comes here, we try to be the one stop,” he said. “We have everything here. We have the flooring, we have the appliances, we have the cabinets (and) we have the granite slabs outside. We’ve had people drive out here from Naples, from Ocala, from Daytona Beach. The more we grow, the tighter our circle gets.” Homes in Hillsborough County and Polk County are the ones that the business will travel to. The company will use its own truck to pick up products from the Tampa distributor, and in some cases the distributor will send out their truck to Plant City. Our Dream Kitchen constructs many specific amenities such as spice racks, wine racks, pantry and oven cabinets, pot and pan drawers, glass door fronts, builtin trash cans, sink flip-outs, and roll-out trays. Microwaves built within a cabinet and large ceramic bowls built in as a bathroom sink, also add to a modernized look. The most popular accessory requested is the white shaker cabinet. In addition to a kitchen and bathroom, the gallery also exhibits a home office. And there is no shortage of business. The company is projected to work on over 100 projects this year, with the next three months being booked, Perry said. He has independent subcontractors who help to provide the adequate service needed. Some projects could take longer than others depending on the condition of where the installation is going to occur. “If we’re getting in there to a normal house, we can go in there (for) four days, have cabinets removed, all new cabinets installed, then there’ll be a couple-day delay for the countertops to come in,” Perry said. “So we can have a kitchen done in 10 days.”

As the business has grown, it has begun selling products from other companies such as ZLine Kitchen and Bath. It has also been featured in the Florida Design magazine and has won the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Award. There are instances when clients will come to the showroom with a remodeling project in mind and leave with several more after seeing the various displays. Even when a project has been completed in one area of a home, the client will think of other projects to do spontaneously. “I want everything to look like your home when you walk in,” Perry said. Sometimes customers will bring in measurements and pictures of the space they would like to be renovated. However, the best assessment is actually going into the home and seeing the site, he said. Perry will not only survey the location of the project, but will also build a layout on computer of what clients would like all free of charge. Occasionally, he will propose ideas that clients have not considered or ones that they may think are impractical. “I made what they said was impossible, come to life,” he said. “If I can’t prove people wrong, I should not be in the business.” The company also hosts charitable events in Plant City, such as the back-toschool giveaway which provides students with necessary school supplies before they start a new semester. Also, during the holidays, bikes are distributed to children who are in need of one. In the long term, Perry would like to open a second showroom gallery also based in Plant City.

PlantCityObserver.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

PlantCityObserver.com

Local Food Bank Receives Festival Event Donation

FUNDS RAISED FROM STRAWBERRY BALL WERE PRESENTED TO UNITED FOOD BANK

BRIAN FERNANDES STAFF WRITER

The Florida Strawberry Festival presented the proceeds from this year’s Strawberry Ball to the United Food Bank of Plant City, on July 21. The $50,000 check was handed over to Mary Heysek, director of the local food bank on the festival fairgrounds. The 48th annual Strawberry Ball was a social event that included dinner, dancing, and a live auction, with the ocean theme “Under the Sea.” It took place on April 30 in the Charlie Grimes Family Agricultural Center. “This year’s Strawberry Ball was a huge success,” said Florida Strawberry Festival

Chairman of the Board Phil Waldron. “Everyone enjoyed the food, the dancing, the theme, the entertainment and, of course, the fellowship, but more importantly, we find g eat satisfaction in knowing the fundraising from this event will impact local families in a big way.” The event has been hosted by the Florida Strawberry Festival since its inception. Originally held prior to the Festival’s opening as a kickoff o the season, several years ago the committee voted to host the ball after the festival as a post-event celebration. The 49th Strawberry Ball will be held on April 29, 2023.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2021

‘STRAWBERRY QUEEN’ CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY HELEN PARKE AND HER LATE HUSBAND ROY FOUNDED THE LEGENDARY PARKESDALE FARMS IN PLANT CITY. TAYLOR JENKINS STAFF WRITER

