07.31.15 PCTO

Plant City Times&

Observer

INDEX

On July 17, Sunshine Ban-

corp Inc., the parent company

of Sunshine Bank, announced

the purchase of two branch

ofces from First Federal Bank

of Florida. The branches are

located in Sarasota and Mana-

tee counties.

A third branch belonging to

First Federal Bank of Florida

will later be consolidated into

the Sarasota and Manatee

branches.

Sunshine Bank will also be

purchasing real estate proper-

ty and other assets belonging

to the branches. It is expected

that these purchases will be

completed in the fourth quar-

ter of 2015.

According to Sunshine

Bank President and CEO An-

drew Samuel, the company

is currently focused on grow-

ing in Florida and creating

a community feel within all

Sunshine Bank settings while

providing customers with pre-

mier technology and service.

The rst bank belonging

to the company was built in

Plant City in 1954. Samuel

took over as president late last

year. The India native has lead

OUR TOWN

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

,

3&

A PARTNERSHIP WITH

This weeks winner is

Allen Evers

See the photo on

PAGE 15.

Calendar.......................2 Crossword...................15 Obituaries...................10 Sports.........................12 Weather......................15

FREE FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2015

+ Times Observer

wins awards

The final placements

for the 2014 Florida Press

Association Better Weekly

Newspaper Contest awards

have been announced.

The Plant City Times &

Observer won 10 awards,

five first places, as present-

ed at a luncheon Friday,

July 27, in Lake Mary. It

was the first time the Plant

City Times & Observer

entered the contest. There

were 1,600 entries from

papers across Florida.

First, Sports Feature Picture,

Justin Kline

First, Sports Page or Section,

Jessica Eng, Justin Kline

First, Local Government

Reporting, Michael Eng

First, Feature Photo, Michael

Eng

First, Arts, Entertainment, &

Review Reporting, Michael

Eng

Second, Feature Story:

Profile, Amber Jurgensen

Second, Best Obituary,

Michael Eng

Third, Sports Feature Story,

Justin Kline

Third, Informational Graphic,

Jessica Eng

Third, Agricultural &

Environment, Amber

Jurgensen

+ Free physicals

to be offered

In conjunction with the

Hillsborough County Back

to School Coalition, South

Florida Baptist Hospitals

Community Health

Department will offer free

back-to-school physicals

from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, Aug.1, at Swindle

Medical Arts Center, 1601

W. Timberlane Dr. Parents

or legal guardians must

accompany their children.

The free physicals are

for Florida students in

grades K to 12. Sports,

Head Start and child care

physicals are not avail-

able. Screenings include

vision, blood pressure and

height/weight.

To make an appointment

for a physical, call (813)

443-3048.

GEARTURNER

Eric Barber is

no punkwith his

steam-style jewelry.

PAGE 3

Vol.2,No.45 | Onesection

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHUFRP

HIGH NOTE

Gobehind the

scenesof The

MusicMan.

PAGE 9

PROFESSIONAL

Findoutwhere

oneDurantHigh

alumnus isnow.

PAGE 12

Karen Berry, owner and

publisher of In The Field

magazine, has been named

publisher of the Plant City

Times & Observer and joined

the ownership group of the

3-year-old weekly newspaper.

Berry, a native of Plant City,

will serve as publisher and

oversee the operations of

both publications.

Im really excited about

this opportunity to be in-

volved in two publications

that serve two communities

that I love the agricultural

First Sergeant William

Billy Riley is on transi-

tional leave from the Florida

Army National Guard until

Monday, Aug. 31, when he

will be retiring from active

duty after 25 years of ser-

vice. Riley, who comes from

a military family, is now pre-

paring for his next career as

a reserve deputy sheriff for

Hillsborough County.

Rileys last day of active

service with the National

Guard was May 30. Since

then, he has been working

as a family readiness sup-

port assistant, responsible

for helping unit command-

ers build family volunteer

programs. Family volun-

teers are required of every

unit, and Riley believes that

helping a soldiers family in

turn benets the entire unit.

The non-commission of-

cer is the backbone of the

Army, Riley said. The fam-

Commissioners were

briefed by City Manager Mike

Herr at their July 27 meeting

about a new reading room in

Bruton Memorial Library.

The Library Board has

unanimously agreed to re-

purpose the existing reading

room at Bruton Memorial Li-

brary.

After seeing the secluded

den made of glass walls at

Dunedin Public Library, the

Library Board agreed that

Brutons existing reading

room should be made into a

more private, quiet space that

will double as a conference

room and take advantage of

the available space.

What we would like to do

is enclose that room, Tonda

Bruton Library

to update

reading room

The existing reading room

will be closed off by a glass wall

to make it quieter, and it will

double as a conference room.

HOMETOWN HEROES

EDITORS NOTE: Hometown Heroes is a recurring feature in the Plant City Times &

Observer in which we profile veterans from Plant City. If you have a loved one currently

serving or who has served in the past, please contact Managing Editor Amber Jurgensen

by email at [email protected] or by phone at (813) 704-6850.

HOMETOWNHERO

by Emily Topper |StaffWriter

Sunshine to expand, keep community feel

governance


Courtesy photo

First Sergeant William Billy Riley will be retired from 25 years of active military service

Aug. 31. He continues to volunteer with local programs in the Plant City community.

Service

Doesnt End

First Sergeant William Riley will be retired

from active military service on Aug. 31, but he

still plans on serving the Plant City community.

The Plant City-based bank recently purchased branch ofces in Bradenton and Sarasota.

BUSINESS


SEE HERO / PAGE 4

SEE BERRY / PAGE 4

Amber Jurgensen

Bruce Faulmann, vice president of sales and marketing at the

Tampa Bay Times; Karen Berry; and Felix Haynes, co-owner

of the Plant City Times & Observer

top lede

by the Times & Observer staff

Karen Berry joins

Times & Observer

as publisher

Berry is also the

publisher of In the

Field, a monthly

agricultural magazine

based in Plant City.

SEE BRUTON / PAGE 4

SEE SUNSHINE / PAGE 5


&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2

COMMUNITYCALENDAR

FRIDAY, JULY 31

Adult Summer Reading

Program ends Friday, 31, at

Bruton Memorial Library, 302

McLendon St. Patrons must turn

in all punch cards by Friday.

Coupons for a free item in the

Friends of the Library book store

may be redeemed through Nov.

1. (813) 757-9217.

Charlie Hotel music

takes place beginning at

9 p.m. Friday, July 31, at

OBriens Irish Pub and Family

Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander

St. (813) 764-8818.

Girls Night Out takes place

from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July

31, in McCall Park in Historic

Downtown Plant City. Enjoy

shopping and raffles.

Rick Mongaya Live! takes

place beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 31, at Keel

and Curley Winery, 5210

Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-

9100.

Seniors in Service takes

place from 10 a.m. to 1

p.m. Friday, July 31, at

Bruton Memorial Library, 302

McClendon St. Seniors in

Service of Tampa Bay Inc. man-

ages volunteers to meet the

challenges of the community

with services that offer mentor-

ing, tutoring and companionship

through customized training,

support and recognition of our

volunteers. For more information

contact Robin Ingles at (813)

932-5228.

SATURDAY, AUG. 1

Acoustic Happy Hour music

takes place from 5:30 to

8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, at

OBriens Irish Pub and Family

Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander

St. (813) 764-8818.

Back to School Physicals

takes place from 9 a.m. to 1

p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at the

Swindle Medical Arts Center,

1601 W. Timberlane Drive.

Free physicals are being offered

for children in kindergarten

to 12th grade. Screenings

include vision, blood pressure,

and height and weight. Free

immunizations are available

for Medicaid or uninsured chil-

dren. An immunization record

is required to receive shots.

To make an appointment for a

physical, call (813) 443-3048.

Elvis Festival takes place

from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Florida

Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds

Expo Hall, 2301 W. Oak Ave.

Enjoy an Elvis contest, shows,

vendors, silent auction, food

and special guests. $35 for

VIP tickets; $30 for general

tickets. For more information

visit ElvisTampaTCB.com or call

(813) 977-6011.

Hoyt Hughes Band music

takes place beginning at 9:30

p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at Uncle

Mikes Smokehouse Grill, 106

S.R. 60 E. (813) 737-4444.

Skip Frye Live! takes

place beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 1, at Keel

and Curley Winery, 5210

Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-

9100.

MONDAY, AUG. 3

Celebrate Recovery takes

place beginning at 7 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 3, at Parkway

Baptist Church, 4305 James

L. Redman Parkway. A free

recovery program for those

struggling with addiction,

depression, co-dependency,

anger and grief. Contact

Lauren at (813) 763-4355 for

more information.

