8.27.20 PLCO

Plant City Observer

y Observer

YO UR HOMETOW N. YO UR NEWSPAP ER .

YOUR HOMETOWN. YOUR NEWSPAPER

VOLUME 6, NO. 112

YO UR NEWS PAP ER .

FREE

•

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

CITY BUDGET WORKSHOP REVEALS

BIG CHANGES AHEAD The former post office is set to be demolished and the PCPD body camera pilot program is underway.

ALL SMILES FOR

SEE PAGE 5

MARGIE GONZALEZ

Gonzalez’s neighbors, friends and loved ones celebrated the local philanthropist’s 90th birthday on Tuesday evening with a surprise drive-through parade at her home.

SEE PAGE 8

NEWS BRIEFS

2

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

|

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

File photo

Meals on Wheels volunteer Judy Wise delivers food to a client.

Food bank reports substantial increase in service The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the workload for the United Food Bank of Plant City to shoot way up from the same timeframe in 2019, according to a press release sent last week.

The UFBPC compared 2019 and 2020 data for households served, people served and pounds distributed for the months of March through July. It found that the number of people served at least doubled in four of the five months, that the number of households served at least tripled in four of the five months and that the pounds of food and items distributed at least doubled in three of the five months.

“We have more than experienced a doubling of those in need of assistance during this time,” director Mary Heysek said. “For example, when the shutdowns began in March, our food bank distributed 185,493 pounds of groceries and assisted 8,224 people vs. 2019, where we distributed 101,674 pounds of groceries to 3,996 people. Most recently, for the month of July, we distributed 481,964 pounds to 11,733 people vs 2019’s 161,110 to 5,743 people. Our daily average of people served from March to July has been 457 per day.”

BY THE NUMBERS March 2019: 3,966 people served,

1,850 households served, 101,674 pounds distributed

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

The Wooden Spoon Diner served breakfast to Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Unity in the Community’s latest act of charity will help the Boys and Girls Club of Plant City help its kids.

April 2019: 4,591 people served, 2,407 households served, 143,932 pounds distributed May 2019: 3,797 people served, 1,299 households served, 159,040 pounds distributed June 2019: 5,548 people served, 2,921 households served, 129,250 pounds distributed July 2019: 5,743 people served, 2,853 households served, 161,110 pounds distributed March 2020: 8,224 people served (107.36% increase), 5,431 households served (193.57% increase), 185,493 pounds distributed (82.44% increase) April 2020: 11,017 people served (139.97% increase), 8,505 households served (253.34% increase), 399,924 pounds distributed (177.86% increase) May 2020: 7,851 people served (106.77% increase), 4,799 households served (269.44% increase), 232,946 pounds distributed (46.47% increase) June 2020: 9,625 people served (73.49% increase), 5,865 households served (100.79% increase), 413,145 pounds distributed (219.65% increase) July 2020: 11,733 people served (104.30% increase), 6,625 households served (132.21% increase), 481,964 pounds distributed (199.15% increase)

For more information about the United Food Bank of Plant City, call 813-764-0625.

Meals on Wheels seeking volunteers Meals on Wheels of Plant City is looking for drivers to deliver food for two hours a day, five days a week.

Volunteers pick up the day’s meals from Winn-Dixie, 205 W. Alexander St., between 10 and 10:30 a.m. and deliver to clients along their route for the next two hours.

The group covers seven specific areas of Plant City.

Anyone interested in volunteering can call the Meals on Wheels office at 813-7549932. Office hours are between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Community input sought for bus service Plant City residents are now being asked to share their thoughts on whether a bus service is needed in town.

Anyone interested in participating in the Plant City Transit Study Virtual Open House and Survey can view the program’s open house and provide comments online at tinyurl.com/PlantCityTransitStudy from now through Sept. 13.

For more information, contact Vishaka Shiva Raman at 813-273-3774 ext. 350.

Call 813-273-3774 ext. 211 for Spanish.

Wooden Spoon reaches 2,000-meal mark The Wooden Spoon Diner in Plant City has now donated more than 2,000 meals to essential workers in Plant City, Brandon and Polk County after visiting Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Winter Haven on Monday.

Owner Manny Roussos and staff served 350 meals to PCSO personnel that morning, bringing the count up to 2,060 since the COVD-19 shutdowns began in March

Protest at MADZone A group of protestors gathered at MADZone Jumphouse on Sunday afternoon to raise awareness for a number of causes, ranging from police brutality to missing persons and domestic violence.

The protest doubled as a kids’ play day with a dunk tank outside, MADZone’s games and jumpies inside and vendors serving up snow cones, popcorn and other snacks. The party rooms were decorated with pictures of people who have been affected or victimized in incidents the group came to protest.

Unity donates to Boys and Girls Club Unity in the Community presented the Boys and Girls Club of Plant City with a $10,000 check on Aug. 21.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

|

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

SELENA FERRER BRINGS SURREAL WORLDS INTO THE REAL WORLD Photos courtesy of Selena Ferrer

The local artist’s eye-catching art draws heavily from nature and human culture.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Selena Ferrer’s art career started in the simplest way possible: with some paint, a piece of cardboard and an idea.

It was just a woman, partly covered by flowers, who was brushed into life on that cardboard several years ago. But bringing that woman from Ferrer’s head into the real world was the confirmation she needed to know that devoting her life to this — “running away to become an artist,” as her best friend told her — was the right call to make.

“Once I got to college and I kept pursuing that first painting, I decided I was feeling this for myself and conquering my own ideas,” Ferrer said. “I couldn’t stop after that painting.”

Her art has taken her from breaking into the local scene in her hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, to living out her dreams throughout the Tampa Bay area while making her home in Plant City.

“In Chattanooga, only one of my friends had put together an art show,” Ferrer said. “It was the first thing any of us had seen in our town. It was rare to have a diverse cultural/arts scene with the youth… (in Tampa Bay), I can walk around and see young people posted up with paintings, doing music.”

The two driving forces behind Ferrer’s work are nature and humanity, which often come together on canvas in the wildest of ways. Her art is often surreal, meshing roots of the earth with roots of the people in psychedelic explosions of color in acrylics and oils.

“I’ve always found it so intriguing that the world we live in, there’s a lot of inexplicable miracles,” Ferrer said. “Yet when it comes to nature, there’s always a formula to how these things come about. I’ve always tried to put that in the form of human relationships and human connection to that. There’s mechanics to how we live, what we do, technology and advancements around us. We’re walking miracles… I’m always blown away by the world we live in and the creation around us.”

Nature is such an important part of her creative process that she prefers to paint outside whenever possible. In Plant City, she’s been known to post up at the Krazy Kup courtyard and work.

Her art style evolved into something predominantly surreal, and her methods have evolved well beyond a traditional canvas. Ferrer has also taken up painting on handbags, jackets and other clothing items, learning sculpture, photography and film, cre-

ating digital art and body art.

She’s also not one to sit still at an art show, whether she’s hosting or just exhibiting in it: you can often find her performing in them, whether it’s live-painting or even dancing.

“I picked up dancing early on,” Ferrer said. “I was my brother’s little shadow and I picked up art and dancing from him super early on. I feel like dancing is neckto-neck with painting on how passionate I am. It’s more of an impromptu therapy. As a curator, I like to have fun at my own shows.

I love seeing a production and I love being a part of a production.”

Since moving to Florida with her family in 2018, Ferrer has curated and performed in several shows in the Tampa Bay area. In one of her favorites, a 2019 show at The Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, Ferrer live-painted using her hands and feet while friend and drummer Natalie Depergola and her band played music.

Though she’s only been in Plant City for a short time, Ferrer hopes to become a part of the city’s own growing arts scene.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Ferrer and more artists like her to take their talents onto the Internet for virtual shows and exhibitions, one of which is a video series coming soon to The Studio@620’s website.

“It has made me not make excuses for procrastination when it comes to virtual stuff, computer marketing with my own art,” she said. “I think I really needed this kind of kick in the butt. I’ve done a few projects virtually with a few people and that’s been a cool, adaptable experience. I’m learning every day how to take this approach, but it’s been good.

I needed this time to stay in the house, even though that’s hard to do. I’m working on my website and submitting my work to places.”

“Vagary” was the perfect word for her to use as an official name for her art projects. The dictionary definition of the word, as seen in Merriam-Webster, is an “erratic, unpredictable or extravagant manifestation, action or notion.”