Celebrating his 40th year at the Florida Strawberry Festival in 2022, performing there each year since 1982, Lee is a long-time friend of the Parke family and certainly no stranger to their impact on Plant City. “This right here is as important as if I was performing in front of 10,000 people on the main stage at the Florida Strawberry Festival,” Lee said. “These people have made a special imprint on so many lives and this is one of the top honors that I can experience. To be in the presence of so many wonderful people who have had such wonderful lives, and they still do, but some may not be able to come to my shows anymore so I bring the show to them. Especially Mrs. Parke, she and her husband used to come to my shows all the time. Talk about being nervous, I think I’m as nervous today as I am performing in front of a bunch of people at the festival.” Through strawberry-themed decor, the facility partied for two hours to honor another year for one of Plant City’s most historically impactful citizens. Parke and her late husband Roy met in 1943, living in Pennsylvania before relocating to Florida in 1956 and ultimately building Parkesdale Farms before shaping generations of fellow Plant City residents. While Roy took on a moniker of the “Strawberry King,” Helen was a fitting queen. What began as 10 acres of strawberry crops has grown into over 800 acres of strawberries, citrus, plants, season-

ings and produce. In 1969, Roy and Helen’s daughter Cheryl opened their legendary Parkesdale Farm Market, where it still sits on West Baker Street today, garnering lines of visitors that come from all over to taste their worldfamous strawberry shortcake. From May through October, the Market opens its doors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., from Wednesday to Sunday. But during their peak season from November through April, they’re open all seven days of the week. Away from the farm, Helen was more than just a mother to her and Roy’s five children, but to everyone in the neighborhood who wanted a seat at the table. When their children were at Plant City High School, the couple served as co-presidents of the Band Parents and Roy was the Booster Club president. Helen hosted many Florida Strawberry Festival meetings in the family’s living room, along with weekly family dinners – often coming with dozens in attendance – for years. Even into her 90’s, she could be found helping out at the Parkesdale Farms plant nursery and can still be found each spring at the Parkesdale Farms booth at the Festival – where Sytsma served for years as an associate director, a director and on a number of committees before being elected the first female chair in festival history in 2017. “She really is an icon,” Sytsma said. “And I know that sounds like I’m bragging, but I’m not. That’s just her. She’s a role model and I hear it all the time, people want to grow up to be Helen Parke and I get that, they just love mom.”

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SPORTS

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

FEATURED FUTURE: LOGAN MAYO 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 begun that journey.

TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER

After four years with Durant, offensive lineman Logan Mayo will be heading to West Virginia Wesleyan College in the fall to continue his athletic and academic journey as a member of their football team. “Man, my time at Durant was a wild ride, to be honest with you,” Mayo said. “It started off pretty good. I was a starter on varsity as a freshman, which was pretty cool to me, I had a pretty good season. Then sophomore year rolled around.” Roughly halfway through Mayo’s sophomore year, he suffered an injury during practice that ended his second high school season. “The last game I played was against Newsome and it was probably my best game of the year, I mean I had like a two minute long highlight tape,” Mayo said. “Then we go to practice that next week, coach tells us to go take a lap around the field and as we’re going to do that, we’re running out the door one of my buddies stepped on the inside of my ankle, my ankle rolled, it broke and it ended my season right there. I was pretty bummed about that, as anyone would be, because that’s half of my season gone. But I wasn’t too worried about it, I still had two more years to play.” After recovering from his ankle injury and ready to get back on the field as a junior, Mayo hit another road block as he suffered

yet another injury that would derail his third year with the Cougars. “My junior year comes around, once again everything’s going good and then we’re playing against Strawberry Crest when a defensive lineman took an outside move and my arm came out of position,” Mayo said. “I reached out too far to get him, he took my arm all the way back and it snapped it right out of socket, tearing my labrum which resulted in me getting surgery in December. That was the end of my junior season.” With now two consecutive years lost due to injury, Mayo began to question whether playing football at the college level would even be a possibility. With ground to make up and very little buzz around his name, he had a lot riding on his senior season. Mayo noted a significant change in Durant’s method of showcasing their players, spearheaded by assistant coach Jon Finley’s approach. “At that point honestly I didn’t think that I was going to end up playing college ball after that, that’s two years just gone, out the window, and at that point I didn’t have anyone looking at me,” Mayo said. “Then my senior year rolls around and all of that changed, thanks to Coach Finley to be honest. He really, really changed the way that Durant approached recruiting. He was constantly on Twitter, constantly posting us and getting us out there.” The summer heading into his senior year, West Virginia Wesleyan got in contact with Mayo and began building a relationship with him. By October they made him his first