Family Game Zone takes

place from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday,

Aug. 3, at Bruton Memorial

Library, 302 McLendon St. The

whole family is invited to play

board games. For children in

elementary. (813) 757-9215

ext. 24.

TUESDAY, AUG. 4

Kiwanis Spelling Bee

takes place beginning at 7

p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the

1914 Plant City High School

Community Center, 605 N.

Collins St. Proceeds benefit the

programs of the Kiwanis Club of

Plant City.

Motion Commotion takes

place beginning at 10 a.m.

Tuesday, Aug 4, at Bruton

Memorial Library, 302

McLendon St. Children 18

months to 5 years old can

shake to the rhythm during this

30-minute program. (813) 757-

9215 ext. 24.

Teen Game Zone takes place

beginning at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday,

Aug. 4, at Bruton Memorial

Library, 302 McLendon St.

Enjoy games on Nintendo

Wii, XBOX 360 Kinect and

PlayStation. (813) 757-9215

ext. 24.

The Recovery for Life takes

place from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the Lorena

Jaeb Rainbow House, 504

N. Palm Drive. It is a 12-step

Bible-based program to help

free individuals from all forms

of addiction. Debbie Ray, (813)

763-1562.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 5

Plant City Creatives Meeting

takes place beginning at 2

p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, at The

Corner Store, 121 E. Reynolds

St. The group of artists, writ-

ers, designers, business owners

and more will meet to discuss

updates on planning an arts fes-

tival downtown. For more infor-

mation email David at DavidG@

PlantCityMercantile.com.

Open Mic Night takes place

beginning at 8 p.m. Wednesday,

Aug. 5, at OBriens Irish Pub

and Family Restaurant, 1701 S.

Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

THURSDAY, AUG. 6

Babytime takes place begin-

ning at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug.

6, at Bruton Memorial Library,

302 McLendon St. Bond with

your baby through stories.

The 20 minute program is for

children up to 18 months old.

(813) 757-9215 ext. 24.

Storytime takes place begin-

ning at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug.

6, at Bruton Memorial Library,

302 McLendon St. Stories will

be read with action rhymes and

interactive activities for children

18 months to 5 years old. (813)

757-9215 ext. 24.

To publicize your event in our Community Calendar, please

send by mail: 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL

33563; or by email: [email protected]. Photos

are welcome. Deadline is noon Thursday.

BEST BET

Family Festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday,

Aug. 1, at American Legion, 2207 W. Baker St. The festival is

also pet friendly and includes crafts, a bounce house, pet res-

cue groups, pet vaccinations, vendors and food. Free parking

and admission. The event will benefit Caribbean Spay Neuter

projects. Facebook.com/events/1614445605453790/ or

email [email protected].


&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2

South Florida Baptist Hospi-

tal is now offering a new type of

mammogram technology that

shows mammograms to patients

in 3-D.

The hospital is one of the fa-

cilities within the BayCare Health

System that was scheduled to

receive the new technology this

year. It started offering the mam-

mograms Tuesday, July 14.

The new screening technol-

ogy is called tomosynthesis, a

software program that makes it

easier for radiologists to identify

tissues and breast structures. The

technology takes multiple im-

ages of the breast structure from

different angles. Later, the im-

ages are put together to create a

reproduction for the radiologist

to examine. The technology can

also detect the size of a lump, fur-

ther helping radiologists.

We now have even better

technology available to help us

nd cancer earlier, Debi Bright-

well, imaging services manager,

said. With tomosynthesis we

have the best chance possible to

detect even the smallest area of

concern.

The software program was

added to the existing scanners

at the hospital, which previously

saw scans in 2-D. Potential con-

cerns that were found in the 2-D

mammograms can be reviewed

further in 3-D and treated appro-

priately.

This new technology also de-

creases patient waiting time, as

patients no longer have to return

to the hospital for future screen-

ings and appointments related to

potential concerns from the un-

clear 2-D scans.

It cost approximately $500,000

for the tomosynthesis software.

The price for the new software

was originally part of the hospi-

tals budget for implementation

in 2015.

South Florida Baptist Hos-

pital is continually evaluating

and planning for implementa-

tion of new technology when the

need in the community supports

adding it, Karen Kerr, hospital

president, said. In this case, it

was a BayCare-wide purchase

for the various outpatient cen-

ters through the system. Because

our outpatient services are hos-

pital based, the equipment was

placed at the hospital.

South Florida Baptist Hospi-

tal is hopeful that a newer, more

accurate form of technology

will encourage regular mammo-

grams for women. According to

breastcancer.org, approximately

1 in 8 women will develop inva-

sive breast cancer in their life-

time. However, if caught early

through mammograms and oth-

er routine check-ups, there is a

higher chance of survival.

In 2015, it is expected that al-

most 30% of detected cancers

in women will be breast can-

cer. Breast cancer deaths in the

United States began to decrease

in 1989, and breast cancer rates

began to decrease in 2000.

South Florida Baptist Hospital

is committed to the ght against

breast cancer, Brightwell said.

With 3-D breast tomosynthesis

digital mammography, we come

to battle with an even better

weapon against this disease.

Contact Emily Topper at etop-

[email protected].

IF YOU GO:

ART LOUNGE GALLERY

WHERE: 119 E. Reynolds

St.

WHEN: Tuesdays through

Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.;

Bike & Car shows 11 a.m.

to 7 p.m.; evening hours by

appointment.

INFO: The Art Lounge

Gallery opened six years ago,

in 2009. Initially it was a

conversation among several

companies in Plant City, but

Eric Barber said the pre-

liminary plans for the gallery

were too expensive. Instead,

a group of ten artists decid-

ed to run the gallery evenly,

in a co-op. Only two of the

original ten artists remain.

The gallery pays for its own

bills, and all the money

made off the artwork goes

back to the artists them-

selves.

I would like this to be

a home for local artists,

Barber said. I want it to be

a place to grow,

Talented local artists are

encouraged to submit art-

work and patrons are encour-

aged to come to collect and

learn.

A

r

t

A

f

t

e

r

D

a

r

k

A

r

t

A

f

t

e

r

D

a

r

k

f

e

a

t

u

r

e

s

li

v

e

m

u

s

ic

a

n

d

a

r

t

s

a

le

s

,

in

c

lu

d

in

g

E

r

ic

B

a

r

b

e

r

s

s

t

e

a

m

p

u

n

k

c

r

e

a

t

io

n

s

.

A

d

m

is

s

io

n

is

f

r

e

e

.

T

h

e

n

e

x

t

e

v

e

n

t

w

il

l

b

e

f

r

o

m

6

t

o

1

0

p

.m

.

N

o

v

.

2

1

.

WHAT IS STEAMPUNK?

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction or fantasy that is inspired by the industrial feel of steam-

powered machines. It could be described in a question: What would the past look like if the future had

happened sooner? There are different types of steampunk. Steampunk is used in books, video games,

movies and clothing. Examples of steampunk in modern mainstream movies are The Golden Compass,

Sherlock Homes and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

b y Abb y Baker Staff Intern

Industrious industrial

The metallic gears of

artist Eric Barbers vintage

clocks dont turn anymore,

but that doesnt mean they

dont still have purpose. Barber

hunts through antique stores to

look for the most unique clocks

for his new line of jewelry.

He uses the gears and other by-

gone-era treasures, such as chan-

delier crystals and dresser pulls, to

create pendants, rings and bracelets

with a steampunk style. Steampunk

is a genre of science ction and fan-

tasy that is inspired by 19th-century

industrial steam-powered machin-

ery. Barber uses Victorian elements

in his designs, although there are

other types of steampunk including

medieval, western and modern.

Barber works and sells his jew-

elry at the Art Lounge Gallery

on Reynolds Street in Historic

Downtown. The forty-two

year old started the endeav-

or just two months ago, but

he is in no way unfamiliar

with the art world.

Ever since I was a

kid, I was always

doodling and

p a i n t i n g

things, Barber said.

Barber moved to Plant City from

Delaware when he was 8 years old.

He attended Plant City High School

and worked at J & G Jewelers when

he was 19, after he graduated. There

he picked up an interest in jewelry

and constructing different types of

ornaments.

Barber worked at J & G for 20 years

before he took a job as a clerk at CSX.

Up until seven years ago, Barber

was on a break from his artwork.

He focused on competing in high-

land games, a competition in which

individuals wear Scottish gear and

celebrate the culture of Scotland. He

throws heavy weights into the air.

He also began photographing oth-

er interests, from Florida wildlife to

cathedrals.

I started taking pictures to paint

from, Barber said. And then I was

told the photography was good

enough.

His photos and acrylic paintings

hang near his jewelry in his section

of the Art Lounge Gallery.

I decided to mix several things

that Im interested in, Barber said.

I love antiques, so mixing the an-

tiques with the jewelry just seemed

natural.

