9.10.20 PLCO by Plant City Observer

Plant City Observer

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VOLUME 6, NO. 114

YO UR NEWS PAP ER . BUDGET WORKSHOP:

BIGGER RAISES CONSIDERED FOR CITY EMPLOYEES The public is invited to chime in on the discussion to increase raises for city employees during the upcoming fiscal year.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Every year, city commissioners discuss the upcoming salaries of city staff. It appears it’s time for a raise for non-step city employees and a discussion on whether that raise should be for 2.5 percent or 3 percent was volleyed back and forth at the dais during the Budget Workshop.

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It was initially suggested that all staff receive a 2.5 percent raise during the upcoming fiscal year to ensure their salaries remained competitive with other local governments, but Commissioner Mary Mathis asked for the city to consider bumping it up to a solid 3 percent. She argued that with everything that has gone on in the past year, city employees have more than earned the extra bump.

“We’ve been in a pandemic — COVID-19, coronavirus — and we’ve had to close City Hall, and our employees have worked, they’ve still provided services to our citizens, to us, some even worked from home,” Mathis said.

SEE PAGE 5

DEVELOPERS SUBMIT BIDS FOR EMPTY LOT ON WHEELER STREET Solution Source may soon develop the empty lot on Wheeler Street if commissioners approve the project. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

One more empty lot may soon be transformed thanks to the city’s desire to develop the property at the South Wheeler Street and West J Arden Mays Boulevard intersection. The lot isn’t massive — the land is approximately 0.6 acres — and the city hopes to transform it into a destination. The city sent out a Request for Proposals for the potential development and received two bids from groups that wish to transform the property. In a rare turn of events, both parties have ties to Plant City. However, it was a ranking system and one came out on top. Commissioners will determine if they are ready to move forward with the project during Monday’s commission meeting. Solution Source was one of the two parties bidding on the development and was ranked first. Solution Source principals Michael and Shelley Jemison “have managed the development and construc-

tion of multiple projects throughout central and southwest Florida.” The firm is based in Plant City and has been listed on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5,000 list of the fastestgrowing companies in the nation for five consecutive years. Michael Jemison may ring familiar to many in the community. Solution Source is a member of the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, Plant City Main Street and the Plant City EDC, and Michael Jemison sits on the EDC’s Executive Committee. A partner with Solution Source’s bid is Brandon Snyder, who will act as an advisor for the project. Snyder currently owns and operates Roots Tap Room and Wine Bar on Evers Street. Solution is also joined by Steve Boggs of Boggs Engineering, who will provide “civil engineering services for site development, utilities and ROW.” Keith Smith, with GrayRobinson Lakeland’s office, will serve as legal counsel.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

Breanne Williams

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

NEWS BRIEFS

Ellis Park playground gets upgraded The City of Plant City announced last week the playground at Marie B. Ellis Park, 601 E. Laura St., has finally gotten a muchneeded facelift. As part of an ongoing capital improvement program to replace aging playgrounds with more than 15 years of use, Ellis Park’s 19-year-old equipment was long overdue for an overhaul. “The city was able to utilize a competitively bid contract with Clay County to secure the Landscape Structures playground equipment, safety fall zone surfacing, and installation at a price of $89,655.30 through the design specialists at Rep Services, Inc.,” Parks and Recreation Department Director Jack Holland said in a press release. “Utilizing the same contract last year, the city was able to replace the park’s well-worn swing sets and safety fall zone for $25,292.61.”

Photos courtesy of the Plant City Parks & Recreation Department

Armwood High School student killed in car accident near County Line Road A student at Armwood High School was killed Sept. 1 following a car accident on Ralston Road. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said on Sept. 1 at approximately 11:45 p.m. a 2004 Ford Expedition, driven by a 16-yearold who is also a student at Armwood, was speeding on the Eastbound lanes of Ralston Road in Plant City. As it approached County Line Road the driver of the SUV hit a speed bump and lost control. The vehicle ran off the roadway and hit a tree. HCSO said the 18-year-old passenger was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. Another passenger, 19, suffered non-life threatening injuries. The driver and the passenger were transported to South Florida Baptist Hospital. “Our hearts break for the victim, his family, and especially his friends who

now have to live with this traumatic and devastating loss,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “The teen driver in this case had a learner’s permit, which under Florida law, means they can only get behind the wheel if there’s a person 21 years or older in the front passenger seat. This law exists for a reason and it’s imperative for parents to make sure their teen understands the dangers and rules of the road. We lost a young person who had a whole life ahead of them because of one bad decision that could have been avoided.” This is an ongoing investigation, but at this time HCSO said deputies do not believe alcohol or drugs contributed to this crash.

GFWC Woman’s Club installations The GFWC Woman’s Club of Plant City installed 11 officers Tuesday morning at Lone Palm Golf Club in Lakeland. Joining new President Patricia Wolff are First Vice President Judy Stewart, Second

Vice President Sherry Scheitler, Third Vice President Marian Richardson, Treasurer Paula Hurlock, Assistant Treasurer Peggy Hyde, Recording Secretary Barbara Melton, Corresponding Secretary Annette Barwick and directors Pat Tillman-Shadd, Betty Astin and Gwen Barnes.

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.

PAUL SHAVER PlantCityObserver.com

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

TAKES THE REINS AT BRUTON

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Bruton Memorial Library is officially under new leadership. Paul Shaver has fully stepped into the role as the new library services director and has hit the ground running. Shaver has a master’s degree in library and information sciences and a master’s in education. With the new leader comes a new focus for the library and Shaver said his goal is to highlight the strengths of his team and increase the technology reach for Bruton. “The library has its own mission statement and that obviously is the vision that I’m going to work toward alongside this amazing staff,” Shaver said. “I think collaboration is really the foundation of this library and if you look at the reviews of our patrons, they sense that spirit of community as well. We have a team of really qualified staff that provide incredible services for the community. We have outstanding viral programs too, and what I do on the ground is I really examine what’s going on here and then ask, ‘What can I bring to them to help them further their work and their visions?’ I believe it starts with sort of the focus on building human relationships.” There are always areas to expand and grow, but Shaver believes the start of any change always lies with understanding people and finding ways to help them with their passions. Part of his passion — tech — will become a main focus for Shaver. He said he loves helping people understand how to properly use technology to think outside the box. With the pandemic still underway, Shaver said Bruton will lean into the lessons society has learned over the last few months

and will come up with a mission to combine the old programs and services with a new, safe way of operating. As soon as it is possibly safe to hold gatherings again, Shaver said, the library will once more host its in-person programs. But the pandemic has taught them all that there needs to be a bigger push for virtual amenities. The staff members have already started to think outside the box to continue library services, but Shaver said they’re just getting started on making the library accessible from wherever its patrons are. Shaver originally considered a career in teaching. Born and raised in New Jersey, he decided he would aim to become an English literature professor. Instead he ended up teaching math with a very strong focus on integrating technology in his classroom. Shaver is fluent in English and Spanish and has working conversational abilities in French, Italian, Portuguese and Russian. Because of his linguistic skills he was constantly pulled out of class to help translate between staff and parents. He realized the students often had to act as the sole translators for their parents and that inevitably, unfortunately ended with much getting lost in translation. So Shaver decided to offer classes at night for parents who wished to learn English. The classes grew faster than he expected and he started using his skills teaching at libraries. It was there he found his true passion and his love for libraries led him toward a career he said has changed his life. He loves developing collections and has proudly grown the nonEnglish texts at his former job, including its Hindi and Arabic collections. Working in libraries allows employees to wear a variety of hats and he said he is always learning and evolving.

