Plant City Observer 07.14.12

Steve Nierman, chief operating officer of South Florida Baptist Hospital, introduced a $5 million renovation plan at an open meet-ing June 19, at Hope Lutheran Church.

“It’s going to touch almost every department in the hospital and it’s really going to make it more conducive for patient care, for privacy and just more aesthetic for the patient,” Nierman said.

The plan spans several differ-ent projects that should be com-pleted in seven months. Nierman expects the rapid pace of the proj-ects to be “disruptive,” but that it will pay off in the end.

The projects include: Renova-tions to the inpatient surgical care and telemetry units; a new women’s imaging center; and de-molition of the Swindle Diagnos-tic Center to make room for a new parking lot.

“The real meat of the $5 million

renovation reality By amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer

See HoSPital / PaGe 14

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

Plant City Fire Chief George Shiley retires.PAGE 5

inSidEneWSOrganizations findnew homes afterRed Rose closes.PAGE 3

PLANT CITYObserverYoU. YoUr NEighborS. YoUr NEighborhooD.

+ it’s readeverywhere!

Miss University of Florida Ashlyn robinson, a 2010 Plant City High School gradu-ate, got her hands on a rare prototype copy of the Plant City Observer during her visit to the Plant City Lions Club June 26, at The Catering Company & Café.

This week, Robinson, a former Raider cheerleader, Florida Strawberry Festival queen court member, Miss Teen Heart of Plant City and Little Miss Plant City, will be competing in the Miss Florida pageant at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg.

if you’re going on vacation, remember to grab a copy of the Plant City Observer to take with you. Snap a photo of you with the paper at your destina-tion of choice and email it to Managing Editor Michael Eng, [email protected].

+ Seminary seeksyard sale donations

Evangelical University & Seminary is seeking

donations for its upcoming yard sale.

The sale will be July 21 and 28.

Anyone wishing to donate

items to the sale should contact bob

Westlake, 752-7197.

+ Class of 1977plans 35th reunion

Calling all members of the Plant City High School Class of 1977: Reservations for your 35th reunion are due July 6.

Festivities for the reunion include at casual night from 6 to 11 p.m. Aug 3, at Keel and Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City, followed by a banquet Aug. 4, at Embassy Suites Brandon, 10220 Palm River Road, Tampa.

news Briefs .........4 Crossword ......... 19 Opinion ................8 Sports ............... 15inDeX vol. 1, no. 1 | one section

PlantCityObserver.com

OUR TOWn

In many ways, it is fitting the Plant City Observer’s birthday is July 4.

Much like the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 gave birth to an overwhelm-ing sense of dream and wonder, we hope the Plant City Observer

signifies the beginning of great opportunity in this city we all love.

The Plant City Observer is a weekly community newspaper dedicated solely to Plant City, its residents and businesses. It is the product of a partnership between longtime Plant City luminaries Ed

Verner, Nate Kilton and Publisher Felix Haynes, former president of Hillsborough Community Col-lege’s Plant City campus, and the

Sarasota-based Observer Media Group Inc., a family-owned and operated publisher of community newspapers and websites in Sara-sota and Manatee counties.

The newspaper is the end prod-uct of more than a decade of re-search initiated by Verner.

“I have been passionate about Plant City’s news voice for more than 10 years,” he said. “Many good people have worked hard

born on the 4th of Julylocally owned, the Plant City observer will focus on local news, sports and features about you, your neighbors and your neighborhood.

STOP On BYThe Plant City Observer is located at 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, in Historic downtown Plant City. For more information, call us at (813) 704-6850.

all about you by Michael Eng | Managing Editor

Plant Cityhospitalplans $5MexpansionSouth Florida Baptist Hospital’s expansion will include a new women’s imaging unit, parking lot and improvements to its inpatient surgical care unit.

For the July 4 edition of the Plant City Observer, we scoured the city searching for images that depicted the

American culture and patriotism.

From cow pastures and cowboy boots to the fire depart-ment and boys playing Little League baseball, the

American spirit is indeed alive and well in Plant City.