collegiate offer. With a former teammate in tight end Nathan Brennan on the roster, the coaching staff had become familiar with Durant’s front and Mayo stuck out. “Their coach already had one of my teammates up there playing, Nathan Brennan, he played with me for three years and graduated in 2021,” Mayo said. “He liked the way that Nate played so he started looking through all of our team’s film and once he got to our offensive line and saw the size that we had — because we had a pretty big O Line last year, we were all over 6’2”, all over 250 pounds, we had some big dudes — he told us that he liked our nastiness and the way that we played. Not to pat ourselves on the back but we had a really hard-nosed offensive line.” Mayo played all across the offensive line in his time at Durant, from center to guard to tackle, and added that West Virginia Wesleyan plans to have him work primarily at offensive tackle due to his 6’4” frame. And while he garnered more offers by the time his high school career was finished, he says that the relationship built with offensive line coach Mike Maloney was different, remaining in constant contact throughout his recruitment process and up through his commitment. “G etting that offer was breathtaking,” Mayo said. “I’ve wanted to play college football since I was a little kid, it’s always been my dream, so for someone to come out of nowhere and give me a chance like that, I was just honored. I was ecstatic, I couldn’t believe it. It was just a dream come true

at that point… I had a couple of different schools talking to me but I didn’t have that relationship with those schools like I did with Coach Maloney at West Virginia Wesleyan. He really took the time to talk to me every day, we were constantly texting back and forth, it seemed like he was really interested in me and wanted me to get up there.” But more importantly than the football side, Mayo will become the first member of his family to go to college and commented on how important it was to him to make his family proud in that regard. Off the field, he’ll major in criminal justice and plans to one day serve as a police officer and ultimately a detective. “It’s amazing,” Mayo said. “It’s pretty cool to make my parents as proud as they were. I’ve never seen my pops cry, but the day I got that offer he was in tears. So it’s just an honor to make them proud, to be honest.” In addition to joining a former teammate at West Virginia Wesleyan, the DII football team plays in the Mountain East Conference alongside Alderson Broaddus, where former Plant City High School running back Reggie Bush Jr. is currently committed.

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

JONAH SCOLARO

FORMER DURANT PITCHER SIGNS WITH CHICAGO WHITE SOX After four years at Durant, Scolaro found himself at Florida State alongside former Plant City pitcher Parker Messick before signing with the White Sox as a nondrafted free agent this past week. TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER

Former Durant High School and Florida State pitcher Jonah Scolaro signed with the Chicago White Sox as a nondrafted free agent on July 21, following the conclusion of the 2022 MLB Draft. As a four-year starter at Durant, the tall lefty was a standout in Hillsborough County as both a pitcher and outfielder. As a sophomore, Scolaro finished the 2015 season with a 1.24 earned run average, 92 strikeouts and a 9-1 record over 14 appearances. As a junior, he finished the 2016 season with a 1.23 ERA, 127 strikeouts and an 8-4 record over 14 appearances. As a Senior, he finished the 2017 season with a 0.79 ERA, 81 strikeouts and a

5-2 record over nine appearances, allowing just five earned runs over 44.1 innings pitched. Scolaro was named honorable mention All-Hillsborough County by the Tampa Bay Times as an outfielder as a freshman, a first team pitcher as a sophomore, a second team pitcher as a junior and a first team outfielder as a senior, batting .385 with two home runs, two triples and nine doubles over his final high school season, on top of his impressive statline on the mound. His 306 career strikeouts set a record for the most in Durant history. Once crosstown rivals, Scolaro became teammates with former Plant City pitcher Parker Messick at Florida State – drafted 54th overall in the second round by the Cleveland Guardians in 2022 – when he joined

the team in 2020, Scolaro’s junior season. Over five seasons with the Seminoles, Scolaro compiled a 7-8 record with a 3.62 ERA, 12 saves and 211 strikeouts over 166.2 innings pitched, the fourth-highest mark in program history. He garnered Freshman AllAmerican honors from Collegiate Baseball in 2018 and was named a Summer 2021 Cape Cod League All-Star as a member of the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. In June, following the conclusion of his college career, Scolaro joined and made his professional debut with the High Point Rockers of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. With the Rockers, he posted a 2-3 record with a 5.53 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 27.2 innings over six starts.