New Jersey became part of the epicenter at the start of the pandemic shortly before Shaver’s son was born. He said he was in a position he loved with staff he adored, but he and his wife had no family in the area. Now that they had a child they considered moving to either North Carolina or Florida to be closer to their loved ones. When Plant City popped up on his radar, he said, he did his research and immediately fell in love with the strong sense of community he discovered. The demographics of the city showed there was a great potential for growth in the area and he quickly realized he was completely in line with the city’s vision for the future. When he was brought on, he and his wife packed up their belongings, made a short stop to see family so his son’s grandparents could hold their grandson for the first time and then rolled into town. He immediately got started at Bruton and said the sense of community in Plant City is unlike anything he’s ever experienced. “It’s been incredible,” Shaver said. “And not just at work. I went to Norma’s downtown and ABC Pizza, and people went out of their way to talk to me and share their stories and ask about mine. There was a kindness here that, combined with people’s love of the library and their knowledge of the community, I think makes this a wonderful place to live. People are very serious about seeing that explosive growth in the city and there is an intelligence and focus, but people still take the time to get to know their neighbors and take care of each other. It’s just something I really appreciate.” His first few weeks have included a deep dive into the City of Plant City’s vision. He said City Manager Bill McDaniel and his team have a wonderful plan for the future of the city and that he is honored to be a part of it.

You can currently get the most up-to-date information about Bruton from the library’s Facebook page. Shaver said he hopes to soon begin creating a website that is extremely userfriendly and has lots of amenities to bring the library and its services into people’s homes. “I hope first and foremost that people see me as a kind person,” Shaver said. “Then I think it’s going to be obvious that I have a passion for tech and I hope to see where others’ passions are. For example, if someone on staff’s passion is about guitars, I hope we can begin to incorporate a program where they can utilize that skill. I have a passion for what I do and I believe this staff does as well. Anyone that wants to talk about libraries will always find a willing listener with me. I’m just very excited and honored to get started and help Bruton play a role in bringing the city’s vision to life.”

GET TO KNOW PAUL SHAVER Favorite books: “Really in the last few years I’ve been focused on nonfiction and tech/programming books. For literature, though, I go all over the map. I think my favorite author would be Andrea Camilleri from Italy. He is the author of the Inspector Montalbano series. My grandmother raised me as Sicilian so I actually get to read his work — his work is Italian, but it’s Sicilian Italian — and it really makes me feel at home. It’s written in an area that’s specific to where my family was from, so he’s my favorite author. He’s definitely not high-brow, but I enjoy it.” From: Born and raised in New Jersey Interesting fact: At one point wanted to become a missionary

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

FOCUS ON FITNESS:

PLANT CITY

Observer

A NEW FACE AT THE PLANT CITY FAMILY YMCA

Get to know Hannah Franklin, the Plant City Y’s new Wellness Director.

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 Advertising Graphic Designer / Juan Alvarez Circulation/ Office Manager / Linda Lancaster LLancaster@PlantCityObserver.com

Well hi there! I am Hannah Franklin and I am so excited to join you here monthly. Not only will we focus on fitness, but also everything fitness encompasses and symbolizes. I have been interconnected to fitness my entire life. My love for fitness started when I took my very first weightlifting class at a gym in Lakeland when I turned 12. I was ecstatic to be a part of something bigger than myself. Not only was everyone there for accountability, but also a desire of social interaction and camaraderie. My love for fitness only grew from there. When I reached high school I joined the Cross Country and Track teams. I knew I wanted nothing to do with a sport that required hand-eye coordination, thus my running journey began. Little to my dismay, I realized you need to work out consistently to see results, much less compete. Who would have thought? My first year as a runner was a disaster. I had absolutely no clue how to fuel my body or how to train properly. The summer after my first year of running, I began to train consistently and smarter. I began to eat foods I knew would fuel my body and stayed consistent with a training plan. Day by day, I was challenged as a runner to push past any mental barriers to increase my pace and distance. When I began my senior

year of high school my coach encouraged me to take his weightlifting class, which made me stronger not only as an athlete but also as a person. I loved challenging my body to see what it could it do. At the same time, I loved helping others on their journey to reach their full potential. I coached for three years until I transitioned later as a Y Personal Trainer, and now I proudly serve as a Wellness Director for the Plant City Family YMCA. Weightlifting and running have led me to where I am today and have made me stronger both mentally and physically. The two biggest factors that kept me going through the toughest days were the support from my teammates and how incredible my body and mind felt after I completed a workout. Fitness has impacted my life in more ways than I can explain and I know it can do the same for you. There are both physiological and physical benefits to working out regularly. Mayo Clinic recommends we get physical activity 30 minutes a day for three to five days a week minimum to help with the following:

These recommendations serve as good reminders during the month of September, which is National Suicide Prevention Month. At some point in each of our lives, we or someone we know has dealt with anxiety, depression, fear, fatigue, stress or any other mental health issues varying in severity. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number, if you or anyone you know needs it, is (800) 273-8255. Our lives are so precious and we can do so much with what we are given! If you are not the “workout” kind of person, that’s OK! Exercise doesn’t have to be working out in a gym lifting weights or walking on a treadmill. Exercise can be anything that gets your muscles moving and your heart rate up. Find an activity you truly enjoy and use that as a starting point; It could be riding your bike, yard work, rock climbing, an obstacle course with your family, playing in the yard with your pet, the list goes on. Whatever you decide to do, do it. Start somewhere. You’ve got this.