We hope you enjoy these photos as you celebrate the Fourth of July. For more photos, see page 12.

Spirit of AmericA

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL ENG

Eris Doner practiced her sparkler technique in preparation for this year’s Fourth of July festivities. The 3-year-old loves living close to historic Downtown Plant City, which she visits often with her parents, Dawn and Thomas, and sister, Athena, 2.

See oBServer / PaGe 14

SPortSThe Plant City 10-11 All-Stars seek greatness.PaGe 15

2 PlantCityObserver.com Plant city observer


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PlantCityObserver.com 3 Plant city observerWEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

For the last decade, the Red Rose Inn and Suites fulfilled the role of Plant City’s unoffi-cial town hall, banquet facility and crown jewel. Richly deco-rated and presented to the pub-lic by always elegantly dressed co-owner Evelyn Madonia, the Red Rose oozed with Southern charm.

And, perhaps most impor-tantly, it was the favorite meet-ing spot for virtually every Plant City organization requiring such a facility.

Following the Red Rose’s sud-den closing in May, those orga-nizations were forced to move their events and meetings, giv-ing other local businesses new opportunities to grow.

The Plant City Bar Association ultimately moved its meetings to the Plant City Carrabba’s Italian Grill, which was able to accom-modate the group with its open meeting room and buffet-style service. It was a major move for the association, for which the Red Rose had been its longtime home.

“As long as I can remember, we’ve had meetings at the Red Rose Inn,” Jack Wolff, secretary for the association, said.

The Rotary Club of Plant City also moved its weekly meeting to Carrabba’s.

“We had an amazing, really nice facility to meet,” Rotary President Keith Smith said of the Red Rose. “You’re moving from an open setting to more of a res-taurant feel,” Smith said.

Both the Kiwanis Club of Plant City and the Plant City Lions Club moved to The Catering Company & Café on East Reyn-olds Street in downtown. Outgo-ing Lions Club President Gail Ly-ons said the move hasn’t affected

her club too much and said members are enjoying patroniz-ing a downtown businesses.

“We haven’t missed a beat,” Lyons said.

Like the bar association and Rotary, the Lions Club needed a quiet, open meeting space.

“It’s a business meeting as well as a social gathering,” Lyons said. “We still need to conduct the business of the club.”

In addition to the restaurants accommodating Plant City’s civic organizations, other local facilities are enjoying some in-

crease in business as they host larger events, such as weddings and banquets.

John Keaton, general man-ager of the Walden Lakes Golf and Country Club, said the club will host a wedding this month. The Plant City Chamber of Com-merce is now meeting at the club, as well.

The club offers a private din-ing room, a main dining room and one smaller meeting room which could be used for club meetings. Catering is on site for larger events but not for smaller meetings.

“Hey, we are here,” Keaton said.

Similarly, Hillsborough Com-munity College’s Trinkle Center is available to host larger events.

“Now that the Red Rose is gone, we’d like to turn our atten-tion to becoming a venue,” Jared Thompson, facility manager for the Trinkle Center, said. “If we work something out with the civic clubs, we could have poten-tially 200 to 300 new customers.”

The Trinkle Center includes 25,000 square feet of event space that can be customized with re-movable walls. The center can host anything from a large wed-ding to a baby shower. But cater-ers must be brought in, and the college has first use of the space.

In downtown, the new Ends of the Earth Cafe, which opened in June on J. Arden Boulevard, boasts an 1,100-square-foot banquet-style hall upstairs that can accommodate groups of about 80 to 100.

“We’ve had a lot of inquiries,” owner Randy Holeyfield said.

The café’s menu has sandwich-es from $3 to $5.50, and Holeyfield said he can create a menu specific to the club or event needs.

Contact Amber Jurgensen at [email protected].

new opportunities bloomfollowing red rose closing

REACTIONWhat was your reaction of the Red Rose’s clos-ing?