Its Latin context means “to wander.” Ferrer’s personal connection with the word is shared with her circle of friends.

“We had just reached senior year in high school and me and my best friends were all gonna go our separate ways,” she said.

“We ended up wanting to get tattoos together. We spent a whole day hanging out and thinking about something to get. My best friend looked up this word and saw a connection to how our lives were… there’s something serendipitous and awesome about growing in art. We all got the tattoo. I picked it for my art because of that. How I make art is always evolving. It’s based on my emotions and life experiences.”

You can see and buy Ferrer’s work online at vagaryart.com and follow her on Instagram at @vagary_art.

3

4

COPS CORNER

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

|

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

PLANT CITY

Observer

This week on Cops Corner: Plant City Police investigated stolen ballcaps, stolen kids toys, a computer scam and more.

Publisher / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com Managing Editor / Sarah Holt SHolt@PlantCityObserver.com Associate Editor / Sports Editor / Justin Kline JKline@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writer / Breanne Williams BWilliams@PlantCityObserver.com

AUG. 14

AUG. 16

TAKEN IDENTITY 100 block of Carey Street Vehicle burglary: This complainant stated her vehicle was burglarized overnight and her Florida driver’s license was missing. She signed a waiver of prosecution.

FIX ONE PROBLEM, FIND ANOTHER 2800 block of James L. Redman Parkway Theft: While shopping at Lowes, this complainant reported, her cell phone and wallet were stolen.

AUG. 15

ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT VEHICLE BURGLARY 700 block of East Drew Street Vehicle burglary: Unknown suspect(s) entered an unlocked vehicle and stole a secure garage door opener, which belonged to the Florida Forest Department.

IN THE WEEDS 2100 block of North Merrin Street Theft: This complainant stated her lawnmower was stolen overnight.

BUMMER IN THE SUMMER 1400 block of West Granfield Avenue Petit theft: This complainant stated a subject stole their children’s wagon and slide from the front yard of their home.

AUG. 17 BIKE BANDIT 300 block of McLendon Street Theft: This complainant reported her bicycle and cell phone were stolen sometime during the prior week while she was at the library.

She signed a waiver of prosecution.

ing an Apple Watch and miscellaneous items from her mailbox sometime on Aug. 12.

AUG. 18 ONE STEP AHEAD 1210 block of West Washington Street Vehicle theft, multiple charges: Officers responded to a report of a found vehicle that had not been reported stolen at the time. They arrested two juveniles for charges of unreported vehicle theft and possession of firearms.

PUSHING YOUR LUCK 2700 block of Thonotosassa Road NVDL: Officers saw a male subject driving on Interstate 4 at a high rate of speed. When they made contact with him, they found he was driving on a suspended license. The man was arrested and taken to Orient Road Jail without incident.

an unknown subject contacted her and told her that her computer had been hacked. They offered to help catch the “scammer” if she sent them $1,000 in eBay gift cards, which she did.

NO CAP 2400 block of James L. Redman Parkway Shoplifting: Hibbett Sports reported the theft of several baseball hats from the store.

SIR, THIS IS A WENDY’S 1600 block of West Baker Street Trespassing: Officers made contact with a male subject who was causing a disturbance inside of the Wendy’s on West Baker Street.

They learned the man had previously been trespassed from the building on July 29 and arrested him. He was taken to Orient Road Jail without incident.

AIRING IT OUT 3500 block of West Baker Street Criminal mischief: This complainant stated someone broke out the AUG. 19 rear window of his 2012 Chevrolet PACKAGE PIRATE

by David August 26,SCAMMERS 2020 Camaro. He signed a waiver ofEdited1200 block ofSteinberg Goldfinch Drive GONNA SCAM prosecution.

Theft: This complainant stated 1500 block of Oakdale Street 13 “Look Alive” ACROSS 49someone Cookie stole a package 41 Malek of reported containFraud: This complainant

21 22 25 26

29

34 35 37

and “Stayin’ “Mr. Robot” Alive” 42 Convention Kids’ party plans drink 43 Geek (out) Calm under 44 Discoverer pressure of Jupiter’s Hardly a four largest neatnik moons Louise’s 48 Beethoven’s sister on “Moonlight “Bob’s ___” Burgers” 49 Slender-billed More than wader “The 50 Lessened YO UR as HOMETOWN. YO UR NEWSPAP ER .

Sixth ___” 51 Spread, (Shyamalan fingers film) 52 Bright-eyed When YOUR HOMETOWN. and YOUR NEWSPAPER Romeo bushy-tailed meets Juliet 54 South Pacific USPS archipelago delivery 55 Like some Brit’s language surprised cry tests Valley with 56 Mardi ___ winery tours 60 Contend Courage, 61 “Ice Bucket informally Challenge” Shoes that subj. have colorways

Plant City Observer

This week’s Crossword PREVIOUS PUZZLEanswers ANSWER

Call (813) 704-6850

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

CONTACT US

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.

To contact us, send your information via: Email: Sarah Holt, SHolt@ PlantCityObserver.com.

YO UR HOMETO WN. YO 32 UR NEWSPAP ER .

33

TO ADVERTISE

We want to hear from you. Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements.

lant City Observer 27 28

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

SEND US YOUR NEWS

Universal Crossword

1 Half the Monster’s “California street Dreamin’” 52 Woody singers Guthrie’s son 6 “Drat!”

53 Preparing 10 Slap turkeys for a bracelets fancy meal, and fidget say? spinners 57 Bit of land 14 Simple-living 58 Dreadful sect 59 Caterpillar, 15 Indian e.g. flatbread 62 Anjou or 16 Other, in Bosc Oaxaca 63 Cracked, as 17 Farfalle, a door for one 64 Online 18 Abbr. in a list commerce of authors 65 “Grand” ice 19 Not fatty cream brand 20 Verifying, 66 Delta buildup in a way 67 Desert 23 Bunches and refuges bunches DOWN 24 State lines?

1 Cartog25 Stone-faced rapher’s 28 South Pacific creation island country 2 Casual 30 Actress Tyler Reddit 31 “Sticks and interview, stones may for short break my 3 Assorted: This week’s Sudoku bones ...” answers Abbr. elicitor 4 Of the stars 36 Endmost 5 Monastery bills in a till with a kung 38 Insect in fu style a colony 6 Wave’s peak 39 He sold his 7 Campus birthright military org.

40 Form of 8 Some mutual Southern aid for the Paiutes’ 14-Across state 45 Perfectly 9 Tough choice chosen 10 It’s often 46 Hole in one, passed down on a par by word of three hole mouth 47 Courses 11 Wiped out with few 12 Clog-clearing obstacles? brand

Advertising Graphic Designer / Juan Alvarez

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

Puzzle Solution:

“Responsibility, pressure. It’s a bit stressful. I try and come to terms with it by not thinking about it.” ~ Joe Strummer

Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100B, Plant City, FL 33563

Facebook: Plant City Observer Instagram: @plcobserver Twitter: @PlantObserver

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.

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

Publishers of the

Plant City Observer

PlantCityObserver.com 8/25

© 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com

©Copyright Plant City Media LLC 2018 All Rights Reserved

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

|

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

5

SCHOOL DISTRICT BRACES FOR IMPACT AS DOORS OFFICIALLY OPEN MONDAY

Despite the many complications that have risen throughout the process of determining if and when students would return to classrooms, Hillsborough County is sticking to its plan to reopen its doors on Monday.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Schools are reopening, Florida’s weekly death average continues to decline and hospitalizations are steadily decreasing.

So is the state on the right track?

To put it simply, it’s complicated.

As of Wednesday, Florida added 3,220 COVID-19 cases, which brought the number of infections up to 608,722 according to the Florida Department of Health. Those numbers — while on the decline — cannot easily be brushed off. The state also had 155 deaths from COVID, which brought the weekly death average down to 115 people per day. That means Florida is now at 10,872 total deaths.

People have fallen into a routine. Those who take the virus seriously still stay home as much as possible and wear their masks out in public even in areas without a mask mandate. Those who don’t go out as they please and will advocate for their right to go maskless. The data has indicated that if the routine remains uninterrupted, eventually the numbers would decrease to the World Health Organization’s recommendation of a positivity rate of 5 percent or below — currently, Florida’s average weekly positivity rate is around 14 percent, according to Johns Hopkins University — and Florida could confidently say it had a handle on COVID-19.