TO ADVERTISE Call (813) 704-6850

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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• Releasing feel-good endorphins • Increasing energy • Gaining confidence • Sleeping better at night • Lowering anxiety and stress

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

Hannah Franklin is a Wellness Director at the Plant City Family YMCA.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

CITY DEBATES INCREASING RAISES FOR EMPLOYEES

The first public hearing on the proposed budget, which will include the discussion to increase raises for city employees during the upcoming fiscal year, will be held Sept. 14.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

“My thought is to take — you know you can say ‘thank you’ many times, but let’s really show thanks — instead of 2.5 percent, I talked to the city manager and the CFO, to take this to 3 percent for our employees this year to say thank you, we really appreciate them. It would be a total cost of $140,000 to take it to 3 percent and that $140,000 would come from all the funds.” It was explained “all the funds” meant the streets, stormwater, sewer, general fund — all the collective funds the city has could be tapped to round up the $140,000 difference. Mathis reiterated it would be a great way for the city to say “thank you” to the employees that had to quickly adapt during the start of the pandemic. She added it would be a one-time shift and not something the city would commit to every year. The city commissioners are also in charge of handling the raises of the city manager, city clerk and city attorney. Lott reminded the commissioner that McDaniel started the job at $150,000, which was $15,000 less than the previous city manager. Lott said that had they brought him in where the prior city manager had been at and then included the increases over the last few years, then this year he would

have been at $193,000. Currently McDaniel makes $166,000, which Lott said is just a fraction more than what the city manager was making four years ago. The proposed 2.5 percent increase for city employees would bump him up to $170,000 this year. “I said it earlier, there’s never a good time — you can always find a reason not to do something a little bit extra for someone that’s given a lot extra — and I think one of the reasons why we started out city manager at a lower (salary) than where our previous city manager was at that time was because that’s where we advertised it at, but also he was new to being a city manager and we had a very seasoned city manager before,” Lott said. “But I can tell you I didn’t see an adjustment at all. Our city manager hit the ground running as if he was the city manager for many, many, many years and I can tell you he took projects that were on hold and made them reality, and in his staff he made adjustments and he took things that we had discussed in our budgets for many, many years and sometimes we had a little bit of frustration whereas ‘why isn’t this completed yet,’ and he completed projects. So I really feel like if we had known that we would have the results that we’ve had, and hopefully I’m wording this right, we would have started him not at $150K, but where the previous city manager was because I don’t think he ever missed a beat.”

Lott proposed McDaniel’s worth was much more than where he currently is and asked that commissioners agree to give him a 5.35 percent raise instead of a 2.5 percent raise, which would take him to a flat $175,000. He argued it would still be much less than if they had started him where the prior city manager was. The first public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for Sept. 14. Those

who wish to voice their opinion on everything that is proposed are invited to participate in the hearing.

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

COVID ON THE RISE

PlantCityObserver.com

Once again, Hillsborough County has seen a recent uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases.

BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

The Board of County Commissioners continues to meet each week to discuss the state of emergency and address the recent medical updates regarding the spread of COVID-19 throughout the region. During Thursday’s meeting, members were met with an unsettling synopsis: the numbers are once again increasing and the county’s infection rate is one of the highest in the state. “Our descent down these steps is stalled,’’ Dr. Douglas Holt, director of the state Health Department for Hillsborough County, said. Holt had just wrapped up a presentation that showed the county’s seven-day average rate for new cases rose to 104 per 100,000 people. Just last week, the numbers were at 92 per 100,000 people. Those numbers alone mean very little to the average listener, but in order for a county to claim it has a “moderate rate of infection” it has to have 70 new cases per 100,000 people. Obviously, Hillsborough is not yet there. The interesting part of Thursday’s conversation arose when Holt began to explain to commissioners that Hillsborough, for some reason, has become an outlier. Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota have all gotten their rates of infection down to the manageable percentile. The highest number in the above listed counties was 63 as of last week’s presentation and the lowest was 53. New numbers are expected to release today. Hillsborough is 30 points

higher, give or take, and the medical experts don’t have an answer as to why. And everyone at the table realized the message that was unsaid: dangerous waters lie ahead. As of Tuesday afternoon, the number of cases in Hillsborough County schools rose to 182, with 138 of those reported from employees and 44 reported from students. The numbers are beginning to stack up across the board as well. Polk County had 76 cases, Manatee had 43, Pinellas had 34, Pasco and Citrus each had 32 and Hernando had eight cases. Several school districts held meetings Tuesday to discuss how to handle the growing spread of COVID in schools. In Plant City, the numbers are still relatively under control. Bryan Elementary reports four students have been diagnosed with COVID-19, Durant High has three employees and one student who have tested positive, Knights Elementary and Marshall Middle report one employee and one student are positive at each school, Robinson Elementary has one positive employee, Simmons Career Center has one positive employee and Strawberry Crest High reports one employee and two students have tested positive. But the reality is the majority of the cases won’t be represented in the numbers for another two to three weeks. The students and employees may come into contact with the virus and not show symptoms for up to two weeks. Then they have to be tested. Then those test results have to be processed. Only then will the contagion be reported to the school district. So the rising numbers in schools that have already been

spotted are more than likely the result of exposure that happened before the first day of school began. The majority of the cases will come in the next few weeks, so the large quantity of schools can’t yet be blamed for the unusually high rate of infection. Pair the upcoming school data with the numbers that will inevitably pop up due to Labor Day weekend parties and gatherings, and you have a county bracing for impact. When asked for an explanation, Holt merely said he’s “not sure exactly why such a difference has happened.”

As of Tuesday afternoon Florida had a total of 650,092 total cases of COVID, an increase of 1,823 from Monday. It also reported the total deaths related to COVID-19 rose to 12,067, which was 44 more than was reported on Monday. The BOCC will meet at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon to further discuss the rising numbers and its emergency order. You can listen or watch the meeting live at the county’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

CITY EYES DEVELOPING EMPTY LOT ON WHEELER STREET The City of Plant City could develop an empty lot at the South Wheeler Street and West J. Arden Mays Boulevard. Commissioners will decide its fate on Monday. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER

Solution Source said in its bid that the design of the proposed building will be centered around community engagement. It said it intentionally reduced the building footprint in order to accommodate more parking and streetscape. “There is low availability of new commercial space in downtown which has allowed us to attract verbal commitments for more than 75 percent of the commercial space,” the bid read. The project is called “Wheeler Street Station” and the plan is to have a 13,450-square foot first floor with six different units. The Bank of Tampa, Day Spa and the Plant City EDC have already expressed interest in becoming tenants and Solution Source said a national pizza restaurant, a gourmet deli as well as an American-style restaurant have also expressed interest. The second and third floors are designed for 16 units per floor ranging from 500 to 1,350 square feet. When it came down to the nitty-gritty aspects of the agreement, however, the bid was relatively vague. In the purchase proposal, Solution Source proposed that the CRA and the developer enter into a development agreement and a ground lease agreement for the developer’s acquisition of the property. “The Development Agreement will describe Developer’s obligations to improve the property.