“It was a good community place. It’s so sad that it’s closing.”— Nicole Elek

“I didn’t even know it was closed. I was going to take my mother there after she got out of the hospital. That’s a shame.”— Kay Vance

“I’ve been there for a wedding. It’s an impor-tant venue for that.”— Regina Williamson

“It’s definitely sad to see it close. They did a lot of enter-tainment.” — Wendy Barr

“That’s terrible. I thought it was a nice place. It belongs to an era that most people wouldn’t think was romantic unless you were from that time.”— Gloria Fisher

Several Plant City businesses have opened their doors to organizations requiring meeting space following the closing of the Red Rose Inn and Suites.

moving forward by amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer

Courtesy of the Plant City Photo Archives

The facility opened as a Holiday Inn in the 1960s and later became a part of the Ramada Inn chain. The Madonias bought the facility in 2003 and invested more than $4 million into the Red Rose to give it its distinctive Southern charm.

As a business, the Red Rose offered 261 hotel rooms, an elegant restaurant and, of course, its lavish ballroom that could accommodate as many as 500 guests.

Moreover, several local busi-nesses rented hotel rooms and used them as home offices.

susan staton taught private lessons in her studio at the Red Rose. She also taught dance lessons every Monday in the ballroom. Staton said she was sad the Red Rose closed but knew it was coming. She is still teaching dance lessons in Plant City, along with working as a deejay, but hasn’t found a studio yet.

“I haven’t completely flown the coup yet,” Staton said.

In the Field magazine had an office in the Red Rose since 2006. Karen barry, the publisher, described the office space as “professional.”

They have since moved their office to South Alexander Street.

“It was a great place, great

opportunity, great people,” Barry said.

The Red Rose also acted as an entertainment venue and throughout the years attracted notable national acts such as The Temptations, The Drifters and The Platters to Plant City. Local favorites Destiny per-formed at the Plant City busi-ness every weekend.

“We all wanted it to last,” said Destiny vocalist erika Flaskamp. “It is such a great place. There’s stars on the ceiling, there’s dancing, you can dress up.”

CITY CENTERPIECE

Joseph Mendolia has fond childhood memories about watching Plant City’s fireworks show with his dad.

“The fireworks were always a staple in our community,” the USF graduate student said. “It was sad to see it disappear.”

But Mendolia has nothing to be sad about anymore. The fireworks will explode again for the first time since 2007. And this year, Mendolia not only will enjoy the colorful dis-play but also will be a part of the festivities as executive and artistic director of the Plant City Community Choir, which is performing before the dis-play.

“The fact that we get to be part of it, that I get to relive something from the past, is just wonderful,” he said.

The celebration began in 2002 and continued for six years. But the sparks stopped flying after the last show in 2007.

“In 2008, the economy was tanking,” Jack Holland, direc-tor of the Recreation and Parks Department, said. “Our bud-get shrank drastically in 2008 and 2009.”

Another factor that extin-guished the fireworks was the closing of Bill Heard Chevrolet, a title sponsor for the event.

But this year, more than 15 sponsors have pulled together to help fund the celebration and bring it back to the com-munity.

Zambelli Fireworks, which has produced some of the largest displays in the country, is managing the show. The fire-works will be ignited from the Larson Softball Fourplex.


SCHEDULE 5:45 p.m.: Parking lot opens6 p.m.: Stadium, con-cessions and activities open6 p.m.: Stage entertain-ment starts8:45 p.m.: Concessions and activities close9 p.m.: Military salute and national anthem 9:15 p.m.: Fireworks

July 4fireworks brightenPlant CityAfter a four-year absence, Plant City’s fireworks show is ready to explode.

rocket’s red glare by amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer



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In the market for some prop-erty? How does a 74-acre equine facility with two horse barns sound? Or maybe a pair of charming historic buildings in Plant City’s downtown?

These were just three of the properties available at a Higgen-botham Auctioneers auction June 28, at the John R. Trinkle Center in Plant City.

A last-minute property in Lake-land was added to the property list, making a total of 24 proper-ties with 34 parcels up for grabs and with an estimated combined value of $20 million. Four proper-ties were in bankruptcy. The two historic buildings, properties 22 and 23, were owned by Platinum Bank.