Growing up with his dad and step-

mom, his childhood home

was full of antiques from

the 1800s. Branching from

this, Barber now collects

dresser and door pulls, old

clocks, and chandelier crys-

tals, from the 1960s to the Vic-

torian era. He nds them at yard

sales, antique stores, thrifts shops

and online deals. In doing this, he

can sell the high quality jewelry for

about $20 to $50.

I think its great repurposing

these parts in a cool way, Barber

explained. What are you going to do

with a 100-year-old door pull besides

this?

The work in his collection var-

ies from large deconstructed clock

necklaces to delicate bracelets

made out of old keyholes.

Barber lives with his wife, Tina,

Barber and stepdaughter, Cyn-

thia Wilson.

Barber and Cynthia de-

signed a pendant with little

strawberries inside.

He made also made

his wifes wedding ring

and continues to

construct pieces

of jewelry for

her.

Upon first glance,

42-year-old artist Eric Barber doesnt

seem to be the kind of person who designs

intricate necklaces. Over 6-foot-1, he tampers

with gold and brass chains.

3-D breast

scans now

available

at SFBH

Tomosynthesis allows

radiologists to quickly

determine or rule out

abnormalities.

technology


PREVENTION TIPS

According to the Breast Cancer

Fund, eating hormone-free meat

and dairy can reduce the risk of

breast cancer, as well as eating

fresh or frozen vegetables instead

of canned greens. Cooking with

cast iron pots and pans instead of

teflon can also help reduce your

risk.

The website also encourages

making changes outside of the

kitchen. If you use a lot of cos-

metics, cut down to only the ones

that you use on a regular basis.

Avoid products with known car-

cinogens and some hair dyes. Visit

BreastCancerFund.org for more

tips.


&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2

ily is the backbone of the sol-

dier.

HURRICANE CHASERS

At the age of 19, Riley re-

ceived his rst call with the

National Guard for Hurricane

Andrew.

I had never seen anything

like that in my life, he said.

When we go to those hurri-

canes we provide security

and humanitarian relief.

The National Guard falls

under Title 32 of the United

States Code. The Constitu-

tion allows for these soldiers

to carry weapons and enforce

laws, since the soldiers are un-

der the command of the states

governor. Each state has a Na-

tional Guard, and all answer

to the president. The National

Guard was formerly a strategic

reserve, but became part of the

operational reserves after Des-

ert Storm in 1990.

After the Sept. 11, 2001 at-

tacks, the National Guard be-

came an operational force that

mobilized constantly.

Riley served as part of the

164th Air Defense Artillery

Brigade in Orlando. After his

89-day service with Hurricane

Andrew, he was also part of the

unit that provided relief during

Hurricanes Charlie, Ivan, Fran-

ces and Gene. His unit earned

the nickname Hurricane Chas-

ers. After the Sept. 11 attacks,

he served with the Operation

Safe Harbor unit in Ft. Lauder-

dale, responsible for airport

security and keeping the ports

protected for six months.

Riley was also part of Opera-

tion Iraqi Freedom. In May of

2005, his battalion was mobi-

lized. From Aug. 19, 2005 to

Aug. 18, 2006, Riley served at

Camp Virginia in Kuwait, fre-

quently making trips to Iraq.

Even now there are still units

stationed in Iraq and Afghani-

stan, Riley said.

There are people in harms

way in a combat mode, he

said. Families and soldiers

need community support.

Riley was grateful to be from

a community that was sup-

portive of soldiers and banded

together.

Local folks, they really rally

toward the soldiers and their

families, Riley said. Plant City

is one of the best communities

in supporting soldiers.

CHANGING THE WORLD

Although he will be retiring

from active duty, Riley is still

dedicated to his community.

Its not about you, Riley

said. Its about serving some-

thing greater than yourself. If

you take and take sooner or

later, there will be nothing to

take.

Riley will be swearing back

in as a reserve deputy sheriff

with the Hillsborough County

Sheriffs Ofce in August. This

will be his second time serving.

During his active military ser-

vice, Riley was a reserve deputy

sheriff from May of 2002 to

May of 2013.

Ive still got a lot to give, he

said. I want to volunteer and I

want to help our community.

Riley noted that he admires

the professionalism and high

standards of the Hillsborough

Community Sheriffs Ofce.

In the meantime, Riley is

continuing his work with fam-

ily readiness groups.

God gave us strength to

make our community bet-

ter, he said. Youve got to do

something to improve your

community.

At a recent speaking engage-

ment at Tomlin Middle School,

Riley told students the impor-

tance of tearing down racial

barriers, and that they were

the generation who can make

a difference. In a combat zone

it was necessary to have your

units back, regardless of their

ethnicity, race or culture, Riley

said.

Break down these barriers

and change the world, Riley

said.

FAMILY TRADITION

Riley is not the rst in his

family to have served his coun-

try.

Every male in my family

has served in the military as

far back as I can remember,

he said. Every one has served

in a combat zone. I joined as a

patron. I never joined this as a

job.

Riley, who wanted to be in

the military as early as 5 years

old, is the only one in his family

to have served in the National

Guard. The rest of his family

served in the Army and the Air

Force. His grandfather was a

Purple Heart Award recipient,

and his father served in Viet-

nam. When Riley decided to

join the National Guard, his fa-

ther also swore in again on the

same day.

Rileys son, Coley, has con-

templated joining the military

in a special forces division, a

decision that Riley fully sup-

ports.

Its kind of a family tradi-

tion. That is his decision right

now, he said. I encourage it.

If I cant support my kids, why

would I let soldiers [serve]?

This has caught the atten-

tion of his younger soldiers in

the past. The younger mem-

bers of his unit have become

his other kids.

They are heroes, he said.

They are warriors.

Riley believes that his suc-

cess in serving the military

would not have been possible

without the support of his wife,

Heather Riley.

I could not have done this

without her, he said. Military

spouses are the real heroes.

Heather Riley was an agri-

culture teacher at Marshall

Middle School before giving

birth to Haley Riley, the fam-

ilys oldest child.

She gave up her career to

stay home and take care of our

children so I could be a sol-

dier, Riley said. Someones

got to keep all of us straight at

home, and thats her.

The couples oldest chil-

dren, Haley, 16, and Coley, 13,

are both involved with FFA.

The Rileys youngest daughter,

Macey, 9, is involved with 4-H.

Heather Riley, like her hus-

band, is dedicated to helping

the community. She does a

lot of volunteer work with FFA

alumni. She also runs Rileys

Rhinestones, a business that

reaches its peak during pag-

eant season.

Shes smart, shes nifty, Ri-

ley said of his wife.

The couple has been mar-

ried for 22 years and are mem-

bers of First Baptist Church of

Dover. Riley is chairman of the

churchs personnel commit-

tee.

Riley is still looking for other

volunteer opportunities in the

community, especially ones

that will keep children on the

right path and focused on their

goals. He is looking into be-

coming a JROTC instructor. He

has received his certication

and is currently awaiting an

open position. The Plant City

community has continued to

inspire him to give back.

Plant City is one of the

strongest communities I have

ever seen in my life, Riley,

who moved to Plant City at age

10 from Sylacauga, Alabama,

said. If you move to Plant

City, you will be accepted. You

will not be a stranger.

Contact Emily Topper at

etopper@plantcityobserver.

com.

community and all of Plant

City, Berry said. Im equally

excited to be a part of a group

of owners who are committed

to publishing a newspaper for

which all of Plant City can be

proud.

Said Ed Verner, Plant City

businessman and one of the

founding partners of the Plant

City Times & Observer: We are

thrilled to have Karen join us

and to be leading the Plant City

Times & Observer. When we

started this venture, our hope

was to have a newspaper with

strong, local content and deep,

local roots. Karen brings those

roots and the leadership skills

we need to continue growing.

Started in July 2012, the

Plant City Times & Observer is a

15,000-circulation free weekly;

it also publishes PlantCityOb-

server.com.

Berry founded In the Field

magazine in November 2004.

Since then, the publication

has grown to two monthly edi-

tions, serving 70,000 readers

primarily in Hillsborough and

Polk counties. The magazine

also has subscribers in Char-

lotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Hendry,

Highlands and Okeechobee

counties.

Prior to founding the maga-

zine, Berry served as an ad-

vertising representative for

the Tampa Tribune, Plant City

Courier and Bradenton Herald.

As one of the owners of the

Plant City Times & Observer I

am very excited about Karen

Berry joining the team as our

publisher, Felix Haynes said.

She brings a rich background

of journalism in daily, weekly

and monthly publications. We

look forward to her leader-

ship in Plant Citys community

newspaper.

Berry started her career at

the Bradenton Herald, working

with Bruce Faulmann, current-

ly vice president of sales and

marketing at the Tampa Bay

Times, and later working with

Faulmann again at the Tampa

Tribune.