The CRA and the Developer will also enter into a Ground Lease Agreement authorizing the Developer to improve property as required by the Development Agreement. When the CRA has approved the required improvements to the property as required by the Development Agreement, the CRA will convey the property to Developer at a price mutually agreed upon by the parties,” the proposal read. City Manager Bill McDaniel will ask commissioners on Sept. 14 to enter into negotiations with the two respondents for the RFP in succession of the ranking order. If commissioners agree, McDaniel can immediately enter negotiations with Solution Source. If that negotiation fails, the city can negotiate with the second bidder. The second bid was prepared by Southeast Building & Land, LLC. Southeast Building is based in Georgia and 1320 Partners is a Plant City-based LLC. R. John Anderson, who has developed many mid-sized mixed-use infill projects, will be the lead urban designer and Marques King, whose experience spans from large-scale international projects to urban residential and mixed use buildings, will be the project architect. Andy Kalback will be the landscape architect and Plant Citybased Dykstra Construction and Glenn Bros. Construction are handling the project. Plant City residents Jay Hollenkamp, Steven Hollenkamp and Arley Smude are the prin-

cipals in the project. The Hollenkamps renovated the building at 101 S. Evers St. to transform a consignment shop into an 800-square foot 2/1 apartment and a 700-square foot commercial unit, which is now Roots. The plan is to build a public park via a partnership with the City of Plant City and local philanthropists on the western side of the lot. Then the company wants to build a mixed-use development on the eastern side of the lot. It will be a blend of one, two or three-story structures. To solve the parking issue, the group planned to create parking spaces behind the six buildings on the property. Finally, the group suggested it renovates the one existing structure on the lot “to serve as a transition between the historic structures on the east of the block and the new structures on the west of the block.” In total, Southeast Building estimated the total development cost of the project at $5.5 million. Once it opens, there will be 30 new apartments, 13 ground floor retail-commercial units ranging from 700 to 840 square feet, six micro-offices, one restaurant and 39 parking spaces. The commercial spaces will be small and the apartments will be one and two bedrooms ranging from 700 to 860 square feet, which the group noted are in limited supply downtown. Each of the three three-story buildings will have a handicapped-accessible ground floor

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apartment, a single stairwell and no elevator. The developer proposed three three-story structures, two onestory structures, one single story restaurant and a two-story carriage house on the property. The hidden parking lot will have 20 spaces and the group hopes to partner with the City to add an additional 19 spots on sides of the lot.

The cost estimate for the project doesn’t include the development and construction cost of the park component of the project or public streetscape, as the group proposed entering a partnership with the City of Plant City for those. Commissioners will decide at 7:30 p.m. Monday if they wish to enter negotiations for the project.

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH: ’COME TO THE LIGHT’

We must never forget the bravery first responders showed during the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

DR. DANIEL MIDDLEBROOKS

In a time filled with amazing stories, let me share one appropriate for this month. Robert “Bob” Hilland, while he was stuck in the snarl of morning traffic, looked up as the first plane hit the one of New York’s Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001. It seemed like it was a dream until the people around him started getting out of their cars and pointing. He was not sure what just happened and wondered how a plane could have gotten so far off course. Then the second plane hit. It was then he realized it was not an accident. His agency phone broke the moment and he was told to report to their downtown headquarters to begin emergency operations. After meeting with his FBI team, they made their way toward the burning towers. They set up a command station in an evacuated office building a few blocks away from ground zero. The first floor was solid concrete with no windows. The only light from outside came through two huge glass doors that connected the outside with the second set of huge glass doors on the inside, about 12 feet away. Bob remembered the large brass pull handles used to break the air seal of the outside doors and the vestibule. His supervisor pointed to desks to have everyone making calls, coordinating and assessing the unstable situation. It was during a call from the Division Special Agent in Charge (SAC) to Bob’s

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answer to His call? Will you stand when those around you fall? Will you be the one to take His light into a darkened world? Will you be the one? I will be the one!” On this Sept. 11, be a light for our community. In doing so, you help fuel the lights of our faithful first responders who stand ready to be our light when the world grows suddenly dark. If you would like to hear the whole story of Special Agent Robert Hilland, go to our website at chaplaincycare.org and look under the “September 11th” tab.

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

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a few inches, he screamed, “Come to the light! Come to the light!” Within a few seconds, a bloody hand reached for his and they pulled a battered man inside. Then they pulled in several more people. This went on until the debris stopped falling, the smoke started dissipating and the sun broke through. They opened the door and walked through 12 inches of ash, climbed over crushed cement and began the search and rescue of the multitude of people. Bob looked back at me through tears, almost as if he realized he was back in his office, and said, “All I could do was scream, ‘Come to the light!’ and they did.” I believe there is no theological lesson better than the one Bob reminded me of that day at Quantico. It only took a little light in the darkness to begin to save so many from the rubble and ruin of that tragic moment. The Apostle John wrote of this darkness piercing principle, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5 NIV). In the time of great darkness of falling towers, Bob found a light to use to lead others to safety. In a world that now seems to be covered with the darkness of fear, panic, and problems, God calls us to be His lights. (see Matthew 5:14-16). Let me leave you with these great words from Al Denson. “Will you be the one to

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group that word came out that the Pentagon had been hit. They all knew the United States were under attack. While on the phone to the SAC, a horrific rumbling started. It was, according to Bob, like the sound of dominoes falling but a thousand times louder. Since they had no windows, they did not know what was going on. The SAC, however, did. He began to watch the towers buckle and fall. He screamed into the phone, “Bob, get everyone out of there!” but it was too late. The debris of the falling towers filled the streets. The impact shut off the power and the office became dark like a tomb. Within a minute, the emergency generators came on with a dim light, yet the outside was as dark as midnight. Bob moved to the outside set of glass doors and began to open them slowly. The power of the outside air pulled the door open with incredible force and smoke, soot and debris rolled into the enclosed vestibule. It took three men to pull the door shut again. Bob knew there were people outside who were injured, but they could not see through the immense darkness. There was a news crew with them, and Bob had an idea. He used the large TV camera with the powerful light to shine into the darkness. Bob positioned the camera light and while two agents pulled the doors open

1702 S. Alexander, Plant City, FL 33563

BINX: Binx was just adopted last Friday and found his forever home with Eric Randall. The only thing Binx, “the laziest, most excited pup ever,” loves more than meeting new people is laying down for naps and belly scratches.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

SPORTS

GAME OF THE WEEK:

RIVERVIEW AT

File photo

PLANT CITY The Raiders, the only area team opening the 2020 season at home, will host the Sharks Friday night and finally get a feel for the in-game product.