Plant City Mayor Michael S. Sparkman was auctioning off four different properties: about 2.5 acres with three commercial buildings on South Alexander Street; 19.2 acres on James L. Redman Parkway; 3.7 acres of va-cant commercial land on Tillman Place; and 3.4 acres of vacant commercial land on West Reyn-olds Street.

“They’re all pretty good prop-erties,” Sparkman said.

It was Sparkman’s first time selling property at an auction.

“I’m just trying to stir up some excitement,” Sparkman said.

He hoped someone would buy the almost 20 acres on James L. Redman Parkway and turn it into a shopping strip. But, the bidding did not reach the reserve price.

Mia Roach, representing the owner of the State Theater Empo-rium on West J. Arden Mays Bou-levard, was looking to buy the historic building adjacent to the emporium. The plan was to cut a doorway between the two build-ings to expand the antique shop, but an absentee bidder won the bid.

“It’s exciting to bid,” Roach said.

Shelly Connell, of Southern Hospitality, said her company had no plans yet for the com-mercial building it won on West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Because it was a reserve property, the seller still has to accept the bid.

“We’ll have to wait and see if it goes through,” Connell said. “Ev-erything is kind of up in the air.”

About 200 people attended the auction, which pleased Auction Manager Earl Williams.

“It was a really good crowd,” he said. “We had a lot of different types of properties available, so that drew in a lot of people.”


THE WiNNiNg BiDSProPerty sale Price609 and 703 S. Alexander St. $650,0001513 James L. Redman Parkway $140,000901 W. MLK, Jr. Blvd. $110,000703 Hitchcock St. $135,0003018 and 3020 James L. Redman Parkway No saleTrapnell and Smith Ryals roads, parcels one and two $1,050 per acreTrapnell and Smith Ryals roads, parcels one, two and three $6,700 per acre14070 and 14140 Sydney Road, parcel one $125,00014070 and 14140 Sydney Road, parcel two $15,000Tillman Place No salePark Road and Jim Johnson Road $300,000503 and 507 Park Road No sale1301 W. Reynolds St. $300,000Roberts Ranch Road No saleSparkman Road, parcels one, two and three $2,300 per acreThonotosassa Road, parcel one, (absolute),parcel two $15,50013350 E. U.S. 92, parcel one and two $150,0001508 Sammonds Road $210,0002309 Sammonds Road $31,000MLK Boulevard (absolute) $1,000 per acreinterstate 4 and Mcintosh Road $400,000U.S. 33 and Tomkow Road $200,000102 S. Evers St. $350,000111 S. Collins St. (absolute) $250,5001223 E. Lake Parker Drive $150,000

Auction draws 200 to Trinkle CenterAbout $20 million of property — including several historic buildings — was available at the auction.

AUCTioN ACTioN by amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer NEWSBRIEFS

Amber Jurgensen

Auctioneer Mike nall kept a close eye for bidders at last week’s auction.

+ Rotary, Lions clubs name new presidents

The Rotary Club of Plant City installed new President billy Keel during a banquet June 21, at Lone Palm Country Club in Lakeland. The organization also awarded several honors, includ-ing the Rotarian of the Year to bill Wicker and the Rising Star Award to charles Harris.

The Lions Club of Plant City held its banquet June 26, at The Catering Company & Café. The club named Kerrie Gafford as its new president. it also presented several awards: Lion of the Year (Michael cameron); President Award and First Vice President Award (Kerrie Gafford); Second Vice President Award (steve nierman); Third Vice President Award (Jason Jones); Secretary Award (brian West); and Treasurer Award (Mark cornett).

+ Migrant advocateearns national award

lourdes villanueva, direc-tor of farmworker advocacy for the Redlands Christian Migrant Association in Plant City, was recognized with President barack obama’s Champion of Change award June 18, in Washington, D.C.

“i took it as an opportunity to let them know the wonder-ful things that we do with migrant farmer worker families,” Villanueva said.

The RCMA serves 8,000 migrant children at 75 centers in 21 Florida counties by offering education and training programs.