Faulmann represents the

Tampa Bay Times as one of

the ownership partners of the

Plant City Times & Observer.

Other owners include Verner,

owner of City Properties and

a director of Sunshine Bank;

Nate Kilton, owner and presi-

dent of Sedita Kilton Life &

Wealth Management LLC and

Sedita Kilton & Co., Certied

Public Accountants, and im-

mediate past chairman of the

Greater Plant City Chamber

of Commerce; Haynes, retired

president of the Plant City

campus of Hillsborough Com-

munity College; and Sarasota-

based Observer Media Group,

publisher of nine weekly news-

papers in Florida.

Berry is the daughter of Plant

City natives, Al and Patsy Ber-

ry. Al Berry owned and oper-

ated a Plant City radio station,

WPLA, for more than 35 years

and recently stepped down af-

ter serving as a director of the

Florida Strawberry Festival for

43 years.

Morris, director of library oper-

ations at Bruton Memorial Li-

brary, said. Everybody is very

excited about it.

The existing reading room

does not have walls separating

it from the rest of the library.

The Library Board wants to put

in a glass wall that would go

across the room to create a se-

cluded room for people to read

or work in peace. Being made

of glass, the wall will ensure

that plenty of light still ows

into the room.

Because this glass wall is

not in the city budget, the Li-

brary Board is currently seek-

ing funding through donors,

an effort that is spearheaded

by both the Library Board and

Friends of the Library.

In libraries back before

computers, they were typi-

cally quiet, Morris said. Weve

been trying to think of ways to

meet the need for quiet space.

The reading room will also

be getting new paint, replace-

able carpet squares, and fur-

niture that is lightweight, por-

table and stackable, in addition

to more power outlets.

Morris hopes that the read-

ing room will also double as a

conference room. The current

large tables that are in the room

will be exchanged for individu-

al chairs with smaller tables.

Morris is currently receiving

estimates for the project, but is

unsure of a price or when the

project will be completed. The

current plans, Morris said, are

just preliminary.

The whole room will be up-

dated, she said. Its probably

going to be a joint effort. [The

board] liked taking a project

on that would have a good im-

pact.

There is no specied donor

for the project yet, but a donor

would have naming rights for

the reading room. The librarys

goal is to have a more exible

space. Morris and other Bruton

employees are currently shift-

ing furniture around in what

will become the reading room,

to improve the space that they

have.

DEVELOPMENT

The commission unani-

mously agreed to change ap-

proximately 10.3 acres of land

west of County Line Road and

north of Rice Road from resi-

dential use to industrial use.

The land is located near other

distribution centers and was

found to be consistent with

redevelopment strategies and

economic growth.

The land was also incor-

porated into the County Line

Road Planned Development

District. The land was initially

annexed on May 11, 2015.

We are waiting for develop-

ers to submit permits, Mayor

Rick Lott said. The property

was placed together so (devel-

opers) can start development.

Lott wouldnt disclose who

the developer is. At this time,

the commission is unsure of

the time frame for the permits.

The commission is hopeful

that this development will cre-

ate jobs by taking advantage of

investments on County Line

Road.

The commission also ap-

proved the utilization of the

Citys Traditional Neighbor-

hood Development standards

for the Varrea Planned Devel-

opment District, 1,008.6 acres

of land located north of Inter-

state 4. This will ensure that the

nine neighborhood districts

planned for the land will reect

a walkable, cohesive design.

Many residents spoke

against the development at the

commission meeting.

Dr. John Hatcher lives against

the land that has been zoned

for development. He is con-

cerned about a potential buffer

between his home and the new

development.

Other residents are con-

cerned about the number of

homes that will be placed on

one acre, and the road im-

provements that will be made

to the streets that surround the

new development.

Marsha Spivey, who lives

near the area, is concerned the

new development will destroy

the animal habitats, specical-

ly those of gopher tortoises and

sandhill cranes.

I love Plant City, she said.

Its beautiful out there.

Katie LaBarr, a planner with

Stantec, said that the goal of

the development is to promote

a traditional neighborhood de-

sign, economic diversity and a

distinct sense of place. Stantec

is the engineering rm con-

tracted out by Varreas develop-

ment company.

Despite the number of con-

cerned residents at the meet-

ing, the vote served only to

change the name and approve

the zoning of traditional neigh-

borhood development stan-

dards. The site was initially an-

nexed years ago.

These are entitlements that

have been in place a long time,

Commissioner Billy Keel said,

noting that the hearing dealt

more with bringing the plans

into compliance.

IN OTHER NEWS

The commission

approved adopting a proposed

millage rate of 4.7157, the

same rate that is currently in

effect for this year. Two hear-

ings on adopting this rate will

both be held in September,

in addition to hearings on the

proposed budget.

The commission autho-

rized two purchases. The first

is for one Caterpillar 305E2

Cr Mini Hydraulic Excavator,

purchased from Ring Corp.

The excavator will be used

for projects dealing with

infrastructure and prepar-

ing for new pipe installation.

The new excavator will be

replacing old equipment. The

second approved purchase

was for a Ford Transit 15-pas-

senger van from Hub City

Ford-Mercury Inc. The new

van, which cost $29,599 dol-

lars, was needed for replacing

an old Chevrolet van that has

needed costly repairs.

The city approved a

contract with Hydro Max

USA LLC for the Water

System Valve Maintenance

and Repair program. The

total cost for the program

is limited to $43,197.50.

The maintenance of these

valves is required by Florida

Administrative Code.

HERO / PAGE 1

BRUTON / PAGE 1

Local folks, they really rally toward the soldiers

and their families. Plant City is one of the best

communities in supporting soldiers.

First Sergeant William Billy Riley

BERRY / PAGE 1


&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2

other banks with his value-

based philosophy, including

starting his own, Graystone

Bank, which was acquired by

Susquehanna Bank in 2012.

This value-based empha-

sis was something Sunshine

Banks board members were

looking for when they tapped

Samuel after the immediate

past president, Floyd Hall, re-

tired in October 2014.

We at Sunshine want to be

known as great relationship

builders that are backed with

great technologies, Samuel

said.

When Samuel rst started

as Sunshine Banks president,

his goal was to grow the bank

by targeting areas in a one-

hour radius, while keeping

its headquarters in Plant City.

Sunshine Bank is divided into

regions, with each one headed

by a regional president. Polk

County regional president

David Houston is a lifelong

resident of the area, and Guy

Michael, the Greater Orlando

area president, is a longtime

resident of Orlando. Bruce

Carr, of the Hillsborough re-

gion, has been with banks in

that area for the last 10 years.

Samuel believes that hav-

ing local leaders at each bank

keeps the community focus

and centralizes each county.

The new branch purchases in

Sarasota and Bradenton from

First Federal Bank of Florida

will also have local leaders.

Anything involving cus-

tomers is localized, Samuel

said. Its knowing the market,

knowing bank leaders and see-

ing them out and about. We

are a community bank. Our

management team is comfort-

able in a community setting.

When customers make a vis-

it to Sunshine Bank, they like

that they can talk to someone

who knows the area, Samuel

said. The bank is focused on

treating customers as people,

rather than a number.

Following the purchase of

the branches in Sarasota and

Manatee counties, which

are expected to add approxi-

mately $56.4 million in de-

posits for a deposit premium

of 1.80% and $8.3 million in

loans at par value, the com-

pany will own ten branches

and two loan ofces through-

out Florida. These ofces are

located throughout Sarasota,

Orlando and Tampa. Sunshine

Banks main ofce is located in

Plant City, with other ofces

throughout Orange, Pasco and

Polk counties.

Contact Emily Topper at

etopper@plantcityobserver.

com.

The following information

was gathered from incident

and arrest reports obtained

from the Plant City Police De-

partment.

JULY 17

FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT

1900 block of James L.

Redman Parkway. Counterfeit

money. Complainant report-

ed that a suspect attempted to

use two counterfeit $100 bills

at a business.

PLAYINGWITH POWER

100 block of West Ball

Street. Theft of electric-

ity. Ofcers responded

to an apartment complex

in reference to a reported

electricity theft. TECO inves-

tigators and police were able

to locate the suspect, who was

then arrested.

IDENTITY THIEF

400 block of Damon Street.

Grand theft. Ofcer respond-

ed to an apartment complex

after a reported theft. Com-

plainant said that someone

stole her social security card,

Florida drivers license, credit

cards and $5,000 in cash from

her purse.

CAUGHT RED-HANDED

North Gordon Street/Robin

Drive. Loitering and prowling.

Ofcers responded to the area

in reference to a reported bur-

glary in progress. They caught

and arrested a juvenile sus-

pect.