At long last, the Plant City Raiders and the rest of the area’s football teams are about to play again. This week kicks off the 2020 season in what would normally have been Week 3 had there not been a pandemic and, if you didn’t already know, we’re jumping right into the regular season this time around. Head coach James Booth said Tuesday that senior Nick Felice has earned the starting job at quarterback heading in to Week 1. Felice transferred from Newsome to Plant City before COVID-19 hit and has spent his time at 1 Raider Place learning a completely different offense than he was used to with the Wolves. Felice started for the Wolves last year and completed 52 of 115 pass attempts for 844 yards and 10 touchdowns against five interceptions through 11 games (including playoffs). Newsome’s offense was built around the run, which led to 3,402 yards and 41 touchdowns on the ground, so Plant City’s pass-friendly attack almost couldn’t be more different. Booth said Felice has gotten a good grasp of the offense, and it definitely helps that the senior is surrounded by talent at wide receiver — besides superstar Mario Williams, the reliable Reagan Ealy came back for his senior season and threestar recruit Aramoni Rhone (who transferred from Orlando-Jones) is yet another weapon for Felice to throw to this year. Plant City has also been big on junior running back Romello Jones, who flashed playmaking ability in limited action backing up incumbent starter Zamir’ Knighten last year and brings “home run” speed to the offensive backfield this year. With four of Riverview’s top five tacklers of 2019 now gone due to either graduation or transfer, the new-look PCHS offense may be tough to stop once it gets going. Last year, Riverview posted an 8-3 (3-2 district) record and made the playoffs, where the Sharks lost in the first round to Kissimmee-Osceola, 58-21. Of that team’s three most productive offensive players, only senior wide receiver Kadeem Robinson (371 yards, four touch-

downs) is still on the roster. Dual-threat quarterback Stazion Gage, who also led the team in rushing with 736 yards and 10 touchdowns, transferred to Bloomingdale along with top safety Isaiah Doby (103 total tackles, one fumble recovery, one interception, four passes defensed). Second-leading rusher Cheyenne Greaves (755 yards, six touchdowns) graduated along with quarterbacks Devin White and Colby Thornton. On defense, the Sharks also lost sack machine James Moore (11 sacks, 88 total tackles, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries) to Leto High School and stalwarts James Marshall and Antonio Brown (93 and 86 total tackles, respectively) to graduation. With home field advantage (even if the stands are a little less full than they usually are) and experience returning to key areas, Plant City looks to be in position to start the season on a high note. Here’s a reminder for Raider Nation and all other high school football fans out there: you’ll only be able to go to the games if you’ve been invited, but there are other ways to watch. You can watch any game anytime, live or otherwise, at NFHSNetwork.com with a subscription. Raider fans can also catch every football game at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, 2418 James L. Redman Parkway, on Friday nights.

OTHER GAMES TO WATCH DURANT @ Newsome, 7:30 p.m. The Alafia River Rivalry opens the 2020 season for Newsome and Durant, and this year’s game will test the Cougars on the road. Both teams are working with new quarterbacks this year and Durant’s man under center will be Marcus Miguele. Miguele only saw limited action last year behind senior Sean Williams, but the coaches see plenty to like from the junior as he brings dual-threat potential to the offense. This game will see the debut of Durant’s updated offense, no longer reliant on the flexbone formation and more eager to test Miguele’s arm. Though Newsome won’t have the experience of Nick Felice under center anymore, the important thing to note is Durant and other defenses still have to worry about that rushing attack led by Jason Albritton. In his sophomore season, Albritton torched defenses to the tune of 1,456 yards and 14 of the team’s 41 total rushing touchdowns. Losing Landon White (746 yards, 11 touchdowns) to graduation may hurt, but the Wolves haven’t had a problem spreading the carries around. STRAWBERRY CREST @ King, 7:30 p.m. Strawberry Crest has something to prove in 2020 and hopes to start the season with a little bit of revenge on King. Last year, the Lions picked up their first win of the season (and handed the Chargers their first loss) at King in Week 2 with a 37-21 final score. The Chargers and Lions are now 3-3 all-time against each other, as the Lions’ win snapped Crest’s two-game hot streak since 2017. The Chargers are committing to the run in 2020, but the question of who will step up to light up the scoreboard in key areas is one head coach Phillip Prior said will be answered on a week-to-week basis in the games. Crest is fielding a young, largely inexperienced team, but the defense is not lacking in the area of senior leadership.

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

The last two King-Crest games have been competitive, so fans can expect more of that this Friday night.

DON’T FORGET: THE 2020 FOOTBALL PREVIEW IS HERE

Did you already read this week’s Game of the Week article and want more? We’ve got you covered. Inside this week’s Observer is the 2020 Football Preview, a more detailed look at what to expect and who to watch from Durant, Plant City and Strawberry Crest this season. You’ll also get more information, including an explanation of how fan attendance will work this season and how you can still watch all of the games — even if you can’t go cheer on your favorite players, coaches and teams in person.

You can also check out the guide in full online at plantcityobserver.com.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

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We asked students, parents, teachers and other school faculty members on Facebook: What was the experience of the first week of students physically going back to school like for you? “Our kids had a great first week. Glad we chose brick and mortar.” — Sherry Crews “My daughter is freshman in PCHS. She had a great week so far. I have seen many students glad to be back in person. It’s life, make it a great!” — Fritzie Manalo “It was great. I work at an elementary and the kids were all following the guidelines.” — Sheila Sullivan “Great!” — Sandra Garcia “It is so nice to be back working with my colleges and students. Students are doing a fabulous job with sanitizing and wearing masks. It’s not the perfect scenario but we are all making the best out of it as we can.” — Theresa Rice Griffin

“Amazing!!!! My child’s school was super welcoming and continued to do precautions without stressing the kids out due to this new norm.” — Maribel Cruz Rivera “Well one week at school and my daughter already has to stay home for 2 weeks so be interesting to see how the rest of the year goes.” — Katherine Garza Londberg “Not so good when the school has a/c issues with this virus and kids having to wear masks. This is at Turkey Creek Middle School!!!!!” — Maricela Salazar “Great. It’s the first time my teen actually wanted to go back to school in years!” — Deanna Shaw

“LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!!! It was so great being with kids and back in the classroom. The kids (VPK/PEEPS) have done a phenomenal job keeping their masks on!! So happy to be back! Let the learning begin!” — Linda Herman “It was awesome. No issues. My senior loved being back at the school.” — Shelly Roberts-Woods “It was awesome to teach students! They are so excited to be back in class! My girls also are happy to be back in person. The students love it!!” — Jessica Stevens “They loved it so much.” — Donna Keeler Elliott

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PLANT CITY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