PlantCityObserver.com 5 Plant city observerWednesday, JULy 4, 2012

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Technically, this isn’t George Shiley’s first retirement.

Before he became Plant City’s fire chief 13 years ago, Shiley re-tired on a Friday as chief of his hometown fire department in Johnstown, Pa., where he had served for 24 years.

He immediately climbed into his car, stopping in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday to visit with his chil-dren. On Sunday, he drove to his new home and, on Monday, be-gan work in Plant City.

“I was retired for a weekend,” Shiley said, laughing. “And I spent that weekend on the road.”

Last week, Shiley, 62, retired for the second time after 13 years of service in Plant City. Although he insists it will stick this time, Shiley spent the first few days in much the same fashion — in a car with his wife, Joan, and driving north to Raleigh to be with his chil-dren, Geoff and Nicole, and three grandchildren.

“I’m looking forward to it — I

really am,” he said.After 37 years in fire rescue,

Shiley said he began considering retirement after suffering a heart attack about one year ago. The notion became more attractive after a recent vacation to France.

Earlier this year, the Shileys put their home on the market. Within a week, they had an offer.

“It was just meant to be,” Shiley said.

Ch-ch-ch changesDuring his time in Plant City,

Shiley piloted the fire depart-ment’s transition to a complete fire-rescue operation. Two years after beginning his work here, Shiley added basic life-support service to the department. Then, in 2005, he gave members of his staff an opportunity to return to school to become paramedics.

And two years later, Plant City’s department, then renamed Plant City Fire Rescue, launched its first advanced life support unit.

Today, of the department’s 36 firefighters, 26 are also trained paramedics. And Shiley estimates as many as 90% of his depart-ment’s calls are for life-support needs.

“In fire service, one of the big-gest problems is tradition — sometimes, people aren’t open-minded to change,” he said. “But, you can become stagnant.

“There was a golden opportuni-ty to improve things,” Shiley said. “We’ve improved our value to the citizens.”

Lifetime of serviceBorn and raised in Johnstown,

Shiley was working in the city’s parks and recreation department when he took a test for civil-ser-vice work. At the time, there were no jobs available in the police force, so Shiley took a position at the fire department. After 15 years, he was promoted to chief.

“Johnstown was a distressed city, and we faced lots of challeng-es,” he said.

As chief, Shiley worked toward building better a relationship be-tween the fire department and

the labor union — a skill he also utilized in Plant City.

“The goal was to make life as simple as we could,” he said.

As Plant City Fire Rescue con-tinues to grow, Shiley said bud-getary concerns and costs will remain as challenges.

“The fire service is in the pro-cess of putting itself out of busi-ness,” he said. “The technology is so expensive, but we can’t do without it.”

The department added a $600,000 quint fire truck in 2010 as well as a $134,000 ambulance last year — both of which need to last at least 15 years, Shiley said.

“You have to be a realist,” he said. “It’s not just putting the wet stuff on the red stuff anymore.”

Hanging it upAnd as much as Shiley loves his

career of choice, he is quite satis-fied to step into retirement.

“I worry all the time,” he said. “That’s a big part I’m not going to miss at all.”

Shiley said it was particularly hard June 18 — the fifth anniver-sary of the Sofa Super Star fire that killed nine firefighters in South Carolina.

“That happens too often any-more,” he said. “I experienced one firefighter fatality in my career, and I don’t want to go through that again.”

In addition to spending time with his children and grandchil-dren, Shiley said he’s looking for-ward to traveling with his wife and also enjoying several hobbies, in-cluding golf and hockey.

“I’ve really enjoyed the 13 years I’ve been here,” Shiley said. “The commissioners and city manager have been so receptive to our sug-gestions, and they respect people who do their job, and they want you to do your job.”

City Manager Greg Horwedel said Shiley will be missed.

“I wish I could have him for 13 more years,” he said.

Contact Michael Eng at [email protected].

So long, ChiefFire Chief George Shiley retired June 22, after 13 years of service in Plant City.

fareWeLL by Michael eng | Managing editor

Michael eng

during his time in Plant City, George shiley added complete emer-gency medical services to the fire department.