Photos courtesy of Florida State University

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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STRAWBERRY CREST SWIM TEAM CHANGING LANES

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

In their first ear under new coaches Cassie Mattison and Courtney Donhaiser, the Chargers’ swim team won their first district championship this ast year.

TAYLOR JENKINS SPORTS WRITER

For the fi st time in Strawberry Crest’s history, their girls swim team brought home a district title last season, with the boys team finishing econd at the district meet. With their previous coach changing schools, English teacher Cassie Mattison was approached about taking over as the programs next head coach. Despite never having coached a swim team, the administration recognized her familiarity with the sport due to her children being dedicated swimmers at the club level. Her agreement came on one condition, that being the inclusion of her fellow teacher Courtney Donhaiser joining the coaching staff alon side her. “I was approached, they said that they know I’m around the pool all the time already and that they know I’ve been around the sport for a long time and asked if I would be interested in coaching,” Mattison said. “I said that I would only coach if Courtney Donhaiser will coach with me, because I know that she had experience teaching swimming, she swam in high school and she swam intramural for the University of Florida, so I knew that she would have that technical experience.”

Teaching within Strawberry Crest’s English department for six years together, Mattison and Donhaiser helped grow the Chargers’ team into a more competitive program in just one season. With a mix of swimmers from all different experience levels, from those in just their fi st year swimming competitively to those that swim year-round at both the high school and club level, their practices are broken down accordingly. The novice swimmers work with Mattison while the more experienced swimmers are able to work separately, often coming over to help with their newer teammates. “It was really cool because Courtney and I went in with no expectations and maybe that was a part of the magic ingredient,” Mattison said. “We didn’t feel any pressure, we just said that we haven’t done this before, we got a lot of advice from other coaches, from other club coaches and the kids helped us so much, especially those seasoned swimmers. They gave us a lot of advice on what they’ve found works and what doesn’t work and again, they got into the pool and helped each other out. It was pretty amazing. And we had so many kids where it was their fi st year ever swimming on a swim team, I would say that for 25 to 30 percent of them, it was their fi st time on a swim team.”

Despite so many new swimmers, their hard work and consistency allowed them to play an integral part in the team’s district results. Mattison noted how team competitions are based on an aggregate point system, and that even if a swimmer wasn’t going out and necessarily finishing first, having swimmers that worked hard to give the Chargers’ a competitor in every possible event gave the team a chance to earn points. “Even though we had novice swimmers, as long as they were out there and they were swimming, they had a chance to earn us points,” Mattison said. “And that’s kind of how things fell for us because we had so many kids who came out and they were consistent. They came to practice and they listened and they got better and stronger. We actually had to start pulling workouts from club teams because our workouts were becoming too easy for even the newer swimmers. They didn’t know what to expect either, they just went into districts thinking that we’ll go out and try our best. We tried to fill every lane with a swimmer, we tried to make sure that we didn’t have any events that were empty and that’s kind of how we won districts.” And with so many new swimmers finding su cess, it not only allows them to grow and be even better competitors next season, but Mattison noted how it

has created a buzz around the program and attracted even more students to sign up for the team. “It’s valuable in a couple of ways,” Mattison said about the team’s experience heading into next year. “One, they’re going to know what to come in and expect, but it’s also created a buzz and we have even more kids wanting to come out. We can have 30 boys and 30 girls so we’ve never had a need for roster spots but we’ve got so many kids who are already signed up and interested in coming because they’ve seen others that didn’t really know how to swim competitively come out and show up and do great. These kids just have this confiden e that’s been built because they’ve seen other kids go out there and do it and find su cess it in. It’s pretty cool. We’ve created that environment, that’s the way swimmers are, they’re very welcoming, they’re supportive, they cheer for everyone at every event.” Mattison and Donhaiser have even partnered with local swim clubs, including High 5 in Brandon where Mattison’s children swim, to try and not only build the skill set of their high school swimmers and help turn them into into year-round competitors, but help make the area a hotbed for swimming talent. Mattison added that High 5 has worked with