But the routine is now interrupted.

Schools are opening up. Hillsborough County has one of the largest school districts in Florida and opinions on how best to educate those students has been a topic of intense debate for months.

First the schools were going to open on Aug. 10, then on Aug. 24 and then students were told they would do a month of virtual school followed by some brick-and-mortar learning in the fall. That didn’t last long and the administration decided the students would do a virtual “Start Smart” on Aug. 24 for a full week before the doors to the buildings would open on Aug. 31.

That didn’t sit well with many officials and parents, nor did the direction offered from Florida’s Department of Education officials, and Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson ruled in favor of the state’s teachers’ union on Monday. Dodson said the Department of Education “essentially ignored the requirement of school safety” because they were forcing schools to reopen their doors.

So teachers, parents, students and elected officials were left confused and questioning the future. However, on a quick County School Board workshop on Tuesday morning, a plan was finally created. Superintendent Addison Davis and attorney Jim Porter referenced Dodson’s ruling and suggested the board not take any action despite the ruling benefiting local school boards.

They reminded them the ruling is on appeal and there is a good chance it will end up in the state Supreme Court. So they said Hillsborough should keep on with their plan but also monitor the lawsuit in case there is a final decision.

So despite the hurdles, the school year started Monday for thousands of students across the county. Students and teachers logged to their virtual classrooms and immediately encountered a problem.

For three hours Monday morning — from 7 to 10 a.m. — more than 220,000 teachers and students logged into Zoom calls and Canvas, the district’s eLearning app.

The system crashed. Parents reported the system malfunction immediately on social media and many voiced their frustrations with the setup.

Luckily it was only down for a few hours and everything was fixed and back in action by mid-morning. Many students will return to brick-and-mortar next week, but those who have the ability and resources to successfully learn from home will likely continue that route. Teachers have their coursework planned out for both in-person lessons and virtual lectures.

Not reopening the schools is something countless parents have called into school board meetings to oppose and social media was flooded over the last few months with posts pleading for the district to open up classrooms.

Safety is obviously a concern. The weekly report of cases in the county’s schools shows three more student cases and 25 more staff cases have been added since Aug. 14. Those come mainly from students who are on campus for preschool or athletics. Teachers returned toward the end of July to begin their planning.

With classrooms filled, it is inevitable the numbers will spike again. However, as many parents have vocalized, sticking strictly to eLearning will inevitably leave children behind. Those who cannot afford top-quality equipment, those with learning disabilities, those who have parents who work, those who don’t have access to routine meals, those who have to share their resources with their siblings, those who have only succeeded with the added benefit of tutors or more hands-onlearning and countless others will need in-person instruction to succeed and stay on track for graduation.

In four days, the classrooms will open with students expected to social distance when possible and wear masks. Teachers have stocked their rooms with hand sanitizer and sanitation wipes and have restructured their lessons to adapt to the new CDC guidelines.

6

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

|

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

CITY BUDGET WORKSHOP: BIG CHANGES COMING SOON FOR POST OFFICE, PCPD

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Change is coming to Plant City.

The annual budget workshop was held Monday evening before the city commission meeting and several key projects were announced for the next fiscal year. One is a sad farewell, the other a promising beginning.

Despite big dreams for the former post office on Reynolds Street, the city officially announced it will demolish the old building. The city initially purchased the facility, which was built in 1935 and renovated in 1961, with hopes of restoring it and using it as a potential extension of City Hall. Commissioners agreed to purchase the building, its parking lot and outlying parking lots for $315,000.

At the time, they knew there was asbestos and mold in the building. Early reports showed it was “entirely manageable.” In fact, the preliminary assessments showed it would cost the city between $6 million and $7 million to rebuild a facility similar to the former post office, but would only take approximately $2.5 million to $3 million to renovate it.

The deeper the city dove, though, the more it learned that initial assessment was far from the truth.

“As part of hoping to save it, I had evaluations done and we did some internal reviews of the building,” City Manager Bill McDaniel said. “It will require too much of an investment to fix the problems they’ve found. It would be up to $2 million to just get it ready to renovate and then you have to add the renovation costs. It just doesn’t make financial sense to make that com-

mitment. And believe me, I really wanted to find a way to make it work. But the numbers just aren’t there.”

Instead, the city will demolish the building for $150,000 and then assess the space, get a design and cost estimate and begin construction on a new facility.

The fact is, City Hall is filled to the brim and there is a desperate need for expansion. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the new facility will be home to an extension.

McDaniel said “anything is on the table at this point” and while its first purpose would be for an expansion of City Hall, he knows how valuable that piece of real estate is. The city would be “very open to the right type of development” if someone were to come along with a pitch. Nothing small-scale would do, but the city would be up for a conversation if the right idea was floated.

The workshop also showed a new project was around the corner. The City of Plant City will implement a body-worn camera pilot program for Plant City Police Department. The pilot program will begin Oct. 1 and PCPD will “develop deployment guidelines, update records management guidelines, introduce the program to the community, purchase the equipment and train all personnel” after a 30-day evaluation period.

The first-year implementation is estimated to cost a minimum of $200,000 and the annual recurring cost is estimated at $125,000. Part of the funding will be paid by the Local Law Enforcement Trust Fund and the balance will come from the General Fund.

BUDDY’S ROOFING BUDDY’S

100

$

OFF

OVE R 40 YEARS EXPE RIE NCE R ESIDE NTIAL • COM M E RCIAL • ADDITIONS R E NOVATION S • HISTORIC R E STOR ATION S

BUDDY’S ROOFING ROOFING We’re On Top of It

On any job $1000 or more when you mention this ad.

This isn’t the first time PCPD has started to explore using body cameras. It’s been a long time coming and has been a main topic at several community conversation meetings between PCPD and the public. In 2014, the department used funds from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to buy cameras for all of its then 40 patrol officers. Commissioners approved the purchase on June 9 and used $12,831 from the JAG grant to purchase the cameras and the memory cards.

However, the tech was still rudimentary and storage of the data became more costly than PCPD thought was reasonable considering the quality of the tech.

The first generation of the “modern” body cameras used by police came out in 2005 in the United Kingdom. It wasn’t until around 2014 that police in the United States started to have a large-scale implementation of the devices.

While Plant City decided the tech wasn’t affordable enough then, other agencies embraced the change. By 2016, 47 percent of the 15,328 general-purpose law enforcement agencies had some quantity of body cameras, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Just last week Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced his agency would have 1,000 body cameras put into service to be worn by his deputies. Hillsborough County Commissioners approved purchasing and operating the cameras for $2.5 million in the first year.

They then approved a five-year contract to operate the system for a total of $14 million.

McDaniel said the timing is right for PCPD to try again. When referencing the

We’re On Top of It NEW ROOFS • RE-ROOFS TILE • TILE We’re On REPAIRS Top of It HOT TAR/FLAT DECKS NEW • • RE-ROOFS SHINGLES • VENTILATION NEWROOFS ROOFS RE-ROOFS TILE TILE TILE• •REPAIRED TILEREPAIRS REPAIRS LEAKS HOT HOTTAR/FLAT TAR/FLATDECKS DECKS SHINGLES • VENTILATION 25SHINGLES Years of E•xVENTILATION ence i r e p REPAIRED REPAIRED RLEAKS ESLEAKS IDENT MMERCIAL

468318-1

IAL & CO

252Y5eYaerasrsofofEExxppeerrieiennccee 468318-1 468318-1

RESRIEDSEINDTENIATLIA&L &COCM OMM ERECRICAIALL

& Re-Roofing Specialists – WE FIX LEAKS NO ONE ELSE CAN! & Re-Roofing Specialists – WE FIX LEAKSNO NOONE ONEELSE ELSE CAN! CAN! LeakLeak & Re-Roofing Specialists – WE FIX LEAKS Free Estimates • Financing Available our Emergency 24-HourService Emergency Service 287477-1

813-982-0218 813-982-0218 813-982-0218

24-Hour Emergency Service

Buddy &Owners Crystal Cheaves, Owners dy & Crystal Cheaves, Buddy Crystal Cheaves, Owners www.BuddysRoofing.com Lic & # CCC1325993 • Bonded & Insured CC1325993 • Bonded www.BuddysRoofing.com Lic # CCC1325993&•Insured Bonded & Insured www.BuddysRoofing.com

813 -966 -1138 MOZARTCONSTRUCTION .COM

initial cameras the agency tested in 2014, he said they were “way too heavy and clunky” and there were too many concerns about storing the data.