PLant City aPPoints interiM fire Chieffollowing fire Chief

George shiley’s retirement, City Manager Greg Horwedel appointed division Chief of training/Prevention David burnett as interim fire chief.

Burnett, who has spent the past five years with Plant

City fire rescue, started his career as a junior fire-fighter in the Boy scouts explorer Post program at the Midway fire district in Gulf Breeze. he later served as the district’s chief from 1996 to 2003, before taking

the helm at Chiefland fire rescue.

“We love it here,” Burnett said of Plant City. “We built our new house about three years ago. My plan is to reach retirement here.”

— Michael Engburnett

Plant city observerWEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 20126 PlantCityObserver.com

8615

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To learn more about Dan Raulerson and follow him on the campaign trail go to:www.VoteDanRauleRson.com

or Political advertisement paid for and approved by Dan Raulerson, Republican, for State House.

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CITYPROPERTIESCOMPANY

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CopS CorNErPLANT CITY

The following information was gathered from incident and arrest reports obtained from the Plant City Police Department.

June 22DrUG proBLEM

400 block of north alexander street. Armed Robbery. Two suspects entered the pharmacy wearing masks and gloves. The suspects walked past an open door into the storage area, where prescription drugs are kept. One suspect approached the vic-tim and hit him in the left eye with the pis-tol. The second suspect pushed the second victim into the back room and demanded money and all the Oxycodone. The suspects tied the hands of the victims prior to leaving the business. The suspects fled with 4,629 Oxycodone pills and $750 in cash.

LoVE HUrTSUnknown location. Battery. The suspect

was arguing with his girlfriend of three years and punched her in the face when she asked him to exit her vehicle. The victim was not injured other than minor swelling and refused medical treatment. The sus-pect was transported to Orient Road Jail.

June 23FAST CASH

1400 block of teakwood Drive. Theft. Un-known suspect(s) stole a blank check, filled it out for $112 and uttered it at an unknown location.

FACE FIrST4200 block of Kipling avenue. Vehicle

Burglary. The victim stated someone re-moved the stereo faceplate from her vehi-cle. The victim said she left the vehicle un-locked while parked in her driveway.

June 24pErSoNAL ATTACK

500 block of allen street. Criminal Mis-chief. The suspect vandalized the victim’s

Ford Mustang by cutting the tires and breaking the windows, causing about $400 in damage. The victim thinks his ex-girl-friend committed the crime.

FUNNY MoNEY2400 block of James a. redman Park-

way. Fraud. The customer attempted to use three fake $20 bills to pay for merchandise. Suspect did not get any merchandise and left after the incident. The bills were placed into evidence.

June 25rAIDING THE FrIDGE

2000 block of east baker street. Burglary. Unknown suspect(s) entered the business and stole a small refrigerator and a key to a 2013 Ford Edge from the key box located in the main office of the new car showroom.

June 28STrANGE ENCoUNTEr

700 block of east laura street. Aggravated Battery. The victim stated she was sitting in a backyard in the 700 block of Laura Street when an unknown subject approached her and told her she had to leave. The victim stated that when she tried to stand up, an-other unknown suspect hit her in the face with a plastic lawn chair. The victim sus-tained a cut over her left eye and a small laceration on her nose and lips. The victim was unable to identify a suspect in this case.

June 22MISSING CHAIrS1100 block of east Martin

luther King boule-vard. Theft. Unknown suspect(s) stole an

antique slider and two metal chairs valued at $350 from the home’s porch.


BC121316-0612

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I love a good underdog story. When I was a child, “Rocky” ranked as one of my favorite flicks. And when the NFL season resumes this fall, you’ll find me cheering on my sentimental fa-vorite, the hapless St. Louis Rams.