the staff o meet with them, providing both advice and resources. And with so much time spent at the facility to watch her own kids swim, she’s even noticed an uptick in participation from some of the newer swimmers at Crest who have started working there to gear up for the upcoming high school season this fall. On the individual side, Strawberry Crest was represented earlier this July at the Speedo Southern Zone Sectionals in Plantation where Hubert Pilichowski qualified or the 200 meter breaststroke finals and M chaela Walker set a personal best in the 100 meter breaststroke. Pilichowski qualified or the state meet as a sophomore and regionals as a junior. This upcoming year, as a senior, he will be a team captain in search of another state championship appearance. In addition, multiple members of the Chargers’ team will compete at the 2022 AAU Junior Olympic Games in Greensboro, North Carolina from July 28-31.

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

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THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR AROUND TOWN

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We asked Plant City: If you could create your own work schedule, what would it be and why? “My department allows us to work the hours that we like (within reason). Several of my coworkers work four 10-hour shifts. I work Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 3:30, and 7 to 11 a.m. on Fridays. 4:30 is too late and cuts into making dinner, but getting up to start at 5 a.m. is tough, that’s my self compromise. I work remote.” - Sandra Rivera VanHorn

“10 to when I get done, like four days a week.” - Amanda Paige Delage “Work truly remote from anywhere and I don’t mind weekends so long as work/life balance for appointments and getting kids to school isn’t an issue. A four-day work weeks sounds nice too.” - Amanda Harper

“Mid-day, to miss traffic on I-4 - Heather Mini

“I already have my ideal work schedule . I work four days a week and have Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays off. I work two twelve-hour days and two eight-hour days with 30-minute breaks.” - Traci Toskas Shapiro

“I have the perfect work week. I’m retired.” - Fran Frazier Wills

“Retired. My work schedule is whatever I feel like.” - Gary Hughes

“Switch the ‘weekend’ and ‘weekdays’.” Carol White

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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Judy Gilbert Clayton, 71, of Plant City, born in Attalla, Ala. on Oct. 12, 1950, entered into eternal rest on July 14, 2022. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

Joyce Cody Joyce Cody, 81, of Dover, Fla., born in Dublin, Ga. on Oct. 22, 1940, entered into eternal rest on July 22, 2022. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com

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Tom “Tommy” Sylvester Creel III Tom “Tommy” Sylvester Creel III, 53, of Plant City, Florida, born on Jan. 17, 1969, entered into eternal rest on July 23, 2022. He was a Veteran of the United States Army. He loved his family dearly, especially his grandbabies, and enjoyed fishing and pl ying horseshoes. He is survived by wife of 29 years, Virginia “Gina” Rae Creel; children, Garrett Creel of Plant City, and Abigail Creel Maltos (Damien) of Mulberry; grandchildren, Daylen Maltos, and Alexander Creel; and mother, Patricia Gail “Sunny” Crisp (Allen) of Plant City. He was preceded in death by father, Tom Sylvester Creel, Jr. A Celebration of Life will be held July 29 at 3 p.m. at Hopewell Funeral Home, 6005 South County Road 39, Plant City, where the family will receive friends beginning at 2 p.m. Graveside committal to follow at

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Erica Aviles

Erica Aviles, 22, of Dover, Fla., passed away on July 18, 2022. A Mass service was held July 26, 2022 at Clement Catholic Church, Hamilton “Frank” Hodge, 1106 North Alexander 85, of Ocala, Fla., born in Dorothy McDonald RichStreet, Plant City, FL Plant City on Nov. 29, 1936, ardson, 98, of Plant City, entered into eternal rest on born on July 3, 1924, entered 33563. Online condolences may July 20, 2022. into eternal rest on July 22, be left for the family at Expressions of condolence 2022. at HopewellFuneral.com. Expressions of condolence www.haught.care. at HopewellFuneral.com.