AUGUST 2020

OBITUARIES

REAL ESTATE

Barbara Jeanne Gibbs

Mary Ellen Gabriel

Taking care of WillieisDora each other whatPrice

community

Willie Dora Price, 100, of Plant City, passed away on Barbara Jeanne Gibbs (nee’ Mary Ellen Gabriel, 79, of DoJohnson). Born February 16, ver, passed away on Septem- Sunday, August 30, 2020. Willie was born July 11, 1920 1926. Died August 26, 2020. ber 2, 2020. Canton, GA. The family will be holding a in Atlanta, Georgia. Services we’re dedicated to helping families create a W E ’ RE P RO U D TO S E RV E our community were held on September Barbara was born in Roch- funeral mass Saturday, Sepunique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate care since 1896. celebrates the life itMemorial represents. As your Dignity MemorialAM professionals, 8, 2020 at Wells ester, New York and grew tember19, 2020 at 10:30 Local August 2020 sales and trend information courtesy of 100% Service Guarantee > National Plan Transferability Funeral Home. up in nearby Webster, New at the Mary Help> >Bereavement of Christians Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® The Crawford Group. Permit information was obtained from Condolences may be ofYork. She was a graduate of Catholic Church, 6400 E. R the City of Plant City. at www.wellsmemorial. Cortland State Teachers Col- Chelsea St., Tampa FL 33610. fered Proudly the Plant Citythe Strawberry PriceFestival. family. lege (SUNY-Cortland) with Online condolences maysupportingcom for a degree in Health, Physical be left for the family at www. Education, and Recreation. haught.care. She began her career teachWELLSMEMORIAL.COM ing physical education at Spencer Central School, SpenWells MeMorial & eventWesley Center cer, New York, K-12 th grades. HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM Walter PlanT CiTy 813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com Knight In 1956 she, her husband Terry and their two daughters moved Ralph ‘Bud’ Jones Walter Wesley Knight, 78, of to Plant City, Florida, where she Ralph “Bud” Jones, 84, of Plant City, passed away on taught Girls Physical EducaMitchell Crawford, of the Crawford said. “The Monday, August 31, 2020. Last month, 98 properties Plant City, passed away on mortgage rates will con- tion at Plant City Senior High, Crawford Group, said the Walter was born July 21, sold with an average sale Sept. 3, 2020. tinue to stay in the low and she finished her teaching 1942 in Clermont. He was price of $139.77 per square real estate companies still The family will receive threes for several more career at Turkey Creek Middle need an infusion of home an Army veteran and the foot. That represents both friends September 10, 2020 months, maybe through School in 1981. Along with her inventory for sale or else a 26 percent increase in from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at owner of Knight’s Nursery we’re dedicated helping families create a W E ’Church RE P RO U D TO E our community regular teaching responsithe market may slow down. the end of the year. The on Airport Roadtoin Plant City. units sold (vs. 78) and a Sydney First ofS E RV God, unique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate care since 1896. bilities at PCHS, she was the “As the market continues area real estate compabe of6.5 percent increase in 1432 Sydney Dover Dover, celebrates the lifemay it represents. As your Dignity Rd., Memorial professionals, Condolences > 100% Service Guarantee > National Plan Transferability nies need inventory.” cheerleader sponsor for nine to inch forward, I would at www.wellsmemorial. price per square foot (vs. FL 33527. Funeral services will fered > Bereavement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® years, volunteer director of the follow at 3:00 PM. Masks will com. expect the average price $131.20) from that of Aujunior play for one year, choreper square foot to level off gust 2019. be required. R Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival. ographer for six of the choral in the coming months,” Online condolences may department musicals, and the be left for the family at www. girls swim team coach. She also haught.care. taught for many years in the WELLSMEMORIAL.COM Hillsborough County Summer Recreation Program and was a These are the largest building permits issued in Plant City for the month of Wells MeMorial & event Center Francis V. member of the State Southern HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM PlanT CiTy August 2020, in order of dollar amounts. Association School Evaluation Theberge 813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com Address Permit Amount Rita Cooper Committee. She also assisted George Holbrook in coaching Francis V. Theberge, 84, of 3304 Sydney Road Mechanical/HVAC $1,314,140 Sasser the Plant City Swim Team for Fort Lonesome and formerly more than 10 years. of Laconia and Ashland, Rita Cooper Sasser, 54, of 3775 Fancy Farms Road Plumbing $550,000 After her retirement from New Hampshire, lost his Plant City, passed away on teaching, Barbara taught long battle with cancer on September 7, 2020. The fam1205 Wood Court Commercial alteration $495,000 we’re dedicated to helping families create a W E ’ RE P RO U D TO S E RV E our community private swimming lessons to 2,meaningful 2020 memorial at home ily will receive Sep- care sinceSeptember unique and that truly withfriends personal, compassionate 1896. celebrates the it represents. As your Dignity Memorial professionals, many children in the Plant City tember 14, 2020 surrounded bylifefamily. He from 10:00 1205 Wood Court Mechanical/HVAC $165,000 > 100% Service Guarantee Plan Transferability area and also worked for H&R was> National born on June 17,Helpline® 1936. AM to 11:00 AM >at Haught Bereavement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Block as a receptionist for Fond memories and Funeral Home, 708 W. Dr. MLK 1810 Johnson Pointe Drive Single family detached $156,300 R may be shared more than 10 years. She was a Jr Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563. condolences Proudly supportingat www.wellsmemorial.com. the Plant City Strawberry Festival. member of the Plant City Pilot Funeral services will follow 1810 Johnson Pointe Drive Plumbing $156,300 Club and the East Hillsborough at 11:00 AM. Masks will be Retired Teachers’ Association. required to attend service. 3009 Blakert Court Single family detached $156,300 Barbara and Terry were Online condolences may WELLSMEMORIAL.COM married for almost 63 years be left for the family at www. 3004 Blakert Court Single family detached $156,300 until his death in 2010. She haught.care. Wells MeMorial & event Center Jeffrey Dawes was interred next to him at the 3002 Blakert Court Single family detached $156,300 PlanT CiTy 813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com Richardson Georgia National Cemetery, Canton, Georgia. Jeffrey Dawes Richardson, 602 Arbequina Court Occupancy $156,300 Barbara is survived by her HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM 70, of Plant City, passed daughter Terry Jeanne Sparkaway on Saturday, Septem2309 James L. Redman Pkwy Mechanical/HVAC $150,000 Fred Arthur Gavin ber 5, 2020. Jeffrey was man (Steve), of Tallahassee, Florida; her daughter Sandra born December 24, 1949 in Fred Arthur Gavin, 93, of 4575 Airport Road Single family detached $148,000 we’re dedicated to helping families create a E ’ RE P RO U D away TO S E RV Eon our community Mote (Bruce), of Morganton, Rockford, Illinois. Zephyrhills,Wpassed unique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate care since 1896. Georgia; sister Marjorie Finch of SeptemberAs6,your2020. Fond memories and Fred professionals, was celebrates the life it represents. Dignity Memorial > 100% Service Guaranteeexpressions > National Plan of Transferability Eugene R. Snyder Frank B. Koeffler Jr. Bradenton, Florida; grandchilsympathy a United States Navy veteran > Bereavement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® dren Joanna Sparkman Capo may be shared at www. of World War II. Funeral serEugene R. Snyder, 88, of Mulberry, Frank B. Koeffler Jr., 98, of LakeR the WellsMemorial.com for passed away on Monday, September land, passed away on Thursday, Sep- (Chris), Kevin Sparkman (Kim), vices will be held privately. Proudly supporting theRichardson Plant City Strawberry Festival. family. Online condolences may 7, 2020. He was born in Williamsport, tember 3, 2020. He was born in New Janie West Bell (Michael), Heather Mote Bertils (Greg) be left for the family at www. Pennsylvania on December 12,Wcreate 1931. He York, Newwe’re York on toJune 1922. He we’re dedicated to helping families dedicated helping 22, families create a U D TO SE RVE our community E ’R E aP R OU D TO SE RV E our community unique and meaningful memorial with that truly unique and meaningful memorial that truly l, compassionate care since 1896. personal, compassionate care since 1896. and Natalie Mote; and great haught.care. was a United was a United States Air Force veteran. States Army veteran. celebrates the life it represents. As your Dignity Memorial professionals, celebrates the life it represents. ity Memorial professionals, Condolences mayTransferability be offered at www. Condolences mayTransferability be shared at www. grandchildren include Lindsay 00% Service Guarantee > National Plan > 100% Service Guarantee > National Plan reavement Travel Assistance > The Compassionthe Helpline® Bereavement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® WELLSMEMORIAL.COM Bell, Michael Bell, Jake Berwellsmemorial.com for Snyder >family. wellsmemorial.com. tils, Jonathan Capo and many R R Wells MeMorial & event Center nieces and nephews. Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival. Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival. PlanT CiTy OBITUARIES ALL If so desired, donations may 813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com ARE SUBMITTED be made in her memory to the AND EDITED BY Plant City YMCA. FAMILIES OR HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM WELLSMEMORIAL.COM WELLSMEMORIAL.COM FUNERAL HOMES