There’s something about the underdog that is distinctly Ameri-can. As we celebrate the Fourth of July, we remember our country’s proud past as well as its commit-ment to freedom and the pursuit of happiness. And nothing is as goose bump-inducing than see-ing the underdog achieve a dream that appeared to be too far away. That’s why the image of Rocky Balboa storming those concrete steps is so iconic. And that’s why even the first few notes of the movie’s theme song, “Gonna Fly Now,” provoke such a strong sense of victory.

By now, you probably know Plant City has gone from one newspaper to three in just three weeks. Hope-fully, you also know both the Plant City Courier and Tribune and the Brandon and Plant City Times are owned and operated by Media General and the Tampa Bay Times, respectively. Both are extensions of larger publications focused on greater Tampa Bay.

At first glance, you may liken our little Plant City Observer to Rocky Balboa. We don’t have the resources of a metro daily. We don’t have giant billboards throughout Eastern Hillsborough County. And you won’t see our name associated with a major sports arena any time soon.

But as much as I love cheer-ing for the underdog, that’s not the story we’re writing here at the Plant City Observer. With a complete staff residing in Plant City, our headquarters in Plant City’s Historic Downtown and a rich background in hyper-local community news, this is hardly a David and Goliath story.

What you hold in your hands today, the inaugural edition of the Plant City Observer, is what we expect to become a proud moment in the city’s history. The

newspaper is the brainchild of Plant City luminaries Ed Verner, Nate Kilton and new Publisher Felix Haynes, and took shape through a partnership with Observer Media Group Inc., a family-owned and operated publisher of community newspa-pers and websites in Sarasota and Manatee counties. And although the Plant City Observer is pat-terned after the Observer Media Group’s award-winning papers to the south, make no mistake: This paper is owned in, operated

by and dedicated solely to Plant City.

And it always will be.By now, many of you

have seen me out and about. I may have shaken your hand, interviewed you for a story or taken a photo of you. If so, I hope I gave you a glimpse of the passion I harbor for community journalism.

Truthfully, this is my clichéd dream job. I knew

I wanted to work in newspapers since I was 10 years old, and as I pursued this career path at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, my interest in local news never wavered.

Before the launch of the Plant City Observer, I spent nearly 12 years with the East County Observer, the Observer Media Group’s newspaper covering greater Lakewood Ranch in Manatee County. I joined the company in the paper’s infant stages, and along with my fel-low writers, we built it, brick by brick, handshake by handshake. Despite competing against two daily newspapers and a host of other independent publications, today, the East County Observer is the premier news source for Lakewood Ranch.

And that’s exactly what we ex-pect to deliver to you, dear Plant City Observer reader. Each week, these pages will be filled with accurate, honest and complete news coverage; entertaining and compelling features about you and your neighbors; photo galleries of Plant City events; and a comprehensive sports section

dedicated solely to Plant City athletics. Our accompanying website, PlantCityObserver.com, will launch in the next few weeks. There, we will provide breaking-news coverage as well as a plethora of multimedia coverage, including video, audio and more.

In our two media outlets, the content will be tailored specifi-cally for Plant City, its residents and businesses. For us, Plant City is a forethought, not an afterthought. We know this com-munity requires and deserves a newspaper all its own. We will be that resource for you.

Joining me on the editorial side are my wife, Jess Eng, as assistant managing editor, and staff writ-ers Amber Jurgensen and Matt Mauney.

Jess is a graduate of Ball State University’s journalism program. Before spending 12 years with Observer Media Group, she honed her skills at The American in London, England, and The Ma-con Telegraph. At the Plant City Observer, she will serve as our chief designer and graphic artist.

Amber is a 2012 graduate of Flagler College in St. Augustine, where she majored in communi-cation with a double specializa-tion in journalism and produc-tion and a minor in advertising. While in college, Amber was published in several outlets, in-cluding On the Coast magazine, Air Force Times, Coquina and the college newspaper, The Gargoyle. She also served as a broadcast intern at WJXT-TV in Jacksonville. At the Plant City Observer, Amber will cover news and features for the weekly newspaper. She also will use her multimedia skills to produce online exclusives on PlantCityObserver.com.