DOUBLE WHAMMY

2100 block of Johnson Loop.

Vehicle burglary. Ofcers re-

sponded to a reported vehicle

burglary and found that two

vehicles had been burglar-

ized. A womans purse and a

change purse were taken from

the vehicles.

JULY 18

GUNS IN THE HOME

500 block of South Waters

Street. Found property. Of-

cers responded to an aban-

doned house in reference to a

report of found rearms. The

complainant, who stated that

he often checks on the house

because of vagrants, found

two loaded, .22-caliber ries

in the house. Ofcers were

able to determine that the

ries were not listed as stolen

and took them to PCPD for

safekeeping as found prop-

erty.

THAT WAS FAST

810 block of West Madison

Street. Criminal mischief.

Ofcers responded to a resi-

dence following a report of

potential burglary. Complain-

ant stated that, sometime

during the 30 minutes he was

not home, someone broke

the east window. Ofcers

found no evidence to suggest

that anyone had entered the

home, and neighbors claimed

not to have seen or heard any-

thing. Complainant declined

further police assistance and

signed a waiver of prosecu-

tion.

JULY 19

TOOL THIEF

710 block of East Alsobrook

Street. Vehicle burglary. Of-

cers responded to a business

following a reported vehicle

burglary. Complainant stated

that a suspect had broken

into his Ford work truck and

left with $1,100 worth of pow-

er tools.

GOING NOWHERE FAST

1400 block of Plantation

Circle. Criminal mischief.

Complainant stated that

someone cut the ignition

wires in their 2004 Suzuki

motorcycle sometime over

the weekend.

NAPTIME NABBER

800 block of East Tomlin

Street. Petit theft. Complain-

ant stated that, during a 4

p.m. nap in his living room, a

suspect entered his home and

stole $70 in cash and a $150

pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. A

man, whom the complainant

only knew by his rst name,

was reported to have been

there when he fell asleep and

was gone with the items when

he woke.

JULY 20

ASPIRING POOL SHARK

700 block of Wilkins Av-

enue. Vehicle burglary. Of-

cer responded to a residence

following a report of vehicle

burglary. Complainant stated

a suspect stole two pool cues

and a leather bag, valued to-

gether at $1,300, from the

trunk of his vehicle. Each cue

was valued at $600.

JULY 21

THATS EXCESSIVE

2800 block of Turkey Creek

Road. Burglary/felony crimi-

nal mischief. Complainant

reported that, overnight, a

suspect entered a fenced-in

area at a school and cut gas

tank valves, releasing 6,000

gallons of propane gas. There

were also paintings and other

markings found on the walls

in the school.

JULY 22

OFF THE RAILS

810 block of West Warren

Street. Auto theft. Ofcers

found a 1990 Honda Accord

next to the railroad tracks

at the 1300 block of West

Ball Street. The vehicle ap-

peared to have gone off the

road while traveling at high

speeds and was unoccupied

when the ofcers found it.

After attempts to contact the

owner were unsuccessful,

the vehicle was impounded.

Later, the owner contacted

PCPD to report the vehicle

as being stolen from the resi-

dence during the night. They

declined to press charges and

signed a waiver of prosecu-

tion.

COPS CORNER

P

L

A

N

T C

I

T

Y

JULY 20

COSTA CROOK

400 block of North Plant

Avenue. Burglary/Theft.

Ofcers responded to a

business in reference to

damage and a reported

theft. Complainant stated

that, after damaging the

front window, a suspect

stole a display of 40 pairs

of Costa Del Mar sun-

glasses, valued together at

$10,360.

A NEW LOOK

In January, Sunshine Bank began the first of two rede-

sign phases that introduced a new logo.

The first phase was to make the signs a vibrant blue

and orange, in addition to having them better placed on

the banks property. According to bank president and CEO

Andrew Samuel, the signs changed to reflect the legacy

and the future of the franchise.

On June 30, Community Sun and Bank changed its signs

to fit the Sunshine Bank logo as a result of acquisition.

The two branches that were purchased in Sarasota and

Bradenton will likely receive the new signage change in

October, pending regulatory approval.

It reflects where were headed, Samuel said.

SUNSHINE / PAGE 1


&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2

Publisher / Karen Berry, [email protected]

General Manager/Executive Editor / Michael Eng, [email protected]

General Manager/Advertising / Stacey Hudson, [email protected]

Managing Editor / Amber Jurgensen, [email protected]

Staff Writers / Justin Kline, [email protected]; Emily Topper, etopper@

PlantCityObserver.com

Advertising Executive / Nikki McAlpine, [email protected];

Circulation/Ofce Manager / Linda Lancaster, [email protected]

110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A

Plant City, FL 33563

(813) 704-6850

www.PlantCityObserver.com

Plant City

Times & Observer

Locally Owned by Ed Verner,

Nate Kilton and Felix Haynes

The Plant City Times & Observer is published by

Plant City Media LLC, a joint-venture of the Tampa

Bay Times and Plant City Observer LLC.

&RS\ULJKW 3ODQW &LW\ 0HGLD //&

$OO 5LJKWV 5HVHUYHG

Plant City Times&

Observer

TO ADVERTISE

Call Nikki McAlpine,

(813) 545-5505.

SEND US

YOUR NEWS

We want to hear from you. Let

us know about your events,

celebrations and achievements.

To contact us, send your

information via: Email: Amber Jurgensen,

[email protected].

Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds

St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563

CONTACT US

The Plant City Times &

Observer is published

once weekly, on Fridays.

It provides free home delivery to

several neighborhoods in Plant City.

The Plant City Times & Observer also

can be found in many commercial

locations throughout Plant City and at

our ofce, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite

100-A.

If you wish to discontinue home

delivery or if you wish to suspend

home delivery temporarily, call Linda

Lancaster at 704-6850.

If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy. Friedrich Hayek, Road to Serfdom, 1944

Like many other recent high

school graduates, Kendra Free-

land is getting ready to start her

college career.

But this isnt the rst journey

for the Plant City High School

alumna since her graduation in

early June. Freeland returned to

Plant City on July 18 after a free,

ve-week trip in Japan a trip

that began as a joke over a year

prior.

JOURNEY TO JAPAN

Over a year ago, Freeland

was with her family celebrating

her great-aunts 50th wedding

anniversary in Indiana. Her

cousin, Darin Voyles, was also

there with his wife, Halima, a

diplomat who has been in To-

kyo for the last two years. Dur-

ing the trip, Freeland became

close with the Voyles 2-year-

old daughter, Alize. The Voyles

joked that Freeland should

come visit them in Japan.

Freeland didnt take it too

seriously until the Voyles later

sent an email offering Free-

land a free trip to Japan after

her high school graduation.

Freeland could stay with them

if she agreed to look after Alize

and her older sister, Aliya, in

the morning and explore Tokyo

during the afternoon.

It was the trip of a lifetime,

one that Freeland looked for-

ward to all through her senior

year of high school. By the time

she left for the Land of the Ris-

ing Sun on June 12 she was

more than ready to explore the

countrys capital. She even cre-

ated a blog.

Her rst full day, however,

didnt go as planned. When

Freeland decided to try Tokyos

subway system, she was con-

fronted by a homeless man

who began screaming at her in

Japanese.

I was a little traumatized,

Freeland said.

She turned around to go back

to the Voyles home, only to be

almost hit by a cop car. The

streets of Tokyo have no side-

walks, leaving pedestrians to

walk in what would be consid-

ered a bike lane in the United

States. Cars also park in these

lanes, so pedestrians have to

walk around the cars and end

up in the street.

Freeland told the Voyles

about her day of misadventures.

They assured her she would not

have another bad one.

Tokyo is pretty much New

York City, but its very clean,

Freeland said. Homelessness

is rare ... (Tokyos citizens are)

very welcoming of foreigners

because theyre used to for-

eigners.

ASAKUSA AND SHINJUKU

Freeland was responsible for

making sure the Voyles daugh-

ters, Alize and Aliya, completed

their daily studies every morn-

ing. As she nished her nanny

duties, she would explore.

While in Tokyo, she visisted

Shinjuku, the citys main tech-

nology district with stores

packed wall-to-wall with in-

ventory.

Its so easy to blow through

money just so quickly there,

Freeland said.

In Japan, 10,000 yen is the

equivalent to about $80. Avoid-

ing the pricey technology of

Shinjuku, Freeland chose in-

stead to shop for handmade

items in the wooden shops of

Asakusa, a district of Tokyo that

features the Buddhist temple

Senso-ji.

I liked that anywhere you

looked you could always see

the shrine, Freeland said. You

have a more traditional feel.

Freeland visited different

shrines, where many Japa-

nese people came to worship.