Hamilton ‘Frank’ Hodge

Dorothy McDonald Richardson

St Clement Catholic Church, Plant City. Online condolences may be left for the family at haught.care

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

Luis Enrique Silvestre

OBITUARIES

Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Plant City. Reception to follow at Life’s Journey Baptist Church, 110 N Forbes Road, Plant City, 33566. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

Judy Gilbert Clayton

Luis Enrique Silvestre, 13, of Dover, Fla., passed away on July 20, 2022. HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM The family will receive friends July Frances H. 30, 2022 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Haught Hodges Funeral Home Chapel 708 W. Dr. MLK Jr. Frances H. Hodges, 89, Blvd. Plant City FL 33563. of Plant City, Fla., passed Funeral services will follow away on July 6, 2022. The at 5 p.m. family will receive friends Online condolences may July 30, 2022 from 10 to be left for the family at 11 a.m. at Haught Funeral haught.care. Home Chapel, 708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM Online condolences may be left for the family at haught.care.

HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Bruce C. Blanton Bruce C. Blanton, 64, entered into eternal rest on July 18, 2022. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

Gail Lyn Ebdrup Gail Lyn Ebdrup, 70, of Plant City, Fla., born in National City, Calif. on April 28, 1952, entered into eternal rest on July 21, 2022. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

Dolores Lee Schroeder Dolores Lee Schroeder, 91 of Plant City passed away July 20, 2022. A Funeral Mass was held Tuesday, July 26, 2022,

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ALL OBITUARIES ARE SUBMITTED AND EDITED BY FAMILIES OR FUNERAL HOMES

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

OBITUARIES

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

Donald Lee Hammersla

TakingDonald careLee ofHammersla, 90,is of what Plant City was each other called home on July 17, community 2022. Donald was born on April 25, 1932, in is all about.

Philadelphia, Penn. Fond memories and we’re dedicatedof to helping families create a O U D TO S E RVE our community expressions sympaunique and meaningful memorial that truly al, compassionate care since 1896. celebrates life it represents. nity Memorial professionals, thy may betheshared at 100% Service Guarantee www.WellsMemorial. > National Plan Transferability ereavement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® com for the Hammersla R family. ®

Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival.

Wells MeMorial & event Center

Gregorio Mateo-Santiago PlanT CiTy

813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com

Gregorio Mateo-SanTaking care of tiago, 87, of San Juan, each other is passed what away Puerto Rico

10/27/15 10:42 AM

on Thursday, July 14, 2022. community Gregorio was born May 9,

is 1935. all about.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy we’re dedicated to helping families create a O U D TO S E RVE our community may shared at www. and meaningful memorial that truly nal, compassionate care since 1896.beunique celebrates the life it represents. gnity Memorial professionals, WellsMemorial.com for the 100% Service Guarantee > National Plan Transferability Mateo-Santiago family. ereavement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® ®

R Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival.

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BEST BET THURSDAY, JULY 21 LAST FRIDAY IN DOWNTOWN 5 to 9 p.m. at 110 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. July’s theme will be a magical event for wizards and muggles alike as the Harry Potter Birthday Celebration takes over downtown Plant City..

THURSDAY, JULY 28

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

YOUR CALENDAR

PlanT CiTy

813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com 10/27/15 10:42 AM

PLANT CITY TOASTMASTERS 7:30 to 9 a.m. Join the Plant City Toastmasters for breakfast, laughs, and fun; there’s no better way to start your Thursday mornings. Bring a chair and a mask. The Toastmasters also offer Zoom meetings for those who can’t make it in person. Visit the Facebook page, facebook.com/ PlantCityToastmasters, for meeting locations and information. SATURDAY, AUGUST 6 CHONKY ALPHABET BOOK SIGNING 2 to 4 p.m. at 115 S. Evers St. Do you know your cat ABC’s? From “blep” to “nip cops”, “loaf” to “beets”, The Chonky Alphabet book provides cat enthusiasts (and non-cat enthusiasts) with an A to Z guide to the most vital terms of cat chat. Head down to the Tipsy Bookwork to meet Plant City’s own best-selling author Victoria Smude and get your copy of the book signed! Books and cat swag will be available for purchase and the fi st 50 people to arrive at the pet-friendly event will receive a free chonky cat bookmark. If you’d like to purchase your own copy of the book before the event, The Chonky Alphabet is available on Amazon.com.