He believes now is the time to start a pilot program, which will comb through a checklist of which equipment to use and analysis of how each camera stores the data, the cost of that storage and other crucial factors. McDaniel stated body cameras have “come a long way,” they’ve been resized and have added features that didn’t exist even two years ago. There are several options, so the agency wants to make sure it winds up with the best fit for the department, hence the decision to create a pilot program rather than make a blind purchase of a large quantity of the equipment.

“One that we are looking at would actually not only be body-worn, but they also offer a vehicle-based component as well so you could end up with both systems at the same time,” McDaniel said. “That’s the kind of thing that we are evaluating in the pilot program.”

The groundwork is well underway, McDaniel said, and there are already many meetings and demonstrations scheduled with some of the vendors of the technology.

“I would really anticipate that a decision would be made in the first quarter or the first half of the next fiscal year,” McDaniel said. “We should have all of the results of the trials and examinations from the pilot and be able to decide which system best fits our needs, and then make decisions on fiscal investments to make it happen.”

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

HCSO LOOKING FOR SUSPECT VEHICLE IN I-4 SHOOTING

A 17-year-old male died following a Monday afternoon shooting on Interstate 4 near the area of McIntosh Road and Branch Forbes Road.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has identified a vehicle of interest in connection with a Monday afternoon shooting that left one teenager dead.

At approximately 3:30 p.m., both HCSO and Florida Highway Patrol responded to a report of shots fired on Interstate 4 East but did not find any victims or involved vehicles at the time. Shortly afterward, Major Frank Losat said in a Monday night press conference, HCSO received a call from South Florida Baptist Hospital that a shooting victim had arrived. The vehicle was shot multiple times and one passenger was hit.

That victim, 17, was unresponsive on arrival and succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. He was riding in the car as a passenger with two other juveniles, who were unharmed. The Sheriff’s Office has not released any of their names, but Losat did say the shooting is not believed at this time to have been random.

“It’s very fortunate that no other vehicles or any other occupants were hit either at that time of day,” Losat said.

Losat said police shut down a section of the interstate and walked nearly two miles between Strawberry Crest High School and General RV Center looking for evidence, which they found on the shoulder of the road. HCSO is now looking for a tan or gold, late-1990s Ford Taurus.

Losat asked for anyone who was in the area at the time and saw anything suspicious to call HCSO at 813-247-8200.

CrimeStoppers of Tampa Bay is also offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information.

“It appears these three juveniles were targeted for some reason,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in an Aug. 24 press release.

“I’m urging anyone who saw anything suspicious on I-4 this afternoon to please come forward with that information.”

DRIVE SAFE & SAVE. I help safe drivers save up to 14%.

When you don’t have car accidents, you cost less to insure. I can help you save up to 14% off your premium. And that’s just for starters. Call me first to get the discounts you deserve.

Feola Insurance Agency 813-752-2556 287497-1

1003 S. Collins St. a026519@allstate.com

Discounts are subject to terms, conditions and availability. Actual savings will vary. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co.

Northbrook, IL. © 2013 Allstate Insurance Co.

7

Commissioners agreed to alter the city’s contract with Fry Entertainment, Inc. to include the creation of a communication plan for the city’s upcoming transition from a manual to an automated trash collection system. Commissioners also set a public hearing for the proposed expansion of North Park Isle.

STAFF WRITER

Breanne Williams

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

COMMISH ROUNDUP: CONTRACTS ADJUSTED AND NORTH PARK ISLE HEARING SET

BREANNE WILLIAMS

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies searched the stretch of I-4 East between Strawberry Crest High School and General RV and found evidence Monday afternoon’s shooting happened in the area.

|

After a long budget workshop that wrapped up not long before the commission meeting officially began, commissioners sat back and observed multiple in-depth presentations from the community.

The first came from Marshall Middle Magnet School Principal Dennis Mayo, who took a moment to discuss the school’s International Baccalaureate Program.

Marshall is undergoing a transformation while it seeks to finalize the authorization process for the IB title, which ends up taking years to complete from start to finish. If Marshall is authorized following its candidate phase it will make Plant City the only place in Hillsborough County where families can send their children to an IB school from K-12.

The commissioners praised Marshall for its hard work and dedication, and Mayo said their main goal now is to get the word out that the unique program is being offered.

Following that presentation, the Plant City Economic Development Corporation did its routine update where it discussed everything that the group has accomplished over the past five years. It’s announced 50 projects, helped create more than 2,000 jobs and helped lead the development of more than eight million square feet of property.

From there, commissioners unanimously approved the consent agenda.

One of the items the community will soon see the impact of was the decision to alter the agreement with Fry Entertainment, Inc. to include creating a communication plan for the city’s upcoming transition from a manual to an automated trash collection system.

Fryed Egg Productions will come up with a communication plan proposal to help educate the community on the change as well as have engagement and integration with city residents and businesses that will be affected by this phased alteration.

Commissioners voted in April to begin the transition from manual to automatic in an effort to not only save money, but to keep employees safe. They project cost savings from an automated collection with

its new rate structure to be approximately $200,000 per year and, with the automated trucks, employees won’t have to jump on and off of vehicles right next to busy roadways.

The new program will roll out in phases.

The first will convert three of the six residential garbage routes and the other three will be finished in the next fiscal year. The transition plan spans three fiscal years — FY 20, FY 21 and FY 22 — so Fryed Egg needed its contract adjusted to reflect the three-fiscal year alteration. The cost adjustment this fiscal year is $16,650 and the increased cost will be $14,300 for FY21 and $14,300 for FY22 when the agreement is renewed.

“The communication plan spreads over this year and next two fiscal years because rollout is in phases,” City Manager Bill McDaniel said. “It’s going to address some of the large categories that need to be done initially like brand creation, logo development, templates for communication, setting up video parameters and doing all of our promotional design. Then we move into multimedia storytelling, community outreach with meetings with HOA groups, civic groups, any community group that wants us to. Presentations. We send out mailings, update the website, basically anything and everything we can do to make the transition smooth. We will have e-newsletters, surveys... the idea is to make transition as smooth as possible to make sure the entire customer base is completely informed.”

Residents will soon see the results of this change and can expect to be updated well in advance of the program rolling out.

Toward the end of the evening, a public hearing was set to once again expand the boundaries of the North Park Isle Community Development District. Currently, NPI has approximately 360 acres. The proposed addition would add another 163.49 acres to the total, bringing the development district to 523.49 acres total.

Those interested in taking part in the NPI CDD hearing can do so during the Sept. 14 city commission meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m.

8

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

|

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

CALLING ALL PUPS: COOLEST DOG CONTEST HAS ARRIVED

COMMUNITY CELEBRATES MARGIE GONZALEZ

Local doggos have until Oct. 15 to strike a pose that will win the hearts of the community as they compete in the annual Coolest Dog contest.

Gonzalez, best known for her 87 Miles for Smiles fundraising campaign, turned 90 on Tuesday and got a birthday surprise she won’t soon forget.

BREANNE WILLIAMS

Photos by Justin Kline

STAFF WRITER

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Margie Gonzalez has been a strong supporter of Operation Smile for years. On Tuesday, Plant City residents put a smile on her face.

Plant City residents teamed up to throw Gonzalez a surprise party for her 90th birthday, which was Tuesday. They decorated their vehicles with balloons and signs and birthday wishes, met at the Walden Lake Community Association office and a parade line of approximately 15 golf carts and cars drove past her home to honk and wave and wish Gonzalez a happy birthday.

“I am the luckiest woman alive,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez made headlines in 2017 when, for her 87th birthday, she pledged to walk 87 miles — one mile for each year of her life — in an effort to raise money for Operation Smile and an extension of the work she and her fellow members of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Plant City was already doing with the organization. That organization

Clubs in the entire world. The group does everything from mentoring children to providing scholarships and even promoting entrepreneurship. The group donates more than $34,000 annually to local organizations.

So far, three furry friends have already joined their fellow models on the “dogwalk” and are pulling in votes.