On one of her rst visits to a

shrine, a Japanese boy and his

friends approached Freeland

and showed her how to prop-

erly bow. At each shrine, the

Japanese bow twice, then clap

twice, followed by clapping and

bowing once more at the same

time. After they ring a bell to

ask the gods for good luck and

wash their hands with a ladle in

a trough full of water.

I never went to the same

shrine twice, Freeland said.

THE SHRINKING STOMACH

While in Tokyo, Freeland ad-

justed to the the Japanese diet.

A traditional meal consisted of

rice, sh, soup, pickled ginger

and a fried egg.

I made myself try every-

thing I was offered, she said.

Freeland especially en-

joyed Korean food in Japan.

She tried seafood pizza and

cooked her own meal over

coals at a restaurant in Asaku-

sa. She traded soda for tea and

water. Halima, taught her the

proper procedure for drinking

jasmine tea.

I hated tea with a burn-

ing passion, Freeland said.

[They] drink tea like Ameri-

cans drink soda.

Now Freeland carries

around a bottle of tea with

her. She feels healthier, and

she has also bought a diffuser

for her room to alleviate head-

aches.

TAKING FLIGHT

On one of her last days in Ja-

pan, the Voyles took Freeland

on a plane ride, where she saw

Tokyo from the air.

Now back on the ground in

Plant City, Freeland is optimis-

tic about future travels.

I want to travel everywhere

now. I want to do everything

I can to take every abroad op-

portunity.

Freeland begins classes at

Polk State University Aug. 24.

She wants to study nursing and

has not ruled out living abroad

to practice medicine.

In the future, Freeland

hoapes to visit both Germany

and Greece .

I want to go now, Freeland

said of future travels. Everyone

should get out of Plant City and

go do something, just experi-

ence something else.

Courtesy photos

Asakusa is a popular district in Tokyo that features the Buddhist

temple Senso-ji.

The line was too long for

Kendra Freeland to climb the

Tokyo Sky Tree, but she did

get to see it from the plane.There were many fountains and statues in Tokyo.

Taking Over Tokyo

FAREAST


PCHS graduate

Kendra Freeland

just returned

from a five-week

trip to Japan.

Emily Topper

Kendra Freeland kept a travel blog during her travels. Visit it at

kendras-travels.blogspot.com


&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2


&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2

The Greater Plant City Cham-

ber of Commerce Agri-Busi-

ness Committee recently an-

nounced this years agriculture

award winners. Each year, the

ve awards are given to mem-

bers of the community who

have exemplied themselves

in the agricultural eld through

their career, education and vol-

unteer work.

It is for people who are not

only successful in what they do,

but what they do in addition to

that, Debbie Simpson of Farm

Credit said. Its the way they

work, what theyve done to im-

prove agriculture for the good

of the world.

A contact breakfast will be

held honoring the winners

Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Agriculturist of the Year:

Hugh M. Gramling

Hugh Gramling received his

degree in journalism from the

University of Florida in 1969. In

1973, he became the owner and

manager of Gramling Nursery

Inc., a wholesale plant nursery,

until 1997.

In 1994, Gramling became

the owner and manager of Hor-

ticultural Products, another

wholesale plant nursery, before

becoming the executive direc-

tor of the Tampa Bay Wholesale

Growers in 1997.

Gramling stayed in the ag-

ricultural eld until his retire-

ment three years ago. He loves

the people in the agricultural

community.

The people are phenom-

enal, Gramling said. Theres

kind of a common bond that

you have with them.

Gramling was honored to

win Agriculturist of the Year, es-

pecially since he has previously

served on the committee that

selects the winners.

Im very humbled and hon-

ored to win, he said. Its a very

prestigious award. Its just really

an unusual and thrilling experi-

ence.

Gramling has also won a

number of other awards related

to his work in the agricultural

eld, including being named

an Outstanding Agriculturist in

1984 by the Florida Association

of Agricultural Agents. Gram-

ling served as the chair for the

Hillsborough County Soil and

Water Conservation District for

10 years, chair and vice-chair of

the Hillsborough County Ag-

ricultural Economic Develop-

ment Council and served as a

member on the Hillsborough

River Basin Board.

Young Agriculturist of the

Year: Michael C. Lopez

Michael Lopez is the owner

and general manager of South-

side Western & Outdoor Wear.

The company sells a variety

of boots and jeans, as well as

fencing supplies, animal health

supplies and feed for horses

and cows.

Lopez frequently makes

house calls for kids who show

animals and helps them with

their feed programs. Lopez

got his start in agriculture in

middle school, when he be-

came involved with Future

Farmers of America and had

cows of his own at home. Lopez

later attended the University of

Florida, where he received his

degree in food and resource

economics from the College of

Agriculture.

Lopez has served as the past

president of FFA Alumni and is

currently the treasurer. He also

serves on the swine committee

at the Florida Strawberry Festi-

val.

Plant City has a small town,

country feel, Lopez said. Ev-

erybody still kind of has [agri-

culture] in their blood.

Lopez said that he could

think of a number of other

people who were also worthy

of the award.

Its kind of overwhelming,

he said. I wasnt really expect-

ing it. I do what I do because I

love it.

Ag Educator of the Year:

Judi Whitson

Judi Whitson started with the

Farm Bureau in 1981. Today,

she is the executive director of

the Hillsborough County Farm

Bureau Federation. She has

been with Florida Agriculture

in the Classroom since its in-

ception. Programming is now

taught to 7,200 third-graders in

Hillsborough County.

I educate third graders to

legislators, Whitson said.

She is also responsible for

bringing awareness of the need

for agriculture and helping

them understand the impact of

agriculture in the community.

In addition to her work with

third-graders, Whitson also

helped to start the Ag-Abilities

program for special needs stu-

dents who are unable to par-

ticipate in the traditional FFA

events. The program is now

found in nine Hillsborough

County schools.

Its very rewarding, Whit-

son said. Theres just so many

wonderful people in the agri-

cultural community.

I was just amazed, she said

about winning the award.

Agri-Business of the Year:

The Hay Exchange

From its inception in 1995,

The Hay Exchange has grown

from a hay wholesale business

into a lifestyle operation that

focuses on selling quality prod-

ucts at a fair price. At rst, the

company was only operated by

owner Bill Glisson and Frank

Narvaez, but has since grown to

almost 30 employees.

Michael Glisson joined his

brothers efforts two years ago.

Michael Glisson is proud of the

companys personal service

and having a company that has

grown through integrity.

We have found that our

business has grown through

building trust, Michael Glisson

said. We get to know their fam-

ily, we get to know their pets.

The Hay Exchange special-

izes in selling quality equine

feed, as well as halters, saddles

and other food and accessories

for almost all animals.

The company, in addition

to caring for customers and

their animals, is involved with

a number of organizations,

including South Florida Bap-

tist Hospital, food drives, toy

drives, the Plant City Chamber

of Commerce, Pig Jam and the

Florida Strawberry Festival. At

the festival, The Hay Exchange

offers an opportunity for kids

who purchase their feed to win

a cash prize. The company is

continuing to expand and ex-

pects to break ground on a new

building within the next three

to four months, as well as pre-

paring the next generation of

Glissons for management of

the company.

Weve got a tremendous

crew here, Michael Glisson

said. Im very proud of the

team.

Supporter of Youth

in Agriculture: William K.

and Karen J. Grimmer

Ken and Karen Grimmer are

heavily involved with helping

youth at the Florida Strawberry

Festival. The couples serves on

the steer committee, and Karen

Grimmer also helps with the

festivals record-keeping and on

the agricultural committee. The

couple also raises cattle.

While volunteering at the

festival, the Grimmers noticed

that some kids needed more

practice than others. They be-

gan working with neighbor-

hood kids and helped them

practice showing steers on Sun-

day afternoons, a tradition that

continued for over a decade.

We enjoyed it a lot, Karen

Grimmer said.Its important to

us to give back to our commu-

nity, because thats what makes

our community grow.

If one student comes back

every year into the agricultural

community, our volunteer time

was 100% important, Grim-

mer said. No one asked us

to do it. We did it because we

wanted to.

The couple acknowledges

that supporting the agricultur-

al community takes an army.

They work closely with Stepha-

nie Brower, Pam Walden, Pam

Warnock, Leslie and Don Pop-

pell, Bill McClellan, Jim Jeffries

and a number of other instru-

mental individuals.

It takes a lot of help, Grim-

mer said. We havent done it to

win an award.

Meet the Salute to Agriculture Winners

The winners are not only dedicated to the field of agriculture but to the Plant City Community.

Hugh Gramling,

Gramling Nursery

Michael Lopez,

Southside

Ken and Karen Grimmer are Florida Strawberry

Festival volunteers.

Emily Topper

Bill Glisson is the owner of The Hay Exchange. Bills son, Dillon Glisson,

and Bills brother, Michael Glisson, both work at the family business.