BLUEGRASS JAM! 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. This is an open invitation for local Bluegrass musicians and fans to come to the Krazy Kup loft and jam, clap hands, stomp feet and enjoy! Krazy Kup holds their Bluegrass JAM on the fi st Saturday of every month. PLANT CITY SOCIAL DANCE 6 to 9:30 p.m. at 4401 Promenade Blvd. DJ Ken will be hosting the Plant City Social Dance every Saturday throughout the month of August at the Strawberry Square Dance Center. Cups and water will be available and the event’s cost is $7 per person. For more information or a chance to look at sample playlists, visit www.djkenmiller. com.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12 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 our 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, AUGUST 13 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 sh w everyone what you’ve got.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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FORECAST

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

THURSDAY, JULY 28 High: 96 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 8%

FRIDAY, JULY 29 High: 96 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 15%

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

SUNRISE/SUNSET Sunrise Sunset Thursday, July 28

6:48a

8:20p

Friday, July 29

6:49a

8:19p

Saturday, July 30

6:49a

8:19p

Sunday, July 31

6:50a

8:19p

Monday, August 1

6:51a

8:18p

Tuesday, August 2

6:51a

8:17p

Wednesday, August 3

6:52a

8:16p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JULY 30 High: 94 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 24%

SUNDAY, JULY 31 High: 96 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 24%

MONDAY, AUGUST 1 Daniel Gallegos submitted this photo showing off ome of the beautiful scenery in Plant City.

ONLINE

High: 96 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 24%

Across 1 Is sporting 6 Bobby who lost to Billie Jean King in tennis’ “Battle of the Sexes” 11 Place to unwind 14 Grenoble’s river 15 Sign up, in Sussex 16 Reliever’s asset 17 “ABC” group, with “The” 19 USN clerk 20 Hot state 21 Heat unit 22 Ruhr Valley city 24 Art class subject 26 Part-plant DC Comics superhero 28 Compulsive thief, for

short 30 Thoughts spoken onstage 31 Prefix with omic 32 “Not for me” 35 Left on a liner 36 Pioneer’s wagon with an upward-curved floo 39 Popular side 42 Sore 43 Makeshift knives 47 More minute 49 Without a musical key 50 Weight loss guru 54 New Haven Ivy 55 Stream of insults, say 56 “It’s __ to you” 58 Given a meal

59 Printemps month 60 Skirt, as an issue ... or a hint to the puzzle’s circles 63 Outer: Prefi 64 Slices in a pie, often 65 Gold unit 66 Blue shade 67 Designer fragrance 68 Prepared for a TV interview Down 1 Mischief 2 Ordinarily 3 Any of 11 1860s states 4 Sitcom planet 5 Outdoor home 6 Agree to more issues

7 Start to structure 8 Big name in fairy tales 9 Federal URL ending 10 Makes things slippery, in a way 11 Closes the marital deal 12 Peacock, e.g. 13 Surrounded by 18 Extremely 23 Shout from the main mast 25 Momentous victories 27 Part of UTEP 29 Excessively 32 Bench press target, for short 33 Bat wood 34 Metaphor for a mess 37 “Breaking Bad” agent 38 Prime meridian std. 39 Place near the Pennsylvania Railroad 40 Relax 41 Retirement income source 44 Down 45 Chemical bonding number 46 Tobogganed 48 Ophthalmologist, for short 49 Lago fille 51 Wound up costing 52 Highway through Whitehorse 53 __-France 57 Senior’s highlight 61 Comic strip cry 62 Non opposite

July 28 New

Aug. 5 First

Aug. 11 Full

Aug. 19 Last

RAINFALL LAST WEEK:

MONTH TO DATE:

1.51in.

10.75 in.

YEAR TO DATE:

JULY AVERAGE:

30.45 in.

8.65 in.

OKRA

Shipping point: South Florida $14.35-$16.00

Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

WEATHER

I LOVE PLANT CITY

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THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

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