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Polly A. Copeland

Polly A. Copeland, 78, of Plant City, born in Los Angeles, California on Oct. 15, 1941, entered into eternal rest on May 29, 2020. She was a resident of Plant City since 1987, and a member of Walden Lake Country Club. She was a graduate of USF with a degree in Communications and Marketing. She volunteered with the Plant City Chamber of Commerce. Her joys were spending time with her family at events and on vacations. Each day she could be seen taking long walks with her dog. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gary Copeland; and sons, Jeffrey Scott Copeland, and Kevin Alan Copeland. She is survived by her daughter, Kimberly Smith (Donald) of Plant City; grandchildren, Kaitlyn Smith of Tampa, and Connor Smith of Plant City; sister, Elizabeth Lansford (Richard) of Littleton, Colorado, and their children, Eric and Jennifer; brother in law, Steve Copeland (Sally), and their daughters, Lesa, Kristen, and Lyndie. The family will receive friends on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Hopewell Funeral Home, 6005 S. County Road 39, Plant City, where a Celebration of Life will follow at 11 a.m.

Bobby Kelley Bobby Kelley, 85, of Plant City, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on August 31, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

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William ‘Bill’ Willard Hunter

William “Bill” Willard Hunter, 90, of Plant City, born on April 12, 1930 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, entered into eternal rest on September 1, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

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Blu Robinson Blu Robinson, 74, of Lithia, born on October 23, 1945 in Louisville, Kentucky, entered into eternal rest on September 1, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

Linda Bass Lewis

Linda Bass Lewis, 77, of Dover, born on January 20, 1943 in Plant City. Mom is sweetly resting in the arms of her Savior and entered into eternal rest on September 1, 2020. She loved her family dearly and was a member of Mt. Enon Primitive Baptist Church for 64 years. She was preceded in death by husband, Bobby Wayne Lewis; parents, Elder Cecil and Delsie Bass; brothers Gene Bass, Elder Curtis Bass and Charles Bass; and sister Betty Bass. She is survived by children Elder Michael Lewis (Donna) of Plant City, Lisa Allbritton (Jesse) of Plant City and Tina Lewis of Dover; grandchildren Christopher Lewis (Natalie), Kevin Lewis, Eric Lewis (Mia), Ashley Lea (Dan), Amber Lundt (Jeremy) and Julia Strickland (Kyle); great- grandchildren, Arya, Hunter, Nikolai, Zachary, Saul, and Brooke; siblings Gloria Martin (Jerry) and Margie Bass, both of Plant City; sisters-in-law Nita

Bass and Gwen Bass; and many other cherished family and friends. A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 11, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. at Mt. Enon Primitive Baptist Church, 3702 N. Frontage Road, Plant City, where the family will receive friends beginning at 10:30 A.M. Graveside committal to follow at Mt. Enon Cemetery, Plant City. Flowers may be sent to Hopewell Funeral Home or memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude. org. Expressions of condolence may be made at HopewellFuneral.com.

Marilu Nandi Lozano Marilu Nandi Lozano, 58, of Seffner, born on November 23, 1961 in San Marcos, Guerrero, Mexico, entered into eternal rest on September 1, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

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Howard Leavell Howard Leavell, 53, of Plant City, born on September 4, 1966 in Tampa, entered into eternal rest on August 27, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

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Herbert White Herbert White, 87, of Lithia, joined the Lord on August 31, 2020. He was born on January 31, 1933, in Darlington, South Carolina. Expressions of condolence may be made at HopewellFuneral. com.

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Norma Jean Hand Norma Jean Hand, 79, of Tampa, born on March 15, 1941, entered into eternal rest on September 2, 2020. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

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Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay at humanesocietytampa.org. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

BEST BET SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 DEAN’S RIDE 8

7:30 a.m. Hop on your bike and choose between routes of 19, 39, 46 and 62 miles to raise money for the Plant City Family YMCA’s LiveSTRONG program. All routes start and end at the Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College Plant City Campus, 1206 N. Park Road. Registered riders sign in at 6:30 a.m. on event day. After the ride, participants can wind down with lunch, craft beer and music. If you register now, the cost is $60 per rider and anyone participating must be age 14 or older. Visit caamevents.com or mail your registration form and entrance fee to the Plant City Family YMCA, 1507 YMCA Place, Plant City, FL 33563, to get signed up. Registration forms are available at the Plant City Y. Email Paul Conley at paul.conley@TampaYMCA.org for more information.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 10

process and give you the tools you need to determine how you will meet the small business challenge today. Register online at score.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ c66x3nHuTEyE_UHMpM74KQ.

JOB FAIR AT SEU

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Southeastern University, 1000 Longfellow Blvd., Lakeland, is hosting a Job and Career Fair on campus with COMPASS, Tampa Free Press and South Shore Events. A variety of businesses will be on hand to speak with you face-to-face on available positions from entry level to professional. Bring plenty of resumes. A free resume review service will also be onsite. The event is free and open to the general public. Register online at eventbrite.com/e/job-fair-lakeland-centralflorida-tickets-103182742360.

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.