You can submit your furry friend in the contest at gogophotocontest.com/ kiwanisclubplantcity. To participate, the owner of the pup must be age 21 or older.

When you submit your photo, provide a few short sentences on why your doggo is the coolest around. Make sure your model is solo in the shot — don’t let any humans hog the limelight — and submit the highest quality image you have.

If you have multiple dogs you wish to submit, please consider each pupper to be an individual submission and take photos of them separately.

CARPETS

Emergency TILE & GROUT Emergency

Steam Cleaned

3 Rooms $85

includes Hallway cleaned free

Water 24-HR. 24-HR. Water Extractions Extractions 50c per sq.ft. Storm, Storm, Broken Pipes, Broken Pipes, etc. etc.

Steam Cleaned

www.AllSaintscc.com

FRESHEST MEAT & LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THIS WEEK’S SAVINGS

Visit FeltonsMarket.com

Sam Allen Rd.

Baker St. olds

Reyn

St.

4 County Line Rd.

39

PLANT CITY

Park Rd.

CHOICE MEATS • PRODUCE • GROCERIES

WALKER PLAZA 617 N. Maryland Ave., Plant City (813) 752-1548

Maryland Ave.

289695-1

Mon-Sat 7am - 9pm | Sundays 7am - 8pm At Felton’s we offer a complete line of fresh meat and produce. You’ll find only the best quality meats at bargain prices. Whether it be that special occasion dinner, or you are planning a large party, call or stop by today. No matter what your needs, Felton’s is sure to have the finest, most tender meat and tasty produce anywhere.

92

Lakeland

CARPETS

TILE

3 Rooms $85

50

Steam Cleaned

S

includes Hallway cleaned free

Water Extraction 24-Hr Service | Carpet Dyeing & Repairs

www.AllSaintscc.com 813-986-1266 813-986-1266 www.AllSaintscc.com 813-986-1266 www.AllSaintscc.com

Water Extraction 24-Hr Service | Carpet Dyeing & Repairs

Felton’s Market

is a nonprofit medical group that provides free facial surgeries for children and young adults in developing countries. She braved the heat and walked around her subdivision until she hit her mileage goal, and she also raised nearly $4,000 for Operation Smile.

“Whenever I would wake up and just be too tired to go walk or was considering stopping, I would just think of the faces of the children who have successfully had the surgery and suddenly I was ready to go,” Gonzalez told the Plant City Observer in 2017. “It’s as simple as that. I’m doing this for them. They’re my inspiration.”

That was not the last time Gonzalez hit the ground walking to help Operation Smile and others in need. She’s been known to go door to door if it meant helping a cause, such as the food drive and fundraiser the Woman’s Club hosted for the United Food Bank of Plant City back in June.

287396-1

The annual Coolest Dog contest is back and local pups are practicing their best “Blue Steel” poses in hopes of taking home the grand prizes.

The Kiwanis Club of Plant City created the virtual contest last year in an effort to have a more creative way to get people involved. This year the contest is back and with much of the country still social distancing and staying home when possible, the Coolest Dog contest is the perfect way to get community engagement while ensuring everyone remains safe.

This year’s contest runs from Aug. 15 to Oct. 15. Dog owners can submit a photo of their dogs online for a $10 entry fee, which also gives their entry 10 points.

Then they are given a link that they can share with their friends on social media or via email. Their friends can hop on over to their submission and vote as many times as they’d like with votes running $1 each.

Last year, the top dogs gathered in a special ceremony at the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum. Each was honored for their modeling skills and walked away with a variety of bark-tastic prizes.

This year the Top Dog will receive a “Coolest Dog” medal, a $300 gift card and a “Coolest Dog” bandana. The second vogue-worthy pup will receive a medal, a $200 gift card and a “Cool Dog” bandana. Third place will receive a medal, a $100 gift card and a “Cool Dog” bandana.

Fourth through 10th place will receive special treats as well as a bandana.

The competition will be ruff, but if your pup can strike a pose perhaps they will walk away with the coveted prizes.

All the proceeds from the event go to Kiwanis Club of Plant City, which in turn will use the money for a variety of programs for local children.

Kiwanis Club of Plant City was founded in 1921 and is one of the older Kiwanis

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FOCUS ON FITNESS

MIKE GARTZ

EXERCISE AND MENTAL HEALTH

|

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

9

2020 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GETS A FEW TWEAKS NITISH S. RELE

Working out can help more than just your body — it can also give your mind a boost and help you avoid depression and anxiety.

T

he stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, families dealing with having to choose whether going back to school or staying virtual is best for the kids and the challenges of working during this time, in addition to the negative events that continue to happen around the country and the world, is enough to push everyone into a bit of depression and anxiety.

Working out often is known for physically transforming your body, but it also has an abundance of benefits for the mind.

Exercising is the one consistent mood balancer. Besides putting you in a better mood, exercise can help alleviate the effects of depression and anxiety.

While those experiencing the symptoms of anxiety or depression should always seek advice from a mental health professional, people everywhere might just have one more reason to hit the gym or put on their walking shoes.

While anxiety and depression often leave people feeling isolated, it’s important to remember you are not alone. Most people you know have experienced at least one major depressive or anxiety episode this year.

Research has shown that, in many cases, exercise can be a vital part of treatment.

Why? When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. By interacting with pain receptors in the brain, endorphins create a reduced perception of pain. Also known as “runner’s high,” this feeling generally allows for a more positive outlook on life and helps reduce the symptoms of mental illness.

Exercise doesn’t just enhance your mood, but it can also boost your self-

esteem and confidence. Through staying physically active, you not only keep your body healthier but also tend to feel better about the way you look. Plus, by better coping with depression and anxiety, people may find themselves getting more socially active. This creates a positive cycle. The more social you are, the more comfortable you may feel opening up to others.

The correlation between stress and mental illness is strong. Highly stressed people are at an increased risk for feeling anxious or sad. Fortunately, exercising is an excellent method for tackling stress.

When you’re working your body, you’re forced to focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the past or future.

I have several different types of training available. I Hate My Trainer Kids’ Bootcamp is a great way to get the kids out of the house and active. I Hate My Trainer is starting a Women’s Bootcamp at 10 a.m. Please call me at 813-786-1541 to get signed up for training, group trainings or any of my Bootcamp programs.

Mike Gartz is a personal trainer who owns I Hate My Trainer at 117 E. Reynolds St. Plant City.

Nitish S. Rele operates motoringtampabay.com and Khaas Baat, and was an automotive editor/columnist for the Tampa Tribune. Email him at motoringtampabay@gmail.com.

CAMERON Securities Offered Through LPL Financial

Michael S.Cameron

Members FINRA/SIPC

Financial Advisor

813.759.8485

STATE FARM® AGENT

Tony Lee CLU, CHFC 813.752.7202

Auto | Annuities | Home | Life | Small Businesses | Retirement

1702 S. Alexander, Plant City, FL 33563

288231-1

287687-1

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

110 W. Reynolds Street | Suite 109, Plant City, FL 33563 michael@cameronfm.com | CAMERONFM.COM

It was long overdue, but the 2020 Volkstainless-steel pedals, flat-bottomed swagen Passat has been overhauled — three-spoke steering column, Fender though not to a fuller extent, as one would audio system and a 15.9 cubic feet trunk expect. The exterior and the interior have that beats the Camry capacity. been tweaked and though the power train Dual front and side airbags, side curtain has been retained, the torque gets a boost airbag for both rows, four-wheel antiof 22 over its predecessor. lock brakes with brake assist, electronic Our test drive was equipped with a stability and traction control, three-point 2.0-liter inline-4 cylinder engine that seatbelts for all positions, adaptive cruise develops 174 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and control, rearview camera, blind spot 206 pounds-feet of torque at 1,700 rpm monitor, front collision and land keep, while mated to a standard but responpost-collision and auto emergency braksive six-speed auto gearbox. Suspension ing, tire pressure monitoring system and is handled competently via a strut-type daytime running lights are standard. with lower control arms front and multiBase-priced at $31,095, the Passat’s link rear with coil springs. The rack-andpeppy turbo engine will give other midpinion electric power assist offers a direct size sedan stalwarts such as the Toyota and communicative feel.