Courtesy photos

Judi Whitson has been

involved with bringing

agricultural educa-

tion to Hillsborough

County schools.

IF YOU GO

WHEN: 7:15 a.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 12

WHERE: Expo Building at the

Florida Strawberry Festival

Fairgrounds, 2301 W. Oak

Ave.

COST: $15

RESERVATIONS: Call the

chamber at (813) 754-3707

RSVP: By 4:30 p.m. Friday,

Aug. 7

agriculture appreciation



&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2

S

assy Girl is a 3-year-old

Russian blue Siamese.

She loves playing in the

sink while you take a bath.

She is very curious and loves

playing with anything that

makes noise, especially keys.

Turkey Creek Animal Hospi-

tal and Animal Wellness Cen-

ter have partnered to present a

weekly Cutest Critter Contest.

Entering is simple: Just submit

a high-resolution photo (200

dpi or better) and a sentence

or two about why your pet is

the cutest. Include your name

and contact information. Win-

ners will be showcased in the

Plant City Times & Observer

and will receive a free bag of

dental chews to be picked

up at Turkey Creek Animal

Hospital and Animal Wellness

Center.

Submit your entries to Man-

aging Editor Amber Jurgensen

at ajurgensen@plantcityob-

server.com; subject line: Cut-

est Critter.

CUTESTCRITTER

What is your favorite thing about summer?

AroundTOWN

Kasey Traylor, 19

The sunshine. I love sum-

mer because its hot and

relaxing.

Chandara Chea, 19

Going to the beach.

Kari Shepherd, 44

Relaxing and escaping.

Naomi Daniels, 23

Sleeping in.

Mitch Messer, 77

I dont like the cold, and

I can swim with my grand-

daughter.

John Bell, 71

I like the Fourth of July,

Plant City Entertainment

put on the production of The

Music Man two weekends in

July, directed by Tyler Hollis.

The Music Man was origi-

nally a book that sparked into

a movie production in 1962.

It stars con man Harold Hill,

who sells expensive band in-

struments and uniforms to a

small town. He convinces ev-

eryone he is a music teacher

with the intent to produce a

superb marching band, and

then plans to hightail it out of

town with the money.

Behind the scenes of The Music Man

ENTERTAINMENT


The entire cast went on stage before the July 24 performance.

Many of the kids were part of the ensemble.

Darius Donaldson-Dunphy

Elijah Zurek played Winthrop.

Actors of all ages participated.

Right: The cast and crew sang show tunes while they got into

character before the performance.


&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2

LeVaughn Amerson

LeVaughn Amerson, 75, of

Plant City, died July 22, 2015

at Moftt Cancer Center in

Tampa.

Mr. Amerson was the son

of the late Herbert and Beety

Miley Amerson. He was a

produce broker and partner

in Akin-Porter Produce, and

a member and pastor with

Baptist Purity Church.

Mr. Amerson is survived

by his wife, Linda Young Am-

erson; son, Tommy Hubble

(Christa); sister, Miriam Byrd;

brother, Orvis Amerson; and

grandson, Chase Hubble.

He was preceded in death

by his son, Terry Amerson.

A visitation was held Fri-

day, July 24, at Haught Fu-

neral Home Chapel. A funeral

service was held Saturday,

July 25, in Salem, Florida at

Baptist Purity Church and

Cemetery.

Online condolences may

be made at HaughtFuneral-

Home.com.

Frank Martin Bell

Frank Bell, 92, of Plant City,

died Sunday, July 19, 2015 at

Community Care Center.

A native of Monticello, Ken-

tucky, he was the son of Cos-

by and Lula Gregory Bell. He

was a member of First Tho-

notosassa Missionary Baptist

Church.

Mr. Bell is survived by two

daughters; one sister; six

grandchildren; and 12 great-

grandchildren.

Funeral services were held

July 23 at Antioch Cemetery

in Thonotosassa.



Home.com.

William Buttram

William Kent Buttram,

90, of Dover, died July 23,

2015 in Temple Terrace.

Mr. Buttram was a United

States Army WWII Calvary

veteran and a member of East

T h o n o t o s a s s a

Baptist Church.

He is survived

by his daughter,

Peggy Moore Harrell; broth-

ers, J.C. Buttram, of Atlan-

ta, Gerald Buttram (Betty),

of Tampa, Phillip Buttram

(Marie), of Plant City, and

George Buttram (Phyllis), of

Valrico; sisters, Ellen Camp-

bell, Ima Jean Jacobs, Alma

Copher (Bob), Era Mae Wald-

ing (Steve); grandchildren,

Perry Buttram (Debra), Terry

Moore, Ronnie Moore, Amey

Grantham (Wes); 16 great-

grandchildren; and 15 great-

great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his

wife, Elsie O. Buttram; son,Wil-

liam Michael Buttram; daugh-

ter, Cynthia Alice Buttram; and

grandson, Chris Moore.

A visitation was held at

Wells Memorial and Event

Center July 27. A funeral ser-

vice was held at East Thono-

tosassa Baptist Church July

28. A burial followed at Sun-

set Memory Gardens.


be made at WellsMemorial.

com.

Jewell P. Cannon

Jewell P. Cannon, 91, of

Plant City, died July 27, 2015

at her home.

A native of Oclocknee,

Georgia, she was the daugh-

ter of the late Ira and Mary

Cumbie Page.

Mrs. Cannon was a mem-

ber of Oakwood Baptist

Church and had worked for

Keysville Lumber and Ross of

Florida.

Surviving are son, C.D.

Cannon Jr.; daughters, Fay

Burleson (Robert), Sue

Wilkins (Mike), Kay Can-

non; eight grandchildren;

19 great grandchildren; and

one great-great grandchild.

She was preceded in death by

her husband, Cecil Cannon

Sr.; and daughter, Jacqueline

Cannon.

The family would like to

thank Mrs. Cannons caregiv-

ers, Beth, Margie and Tony.

Funeral Services will be

11a.m., Friday, July 31, at First

Assembly of God, 602 Char-

lie Grifn Road, Plant City. A

visitation was held Thursday,

July 30, at Haught Funeral

Home.



Home.com.

Robert Glen Dukes

Robert Glen Dukes, 64, of

Plant City, died July 21, 2015.

Mr. Dukes spent a lot of

time serving the community,

helping staff and patients at

Community Care, and volun-

teering at the Strawberry Fes-

tival. His home for the last 13

years was Jacaranda Manor.

He is survived by two sis-

ters, Sherry L. Willis (Michael)

and Rebecca Becky Richey;

aunt, Alice Lampp; nieces,

Michelle Tears (Shawn) and

Dr. Crystal D. Willis; nephew,

Christopher Richey (Ashley);

great-nieces, Reagan Tears

and Avery Richey; and great-

nephews, Kyle Tears and

Evertt Richey.

A funeral service was held

July 27 at Wells Memorial and

Event Center in Plant City. A

burial followed at Mt. Enon

Cemetery. In lieu of owers,

donations may be made to a

charity of your choice in his

honor.



com.

Karen Wilson Hamade

Karen Sophie Elle Wilson

Hamade, 59, of Valrico, died

July 16, 2015.

Mrs. Hamade retired after

31 years of service as a senior

valuator with the Hillsbor-

ough County Property Ap-

praisal Ofce. She attended

Unity Church of Brandon,

and she was a member of the

Brandon Boardgamers and

Brandon Writers Group. She

was an awesome mother, and

she enjoyed writing, photog-

raphy, playing board games

and creating memes.

She is survived by her sons,

Bryan Hamade (nacee Ve-

ronica Williams), and Cam-

eron C. Hamade; husband of

29 years, Zouheir Z Hama-

de; brothers, Stanley Wilson

(Vickie) and Troy Wilson

(Betty); and dogs, Max and

Kix.

A celebration of life was

held July 21 at Hopewell Fu-

neral Home. Committal fol-

lowed at Hopewell Memorial

Gardens.


be made at HopewellFuneral.

com.

Norberto Bob

Hernandez

Norberto Bob Hernan-

dez, 90, of Plant City, died

July 20, 2015.

Mr. Hernan-

dez was a career

United States

Army serviceman, having

served his country in WWII,

the Korean War and the Viet-

nam War. He and his wife

of 65 years, Della, moved to

Plant City in 1996. He loved

spending time with family,

was an avid golfer and also

enjoyed all sports activities.

He is survived by his wife,

Della; children, Tony, Robert,

Edna and Marcella; and nu-

merous grandchildren.

The family received

friends on Friday, July 24, at

Hopewell Funeral home. A

graveside service with mili-

tary honors will be held at 1

p.m. Wednesday, August 12,

at Fort Sam National Cem-

etery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach

Road, San Antonio, Texas.