ENTREPRENEUR/SMALL BUSINESS CONSULTING SERVICES

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Want to grow or expand your small business? Want to improve operations of your small business? Need financing or marketing assistance for your small business? The Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County, assists existing and emerging businesses in Hillsborough county, through no-cost confidential business consulting, information and low-cost training. Contact the Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County to schedule a confidential appointment at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 S. Evers St., with business consultant Robert Pierce. Email Pierce at Piercer@HCFLGOV.net.

9/11: LIGHT OF HOPE REMEMBRANCE

7 p.m. at First Call-First Responder Church, 1510 Cre Road, Dover. You are invited to a special night of remembrance and recognition of our first responders and their life of service and sacrifice. Dessert fellowship following service. Sponsored by Sweet Life Farms and Chaplaincy Care, Inc.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 PLANT CITY TOASTMASTERS

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11

SATURDAY, SEPT. 18

TRIVIA NIGHT

7 p.m. Test your PIXAR knowledge at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd., with a free game of trivia that’s fun for all ages.

7 to 8:30 p.m. Open Mic Night is back at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. You get to be the show in this “krazy” fun night. To sign up, visit https://forms.gle/ tYPLqRiyYBmNTtCP9.

MONDAY, SEPT. 14

SBA & SCORE WEBINAR: PUTTING IT TOGETHER IN AN ACTIONABLE PLAN 12 to 1 p.m. This webinar series will guide you through an easy to follow four-step

DIAMONDS AND DENIM 2020 WITH A TWIST!

5 to 9 p.m. A virtual fundraising event to support local hospital heroes. This year’s event will be a combination of a fabulous “Dinner Drive-Thru” followed by a Facebook Live event which will include three drawings: Diamond Ring, 50/50 and Grand Prize. There will also be an online auction beginning on event day. Registration required. To register, learn more or view sponsorship details, visit SFBHFoundation.org.

SBA & SCORE WEBINAR: THE SMALL BUSINESS LEGAL CHALLENGES IN THE AGE OF COVID-19

OPEN MIC NIGHT

10 a.m. at the 1914 High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. The Plant City Garden Club would like to welcome everyone back to its first club meeting of the 2020-21 year. There will be a meetand-greet for all to find out what exciting speakers are on the schedule for the upcoming year. The meeting is free and open to the public. Call Sally Murphy at 813-758-5154 or visit plantcitygardenclub. org for more information.

PLANT CITY TOASTMASTERS

MONDAY, SEPT. 28

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12

PLANT CITY GARDEN CLUB GENERAL MEETING

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

RETRO MOVIE NIGHT

7 to 8:30 p.m. Join Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd., for Retro Movie Night featuring Mulan (1998). Bring the family and enjoy a fun night with free admission.

MONDAY, SEPT. 21 SBA & SCORE WEBINAR: THE INBUSINESS GUIDE TO TOUGH TIMES – MARKETING ON A DIME 12 to 1 p.m. This webinar series will guide you through an easy to follow four-step process and give you the tools you need to determine how you will meet the small business challenge today. Register online at score.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ c66x3nHuTEyE_UHMpM74KQ.

12 to 1 p.m. This webinar series will guide you through an easy to follow four-step process and give you the tools you need to determine how you will meet the small business challenge today. Register online at score.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ c66x3nHuTEyE_UHMpM74KQ.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 31 PLANT CITY TOASTMASTERS

HERE TO BUILD

A STRONGER

YOU

WHEN YOU’RE READY, WE’RE HERE.

PLANT CITY FAMILY YMCA 1507 YMCA Pl., Plant City | 813 757 6677 | tampaymca.org

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

FORECAST

Send your photo submissions to Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@PlantCityObserver.com or hashtag #iloveplantcity on Instagram for @igersplantcity to feature.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 10

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

SUNRISE/SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Sept. 10

7:11a

7:38p

High: 91 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 80%

Friday, Sept. 11

7:12a

7:37p

Saturday, Sept. 12

7:12a

7:36p

Sunday, Sept. 13

7:13a

7:35p

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11

Monday, Sept. 14

7:13a

7:34p

Tuesday, Sept. 15

7:14a

7:33p

Wednesday, Sept. 16

7:14a

7:31p

High: 91 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 80%

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 High: 90 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 60%

SUNDAY, SEPT. 13 High: 88 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 60%

OKRA Jenny Simmons recently spotted this sandhill crane getting itself some lunch in Walden Lake.

ONLINE

Shipping point: Central Florida $12.35-$14.85

ACROSS 1 Rubber-stamped item? 7 Rose’s record 14,053 13 Dessert for one, maybe 15 Cotton farm threat 16 Handlers for a mixologist 18 Joey of *NSYNC 19 Liquid meas. 20 Mythical mount that flies 22 ‘90s sitcom “__ and Stacey” 23 Maintained 25 Invalid 26 Steep projection 27 Shocker on a cop’s belt

29 High words 30 “All done!” 31 Light lunch choices 34 Pinkish nail polish shade 35 Buddies, in slang 36 “That could work” 38 Sheets, e.g. 39 Score half 40 Stadium souvenirs 44 Some are random and kind 45 Alone, in a way 46 Maui, for one 47 “Told ya!” 48 Hillary aides 51 Springfield small busi-

ness owner 52 Taste test need 54 Sun spot? 56 Major course 57 Team on a football field 58 About 25% of California 59 Sent revealing messages DOWN 1 “Maybe” 2 City for which a creed is named 3 Solemn sounds 4 Date center 5 Each 6 It goes with wine

7 Really bad 8 Hot spots? 9 Get in the pool 10 Sellers of some beauty products 11 Problems for ones making notes? 12 Heavy hitter 14 Starbucks holiday drink 17 Many an Arab News reader 21 Capsule for a nap 24 Allocates 26 Flatbread similar to naan 28 Showed over 30 According to the poet’s oldest son, it was written “by a window looking down a wooded hill” 32 Shoot the breeze 33 Unite 34 What’s inside 36 “Impressive!” 37 Sweeties 38 Went the distance 41 Where a lot of money is made 42 Top 43 Appeared 45 One might be fit for a king 48 Litigant 49 Bass and such 50 Call at a base 53 Hurdle for srs. 55 Dog in the Reagan White House

Sept. 16 New

Sept. 21 First

Oct. 2 Full

Sept. 12 Last

RAINFALL Monday, Aug. 31

1.76

Tuesday, Sept. 1 0.00 Wednesday, Sept. 2

1.31

Thursday, Sept. 3 0.02 0.00

Friday, Sept. 4

Saturday, Sept. 5 0.04 0.70

Sunday, Sept. 6 YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2020 43.03 in.

2020 3.83 in.

2019 33.83 in.

2019

1.17 in.

WEATHER

I LOVE PLANT CITY

PLANT CITY OBSERVER

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 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