Camry or the Honda Accord a run for their Up front, a muscular domed hood money. This great everyday car boasts meets up with a full-chromed triple-bar strong acceleration, remarkable handling grille flanked by slim LED headlights. and steering feel. And with outstanding Another evident feature is the Passat fuel economy figures (we drove almost badging across the deck lid surrounded 500 miles on a full tank), it’s a home run

by LED tail lamps. Two large speedometer for Volkswagen. and tachometer gauges in the refreshed instrument cluster are crystal-clear to read. The center stack shows off a 6.3PASSAT (SEL) inch touch screen for the infotainment system. The two-tone décor panels and Tires: 235/45R18 chrome trim on a/c vent bezels, upper Wheelbase: 110.4 inches door, cup holders and shift lever add Length: 193.6 inches European flair to the Passat.

Weight: 3,325 pounds Rear-seat passengers get 39.1 inches of Fuel capacity: 18.5 gallons legroom, more than plenty to stretch on City: 23 mpg those long summer trips. Other ameniHighway: 34 mpg ties include dual auto a/c, 60/40 rear seat, Web site: www.vw.com eight-way power front seats, heated front and rear seats, power tilt/slide sun roof,

10

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

|

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: PLANT CITY AT THE DRIVE-IN

Dear Mayor, City Manager and Parks Director,

With the sky-high interest in drive-in movie theatres these days, I propose the city establish a temporary drive-in theatre in the Plant City Stadium complex area. The face of the parking area on the west side of the stadium is ideal for movie watching.

The city can acquire a 30x30 screen from tarpsupply.com for under $1,000 to be erected on the east side of building on that site.

A wide range of projectors is available and city could expect to spend roughly $500 for one.

An FM transmitter is all you need these days to sync and air the audio for movie patrons. The city can expect to invest about $400 in one.

DON’T FORGET VARREA’S POTENTIAL IMPACT ON DOWNTOWN I appreciate the Plant City Observer’s coverage of the Varrea development amendment public hearing. One concern I have, which I was sad to hear was not addressed at the hearing, was the effect on Plant City’s downtown district and hope for Midtown if a residential development is allowed to more than double its desires for neighborhood commercial office uses.

Two thousand homes do not need nearly a thousand neighborhood commercial offices. And the drive from the proposed development to an office in Historic Downtown or the other more Plant Citycentric, community-oriented commercial areas is not a burdensome one. In fact, I've make that drive twice a day since 1996.

Yes, a large development should be able to have adequate commercial and office use within its plan.

But no, it should not become a giant beacon for “pump in” sales and commercial uses serving large swaths of customers driving there instead of our historic downtown.

— ED VERNER

Surely some will say I have a vested interest in protecting our historic downtown and, well, yeah I do. But so should we all.

In summation, with an investment of less than $2,000 the Parks and Recreation Department can create a community drive-in movie experience for local families. Refreshments can be contracted to a local vendor if preferred so the city can avoid any involvement with that.

Just an idea I hope you will consider.

— Paul G. Lindsey

CBC1260170 / MRSR1611

" In the Time Of Disaster, We React Faster" Water Damage Restoration Fire and Smoke Damage Mold Remediation

813 531-8443

Storm Damage 24/7 Emergency Services

www.advantage-rc.com

AUGUST 27, 2020

SPORTS DYNAMIC SPORTS AND LEARNING ACADEMY WORKS FOR THE KIDS The nonprofit, volunteer-run group provides free athletic training for kids in the Plant City area and is currently working on offering academic and mentoring services.

Photos by Justin Kline

Dynamic Sports and Learning Academy has spent much of the last three months offering athletic training sessions free of charge three days a week to those age 18 and younger.

Quick Hits

WILLIAMS NAMED TO SPORTS ILLUSTRATED PRESEASON 99 Plant City High School wide receiver Mario Williams made the cut for Sports Illustrated’s SI99 list, a ranking of the publication’s top 99 high school football players nationwide heading into the 2020 season.

The rankings were published Aug. 24 after SI staff narrowed its choices down from a pool of 1,000 players.

Williams, a senior, was named the number 23 player in the country. He is the third-ranked wide receiver on the list and the sixth-ranked player from Florida, as well as only one of two players from Hillsborough County on the list (the other being Seffner Christian tight end Michael Trigg).

Williams and the others on the list are in the running for Sports Illustrated’s AllAmerican first team.

To see the full list and learn more, visit si.com/college/recruiting/football/unveiling-the-preseason-si99-rankings.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The men behind Dynamic Sports and Learning Academy are committed to one thing and one thing only: making sure Plant City’s youth can be their best on and off the playing field.

DSLA has a three-part approach to this.

First is training athletes to be better at any sport they choose. Second is helping them keep their grades up and achieve their goals in the classroom. Third is giving them positive role models and mentors to learn from. The group’s seven coaches — Jaquan Dasher, Joslin Shaw, Wayne Ward, Tydre Ward, Pablo Rodriguez, Anthony Holmes and Anthony Thomas — are determined to make it work, especially now that COVID-19 has changed life for everyone.

“We just wanted to give the kids a sense of normalcy with everything that’s going on, so we figured we’d just come up with a strategic plan to keep kids active as well as implement the rules and regulations of social distancing,” Dasher said.

The nonprofit group is entirely volunteer-run and its services are entirely free.

“It’s different, it’s a good thing and it doesn’t cost the kids anything,” Wayne Ward said. “All we ask is for them to come out and give us their effort.”

Many of DSLA’s coaches have football backgrounds and they either currently coach or have previously coached at the high school level. But this isn’t a football camp: kids who play any sport can benefit from the group’s training methods, which focus on areas like speed, explosiveness, footwork, agility and cardio. The coaches know what it takes to get to the next level and know how to motivate the kids to push for that one last rep with everything they have.

“We all came up through sports, one way or another,” Shaw said. “We’re not limiting this program to football. We want to give kids the opportunity to be the best they can be at any sport they choose to get involved in.”

The DSLA has offered the training services since June 15 and have more offerings on the way.

“Our goal is to reach the kids through athletics and then eventually, we want to involve educational programs to solidify what we’re doing,” Shaw said. “We’re working on plans for that and hopefully we’ll have something to present shortly.

Mentorship, tutoring, just trying to get them ready and keep their GPAs up to at least 3.0. That’s our goal.”

The group has already helped more than 100 kids between its training services and back-to-school back pack donations, and Shaw said they hope to expand upon that by giving kids a study hall setup, tutoring and mentorship.

DSLA announced Tuesday it’s taking a brief break from athletic training sessions so parents and students can adjust more easily to their new schedules with school back in session. In the meantime, the coaches are putting together a plan for a big comeback.

“Right now with everything starting with school, we want to see how everything’s going to start and then reach out to kids online and on Zoom,” Dasher said.

“Any way we can impact them and keep in contact with the parents. Even if we have to do one-on-one sessions, we’re gonna make it happen.”

Kids up to age 18 are welcome to sign up with the program. Before Tuesday’s announcement, they could get free athletic training at the Marshall Middle Magnet School track and field, 18 S. Maryland Ave., on Tuesday and Thursday nights as well as

Saturday mornings. That schedule is subject to change depending on what the DSLA chooses to do with its upcoming plans for fall.

For more information and to get your kids involved in DSLA programming, visit the Facebook page at facebook.com/ DSLA2020 or email 1dsla2020@gmail. com.

Justin Kline

Dynamic Sports and Learning Academy’s athletic training focuses largely on the things that can help any athlete in any sport: movement, speed and cardio.

COUNTY PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT TAKES NEXT STEP TOWARD SPORTS’ RETURN Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation announced a new return-to-play process for teams and leagues to follow. SEE PAGE 12

12

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

|

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY OPENS PATHWAY FOR BASEBALL, SOFTBALL

The county’s Parks and Recreation department announced a new process for teams to return to competition on Aug. 19.

JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Baseball and softball teams throughout Hillsborough County are now one step closer to game and tournament play.

The county’s Parks and Recreation Department announced last week a new process for teams and organizations to take to get back on any county-maintained field for more than just conditioning and practice purposes. It requires a bit of work on the teams’ end, but that work can begin immediately.

Any league looking to return to play has to submit an action plan to the county Parks and Rec department via email at PRK-Fields@hillsboroughcounty.org. The plan has to cover social distancing and sanitation procedures, scheduling ideas and safety plans for everyone from the players and coaches to the fans in the stands.

Department staff will review each plan and either approve it or propose changes.