In lieu of owers, memorial

contributions may be made

to the James A. Haley Veter-

ans Hospital, 13000 Bruce B.

Downs Boulevard, Tampa, FL

33612.


be made at HopewellFuner-

al.com.

Bea Jackson

Bea Jackson, 89, of Plant

City, died July 20, 2015.

Mrs. Jackson was born in

Russell, Arkansas. She en-

joyed gardening and her

grandchildren, whom she

loved very much.

She was preceded in death

by her husband, James Jack-

son.

She is survived by her son,

Homer Jackson (Jan); daugh-

ter, Barbara Jackson; sister,

Pauline Lemons; grandchil-

dren, Greg, Sherri and Jamie

Jackson, Brandie Palmer and

Tyler Devane; and great-

grandchildren, Josh, Kaden,

Avery, Caleb and Colby.

Visitation was held July 22

at Wells Memorial and Event

Center. A funeral service fol-

lowed July 23. Burial was at

Memorial Park Cemetery.



com.

Jack Edwin Jacobsen Jr.

Jack Edwin Jack E. Jacob-

sen Jr., of Plant City, died July

4, 2015 in North Carolina.

He is survived by his moth-

er, Druann Brock; brother,

Jeff Jacobsen (Angela); niec-

es, Jessica and Shelby; neph-

ews, Jeff Jr. (Kelsey), Josh

(Jasmine), Jarrett and Joseph.

He was predeceded in

death by his father.

A celebration of life will be

held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July

31, at Haught Funeral Home.

The family will receive friends

beginning at 6:30 p.m.

In lieu of owers, please

make donations in Jack E.s

name to Plant City Little

League, 302 W. Reynolds St.,

P.O. Box C, Plant City, FL,

33563.



Home.com.

Thomas Stephen OToole

Thomas Tom Stephen

OToole, 69, of Plant City,

died July 23, 2015.

Mr. OToole was

born in Brooklyn,

New York in 1946.

He was a veteran of the Unit-

ed States Navy, having served

aboard the USS Wasp in the

Vietnam War. He loved his

family, and he enjoyed golf-

ing and boating.

He is survived by his

wife of 35 years, Diane Da-

vis OToole; sons, Sean S.

OToole (Kari), of New York,

Ryan T. OToole (Alexandra),

of Georgia, Ty S. OToole (Jes-

sica), of Leesburg and Shan-

non L. OToole (Meghan), of

Georgia; sister, Marguerite

Marge Johnson (Brad), of

North Carolina; siblings-in-

laws, Tommy Davis (Diane),

of Homosassa Springs, Lula

Hudson, of Tennessee and

Patricia Benjamin, of Spring

Hill; grandchildren, Sean Jr.,

Brenden, Kassidy, Kayle, El-

lie and Llayton; great-grand-

children, Kayleigh and Sean

III; step-grandchildren, Lily

and Peyton; dogs, Tiger and

Mackie; 61 nieces and neph-

ews; and many friends.

He was preceded in

death by his son, Thomas

A. OToole; siblings, Joan C.

Turner (Raymond Grohosky)

and Theodore C. Benjamin;

and nephew Dennis J. Gro-

hosky.

A celebration of life will

be held at 11 a.m. Saturday,

Aug. 1, at Hopewell Funeral

Home, where the family will

receive friends beginning at

10 a.m.


be made at HopewellFuner-

al.com.

OBITUARIES

OBSERVER


&2)$!9 *5,9

0,!.4 #)49 4)-%3 /"3%26%2

A team is coming together

under the leadership of Plant

City native Scott McIntosh to

plan a contemporary interde-

nominational church in the

Winter Strawberry Capital of

the World.

About 50 people meet every

fourth Sunday of the month

to prepare for City Pointe

Churchs launch in January

2016 and to grow the congre-

gation.

My calling from god was to

unite the tribes, or the people

in Plant City, McIntosh said.

McIntosh grew up in Plant

City and attended Plant Citys

First Baptist Church with his

family. He accepted the call of

ministry when he was 20 years

old and served at a variety of

churches in numerous roles.

Being at several different

churches over the years taught

McIntosh many different les-

sons. When it came time to

open his own church he knew

what his mission was: he al-

ways realized the amount of

separation in Plant City, its

churches and its people, and

he felt it was time for a change.

Plant City has a lot of

churches, McIntosh said. In

fact, Plant City doesnt need an-

other church, it needs another

kind of church a church that

redenes what church is. Plant

City needs a contemporary in-

terdenominational church that

goes after the lost, the prodigal,

and the people that love them

a place where Gods chil-

dren are united, rather than be

divided by race, denomination

and economic status.

He reached out to the As-

sociation of Related Churches

in hopes of getting help open-

ing a Church in Plant City. The

ARC is an organization which

shows individuals or groups

how to build a launch team,

raise funds, form a worship

team, develop a childrens

ministry and gain momentum,

according to its website. It also

helps churches nancially. City

Pointe Church will be the rst

church in Plant City under the

ARC.

Although there is still much

to be done during the plan-

ning stages, McIntoshs team

does have a start date. On Jan.

31, 2016 the rst service will

be held at the John R. Trinkle

Center on the Hillsborough

Community College Plant City

Campus off Park Road.

The services will continue

every Sunday at the Trinkle

Center and is open to the resi-

dents in Plant City and sur-

rounding cities.

Summer has nally arrived.

Weve been having those dog

days and those lazy, hazy,

crazy days of summer, and

its only July. Plans are being

made or have already

been made by many

of us for our sum-

mer getaway. Many,

Im sure, are look-

ing forward to that

long overdue R & R or

some escape from the

heat and humidity.

For some, this vaca-

tion season will mean

spending time with

family and friends,

many of whom you may not

have seen for quite some

time. But then again, there

are those who dont travel

anyplace during June, July or

August and remain right here

in Plant City.

Life, as we know it, seems

to come to a sudden stop

as soon as those nal re-

port cards come home. The

normal routines with which

we were so accustomed get

tossed out the window and

the money just doesnt seem

to go as far as it did when the

kids were in school.

Then, add to this the ad-

vantage of living in Florida

sun, fun, pool, beach, heat,

humidity, more heat and

more humidity, an afternoon

thunderstorm or two, and

there you have it life in

Florida.

As much as things

change, things stay the

same. The services of

Gods house continue

to be held regularly in

our community and

ministry continues to

be done day in and day

out in our community

even during these dog

days of summer.

Just because its

summer, doesnt mean the

church is on vacation. It

would truly be a sad and dark

day if the church took a vaca-

tion. It would be even sadder

and darker if our loving Lord

took a vacation.

But the church doesnt

and guess what our God

doesnt either.

Sorry folks, we dont take a

vacation from our worship,

praise, prayer or stewardship.

These continue all year.

Think about it, when was

the last time God took a vaca-

tion from providing for your

needs? When was the last

time Christ took a vacation

from giving you forgiveness?

When was the last time the

Holy Spirit took a vacation

from the comfort only He

can bring? If you answered

never (as Im sure you did),

why should we take a vaca-

tion from Him who loves us

and gave His life for us? Since

our Lord doesnt take a break

from caring for us, the prize

of His creation, that should

compel us all the more to live

for Him during these summer

months.

I encourage you, if you

travel to new and different

places this summer, or travel

to some of the old places

youve been before, take the

time to worship Your Lord. I

encourage you, take the Lord

with you as you go, dont leave

Him behind. Remember His

promise to you, I am with

you always to the very end of

the age.

So dont let your praise and

worship take a vacation.

May God richly bless your

summer and may your

summer be spent in the SON!

The Rev. Dean R. Pfeffer

is the senior pastor at Hope

Lutheran Church, Plant City.

For more, email him at hopep-

[email protected].

Interdenominational

church planned for 2016

Plant City native Scott McIntosh is the lead pastor

of City Pointe Church, which will open next January.

unite the tribes

by Jose Lozoya |Staff Intern

Courtesy photo

Rev. Scott and Elizabeth McIntosh want to redefine church in

Plant City.

GET INVOLVED

If you are interested

in being a part of team

meetings register at

CityPointeChurch.com.

Meetings are every fourth

Sunday of the month.

MY VIEW

Faith Matters: Summertime

The Rev. Dean R.

PFEFFER

When athletes come back

from injury, theres always

speculation about if theyll be

the same or not. For most pro-

fessional athletes over 30, the

stories can start to look more

like career eulogies.

But theres also 34-year-old

Ryan Raburn, coming off of

a season-ending knee injury,

playing some of the best ball

of his Major League Baseball

career.

Raburn, a Durant High

School graduate, damaged

his meniscus in September

2014 and had season-ending

surgery, which stuck him with

some of the worst stats of

Documents

07.31.15 PCTO