The county said in a press release the decision to start the process of bringing back games and tournaments was made

“after extensive consultation with local health officials, emergency managers, Parks and Recreation staff, league officials and others.”

The move comes two weeks after Plant City Little League announced the cancellation of its Fall 2020 season.

“Due to the ongoing pandemic and the rise in cases, we made a very difficult decision to cancel our fall season,” the league said in an Aug. 1 Facebook post. “As tough as this was to make, the safety of our players and their families are our number one priority. We understand this is not the news you were hoping for, as we were looking forward to seeing these kids on the field doing what they love. We appreciate your understanding. Please stay safe and we look forward to seeing everyone in Spring 2021.”

It will potentially make scheduling easier for travel leagues like Plant City-based Global Sports Alliance Baseball, which has scheduled all of its weekend tournaments for August and September outside of Hillsborough County.

In a press release sent out on Aug. 7, Plant City Parks and Recreation Department director Jack Holland said he and other Parks and Rec directors in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties had been asked to not consider competition games until later in 2020, and “probably not (in Plant City) until Oct. 1 at the earliest.” GSA’s website does list a return to the county in early October for the Backyard Brawl tournament in Plant City, which is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 3 and 4, and the league also listed plans for a Halloween tournament in Plant City at the end of the month.

The department announced last week its plan to roll out practices and games for other sports. Unless there is a spike in the percent positive rate of testing, Oct. 1 will be the first day of competitive play for youth baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.

Youth football and basketball practices can begin on that date and competitive games could begin Oct. 17. The Parks and Rec/Optimist Youth Flag Football League is tentatively scheduled to start registration in late September and begin play in

October, and the department said it is “too early to make definite plans at this time, but we are getting ready to make plans if the COVID-19 situation allows it.” Youth soccer, lacrosse and football tournaments can begin Nov. 2. Adult sports games and practices are on hold until after Jan. 1, 2021.

“Yes, the high schools have set their schedules to start fall sports soon, ignoring the same medical advice we have received,” Holland said in an Aug. 21 press release.

“The risk vs reward is still too great at the youth level when it comes to our youths, and this philosophy is felt region-wide around Tampa Bay. Just this week, a sixyear-old Hillsborough County youth died from COVID-19. The main priority is to protect our area youth and safely put them onto the fields when the risk of the virus is minimized and the time is right.”

YOUR HOME COMMUNITY

BANK

Plant City Transit Study virtual OPEN HOUSE & survey

Hillsboro BANK

Do we need bus service in Plant City?

Tell us what YOU think!

Personal Banking Business Banking Online Banking

View the Open House and provide comments 08.24.20 - 09.13.20 at: https://tinyurl.com/PlantCityTransitStudy Live Presentation 08.26.20 | 5PM at the Virtual Public Open House via GoToWebinar. Register: https://tinyurl.com/PCTransitSurvey Questions, please call Vishaka Shiva Raman at 813.273.3774 x350 También, si sólo se puede hablar en español, por favor llame a la línea de ayuda en español al 813.273.3774 x211

Smart Banking at its BEST! 509 W. Alexander Street Plant City, FL 33563 (Main Office) (813) 707- 6506 DRIVE THRU: 8:00 - 5:30 Mon.-Thurs.

8:00 - 6:00 Fri. LOBBY: 9:00 - 4:00 Mon. - Thurs.

9:00 - 6:00 Fri.

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

8:00 - 6:00 Fri LOBBY: 9:00 - 4:00 Mon. - Thurs.

9:00 - 6:00 Fri.

13844 7th Street Dade City, FL (352) 470-0990 DRIVE THRU: 8:00 - 5:00 Mon. - Thurs 8:00 - 6:00 Fri LOBBY 8:30 - 4:00 Mon - Thurs 8:30 - 6:00 - Fri.

Friendly • Fast • Quality Service

Hillsboro 284972

BANK

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

hillsborobank.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

|

13

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR We asked Facebook: On Monday, the city announced Plant City Police Department is entering a pilot

program to gauge the effectiveness of body-worn cameras. Do you believe PCPD officers need body cameras?

“The only time bodycams are not effective is when the person wearing it turns it off. Which happens all the time. By all means though let’s slow down the obvious decision for bureaucratic nonsense.”

— Daniel Joseph Nance

already been proven over and over again now that the anti-law enforcement agenda is calling for the removal of body cameras after it shows law enforcement not being as aggressive as they thought it would.”

— Travis Emerson

“Yes, I want them on for their protection!”

— Jean Brinson

“Cameras protect the officer as much as civilians. We only see the bad ones in the media, but for every one of those, there are 100 more complaints that are dispelled by camera footage.” — Brittany Nicole

“Yes. To see everything that happens and to either find them guilty or innocent in all cases.” — Jess Garcia “Of course they should. Transparency.”

— Pamela Thompson-Iwicki

“Yes. Cameras are totally objective and show what really happens. Would be extremely helpful in the court room to show unbiased evidence.” — Paul Rodney

“Nope.... being a small agency, and having an outstanding performance record, the multimillion-dollar body camera program would not benefit anything. This is

“To protect the victims (civilians) especially.”

— Margarita Flores Courtesy of Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

OMG IT’S WEDNESDAY! PLANT CITY FARM AND FLEA MARKET Highway 39 North at Sam Allen Road—1 mi. N. of I-4 Exit 21

WEDNESDAY FLEA MARKET OVER 40 ACRES . . . MORE THAN 500 VENDORS

OP EN

PM 7A M T O 1 708 W. SAM ALLEN RD. 1 MILE NORTH OF I-4 EXIT 21

287696-1

LIKE KMART WITHOUT A ROOF!

287682-1

AROUND TOWN

289704-1

PLENTY OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

WWW.PLANTCITYMARKET.COM

14

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

|

Guadalupe Iniguez, 62, of Winter Haven, born on August 10, 1958 in Fresno, California, entered into eternal rest on August 18, 2020.

Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

Larry ‘Don’ Donald Land Larry “Don” Donald Land, 84, of Plant City, born on July 28, 1936 in Greenville, entered into Heaven’s gates on August 13, 2020.

Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Alice Robinson Crawford

Alice Robinson Crawford, 82, of Plant City, born on July 2, 1938 in Lenox, Georgia, entered into Heaven on August 22, 2020.

Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Sybil Smith, 71, of Dover, born in Birmingham, Alabama, on August 6, 1949, entered into eternal rest on August 12, 2020.

Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Ronald Bako Ronald Bako, 72, of Lithia, born on April 26, 1948 in Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, entered into eternal rest on August 16, 2020.

Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM

Lillie Mae Godwin Martha Tharrington Silvana Gutierrez community is all Mae about.

Lillie Godwin, 93, of MulMcMahan Jacinto Martha Tharrington McMahan, 81, of Plant City, passed away on August 19, 2020.

The family will receive friends Friday, September 11, 2020 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Haught Funeral Home, 708 W Dr MLK Jr Blvd, Plant City, FL 33563. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 AM. Masks will be required to attend the service.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haught. care.

berry, passed away on August 21, 2020. Lillie was born on May, 9, Silvana Gutierrez Jacinto, 45, we’re dedicated to helping families create a W E ’ RE P RO U D TO S E RV E our community unique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate 1896.in Lakeland.

1927 of Plant City, died on August 19,care since celebrates the life it represents.

As your Dignity Memorial professionals, Fond memories and expres2020. > 100% Service Guarantee > National Plan Transferability Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® > Bereavement sions of sympathy may be shared The family will receive friends August 27, 2020 from 10:00 AM at www.wellsmemorial.com for the Rfamily.

Godwin to 11:00 AM at Haught Funeral Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival.

Home, 708 W. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 AM. A livestream of the service will be WELLSMEMORIAL.COM available at 11:00am.

Online condolences mayWells be left MeMorial & event Center Deborah A. Tolbert for the family at www.haught.care. PlanT CiTy 813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com Deborah A. Tolbert, 58, of Lakeland, passed away on August 22, 2020. Deborah was born in Alawe’re dedicated to helping families create a W E ’ RE P RO U D TO S E RV E our community unique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate care since 1896. on bama March 4, 1962. celebrates the life it represents.

As your Dignity Memorial professionals, Fond memories and expresHAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM > 100% Service Guarantee > National Plan Transferability sions of sympathy may be shared > The Compassion Helpline® > Bereavement Travel Assistance at www.wellsmemorial.com for the R Tolbert family.

Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival. ®

Taking care of each other is what

community

is all about.

M2313_4832_Wells_PNT_Comm_7-25x9-75_C.indd 1

HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

Dovie Jewel Carter

Dovie Jewel Carter, 96, of Tampa, passed away on August 18, 2020.

Services will be held privately.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.haught. care.

10/27/15 10:42 AM

®

WELLSMEMORIAL.COM Wells MeMorial & event Center PlanT CiTy

Manuela Salas Manuela Salas, 87, of Plant City, born to Juan and Antonia Salas on June 15, 1933 in Gonzales, Texas, entered into eternal rest August 18, 2020.

A retired custodian of Dover Elementary.

Preceded in death by her son John Cantu and daughter Estelita Alonso.

Survived by three daughters, Gloria Marquez (George), Donna Cantu and Raquel Morrill (David); three sons, Richard Cantu Sr. (Laura), Paul Cantu (Melissa) and Rabul Cantu (Miranda); 23 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, nine greatgreat grandchildren and many loving nieces and nephews.

OBITUARIES

Guadalupe Iniguez

Sybil Smith

Taking care of each other is whatPlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

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

HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM

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

10/27/15 10:42 AM

ALL OBITUARIES ARE SUBMITTED AND EDITED

BY FAMILIES OR FUNERAL HOMES

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg August 25, 2020 PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

I LOVE PLANT CITY

8/25

FORECAST THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 High: 92 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 60%

FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 High: 91 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 40%

everywhere” speaker, familiarly 27 *Convenient meetup spot 33 Most populous continent 34 Not pro 35 *NBA All-Star Weekend competition 42 Musical based on a Verdi opera 43 Elephants have big ones 44 *“Don’t slouch!”

52 Clothing line?

53 See 46-Down 54 Baseball’s Felipe 55 Ribbon-cutting occasion, and a hint to the

starred answers’ starts 60 Guitarist’s distortion accessory 63 Ponytail and bun 64 Martian, e.g.

65 Swears 66 Bush or Obama?

67 “We ___ Start the Fire” 68 Michaels who created “SNL” 69 Go down, as the sun DOWN 1 “Rocketman” or “Sully” 2 For some time 3 Sphere of influence 4 Preppy shirt 5 Give off 6 Rational

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

High: 90 Low: 77 Chance of rain: 40%

SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 High: 87 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 50%

OKRA

Shipping point: Central Florida $12.35-$14.85

7 “Take ___ Train” (Ellington classic) 8 Don Quixote’s squire 9 Peace Nobelist Lech 10 Frankenstein’s assistant 11 Lil ___ X 12 Animal known for imitating 13 Vietnamese New Year 19 Fashionable 21 Rebellion leader Turner 24 “Gimme!”

25 A whole bunch 26 Make a scarf, perhaps 28 Awesome, in the ’80s 29 Tempe univ.

30 ___-Manuel Miranda 31 Tahoe and Titicaca 32 Flower pic on your arm, say 35 Spot for a merit badge 36 Word on a Miller can 37 Eve’s partner 38 Ending for “Aqua” or “Bat” 39 Whiskered pet 40 Hockey great Bobby 41 Org. that deals with bugs?

45 2014 NBA MVP Kevin 46 With 53-Across, Salt Lake City student 47 One in a long-distance relationship 48 McEwan or McKellen 49 “Flies” like a flying squirrel 50 Novelist de Balzac 51 Yanks, as a pants leg 55 Stefani of No Doubt 56 “Whip It” band 57 Awful smell 58 Lowly board member?

59 End of a threat 60 Fistful of cash 61 Comedian Wong 62 Stashed away

15

SUNRISE/SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, August 27

7:05a

7:54p

Friday, August 28

7:05a

7:53p

Saturday, August 29

7:06a

7:52p

Sunday, August 30

7:06a

7:51p

Monday, August 31

7:07a

7:50p

Tuesday, Sept. 1

7:07a

7:49p

Wednesday, Sept. 2

7:08a

7:48p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29

Great Start by Amanda Rafkin

ACROSS 1 No longer edible 4 Annoyances 9 Be victorious in 14 ___ Jima 15 Nebraska city named for a tribe 16 Slack-jawed 17 Unit of resistance 18 Where to throw in the towel?

20 *One may help you adjust your scale 22 Largest pelvic bones 23 Possessive for Captain America 24 “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice

|

Sept. 16 New

Sept. 21 First

Sept. 1 Full

Sept. 12 Last

RAINFALL Monday, Aug. 17

1.18

Tuesday, Aug. 18 0.31 Wednesday, Aug. 19

0.11

Thursday, Aug. 20 0.29 Friday, Aug. 21

1.46

Saturday, Aug. 22 0.40 Sunday, Aug. 23

0.03

YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2020 33.75 in.

2020 6.05 in.

2019 32.39 in.

2019 13.07 in.

WEATHER

19 Fashionable 45 2014 NBA ACROSS 55 Ribbon21 Rebellion MVP Kevin 1 No longer cutting leader Turner 46 With edible occasion, 24 “Gimme!”

53-Across, 4 Annoyances and a hint to 25 A whole Salt Lake 9 Be victorious the starred Sendinyour photo submissionsanswers’ to Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@PlantCityObserver.com bunch City student 26 Make a 14 ___ Jima or hashtag #iloveplantcity onstarts Instagram for @igersplantcity to scarf, feature. 47 One in a perhaps 15 Nebraska long-distance 60 Guitarist’s 28 Awesome, in relationship city named distortion the ’80s 48 McEwan or for a tribe accessory 29 Tempe univ.

16 Slack-jawed McKellen 63 Ponytail and 30 ___-Manuel 17 Unit of resis49 “Flies” like a bun Miranda tance flying squirrel 64 Martian, e.g.

31 Tahoe and 18 Where to 50 Novelist de 65 Swears Titicaca throw in the Balzac 66 Bush or 32 Flower pic on towel?

51 Yanks, as a Obama? your arm, say 20 *One may pants leg 67 “We ___ 35 Spot for a help you 55 Stefani of Start the merit badge adjust your No Doubt Fire” 36 Word on a scale 56 “Whip It” 68 Michaels Miller can 22 Largest band who created 37 Eve’s partner pelvic bones 57 Awful smell “SNL” 38 Ending for 23 Possessive 58 Lowly board 69 Go down, “Aqua” or for Captain member? as the sun “Bat” America 59 End of DOWN 39 Whiskered 24 “Injustice a threat 1 “Rocketman” pet anywhere 60 Fistful of or “Sully” 40 Hockey great is a threat cash 2 For some Bobby to justice 61 Comedian time 41 Org. that everywhere” Wong 3 Sphere of deals with speaker, 62 Stashed influence bugs? familiarly away 4 Preppy shirt 27 *Convenient 5 Give off meetup spot 6 Rational PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER 33 Most 7 “Take ___ populous Train” Pat Jolles and MaryAnn Paris(Ellington spotted this owl in flight at Walden Lake. continent 34 Not pro classic) Follow us on social media: @PCObserver on Instgram, ON L IAll-Star N E @PlantObserver 35 *NBA 8 Don on Twitter and Plant City Observer Weekend Quixote’s on Facebook. competition squire 42 Musical 9 Peace based on a Nobelist Verdi opera Lech 43 Elephants 10 Frankenhave big ones stein’s 44 *“Don’t assistant slouch!”

11 Lil ___ X 52 Clothing 12 Animal line? known for 53 See 46-Down imitating 8/24 © 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal 54 Baseball’s 13 Vietnamese www.upuzzles.com Felipe New Year

16

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

|

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

AN EMERGENCY IS STILL AN EMERGENCY. EVEN DURING THIS EMERGENCY.

Don’t hesitate when it comes to getting emergency treatment.

Even during a pandemic, you still need to be treated immediately if you have an emergency.

Debating whether or not to risk going to an emergency room during a heart attack, stroke or other health emergency—waiting even a few extra minutes—could be harmful. That’s why in

20-1126895-0520

all BayCare hospital emergency rooms, patients who have symptoms of COVID-19 are screened and treated in a separate area. This helps keep emergency room patients and our team members safe. So if it’s an emergency, don’t wait. For more information: BayCareEmergencyCare.org