Matt is a 2010 graduate of Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism

and double minors in broad-casting and public relations. While in college, he was active in Georgia Southern Student Media and also contributed to Savan-nah Morning News/Effingham Now. Following college, Mauney served as sports editor and digital content director for The Paper of Hoschton, Baselton, Chaaeu Elan and Jefferson. He co-developed the paper’s first website, Click-ThePaper.com. Here, Matt will deliver the most comprehensive Plant City sports coverage avail-able in print and online.

I believe we have assembled a team capable of delivering the kind of content Plant City deserves. But the most important piece of this newspaper has noth-ing to do with those of us who occupy chairs in our office. For a true community newspaper to succeed, it needs an active and dedicated audience.

And that’s where you come in. (Bet you didn’t think I was going to put you to work, too!)

So, here’s the deal: The staff of the Plant City Observer prom-ises to publish exactly the kind of newspaper you desire. Here’s what we’re asking of you: Tell us what that paper looks like. We welcome your story ideas. Call us when you welcome your first grandchild or when your son returns from a tour in the Middle East. Let us know about your accomplishments; we want to celebrate with you. For the Plant City Observer, no news is too small. If it matters to you, it mat-ters to us.

Furthermore, hold us account-able. Don’t be afraid to place a phone call or send an email to complain. Let us know what we could be doing better. After all, it is only through that dialog that this publication will become more than some ink on news-print that arrives on your drive-way every week. We already are a part of the community. We want to be a part of your lives, as well.

From all of us at the Plant City Observer, thank you for picking up our inaugural edition. We look forward to bringing you many more in the years to come.

STAY IN TOUCHTo speak with Managing Editor Michael Eng, call the office, (813) 704-6850, or email him at [email protected].

Welcome to your newspaper

Surely, some Plant City residents will think: Why would anyone want to start a new weekly newspaper in Plant City? Newspapers are dying, or so the conventional wisdom goes.

The answer, friends, is our passion for Plant City and this community we love. We believe this community is special. We want to do all we can to keep it special and great.

So we are committed to having this new news-paper, and its associated website soon to come, be a linchpin for Plant City to build on its storied past and create an even brighter future.

Newspapers are not dying. At least not newspapers like the Plant City Observer. Weekly newspapers are one segment of the industry that is growing; indeed, in recent years, they have surpassed daily newspapers in total readership.

That is our niche — our dedi-cation to providing hyper-local news and advertising. We are dedicated to that mission.

To provide that news, the Plant City Observer’s owners have invested in creating what will be the best news team in Plant City. Already we like to say, no news is too small for the Plant City Observer. Your 25th wed-ding anniversary? Send it our way. Your family re-union? Let us know about it. Your child’s honor roll award? Come and brag to us about it. Your business

expansion? That, too. We’re going to tell you about

what’s going on in Plant City gov-ernment and schools. We report on the Little League and high school games your nieces and sons, your nephews and daugh-ters are winning and losing — the way you expect your newspaper to cover the hometown news.

We’ll tell you the good, the bad

and, sometimes, the ugly. And we will give you that information factually.

At the same time, we will be strong and bold, take positions on important local issues and advocate for what’s right and fair for the taxpayers of Plant City.

No one — not advertisers or politicians — will receive “sacred cow” treatment in the Plant City Observer. The only sacred cow in the Plant City Observer will be the truth. Our objective is to produce for you each week the best community newspaper you have seen and the best in Florida. We subscribe to the newspaper adage — a community is only as good as its local newspaper. We intend to be the best.

The “we” in this story are our local owners, Ed Verner, Nate Kilton and I. Verner has estab-lished a strong record of accom-plishments in the non-profit and private sectors over the past two decades in Plant City. Kilton has been identified as a gifted

accountant and financial planner and an up- and-coming com-munity leader. I spent the past 13 years heading the Plant City campus of Hillsborough Com-munity College, and I jumped at the chance to continue to serve this community as the publisher of our hometown newspaper.

Starting from our strong con-sensus that Plant City deserves a locally owned newspaper, we researched how to do it. This inaugural edition is the result of that research.

Another result is that we deter-mined that, in our town of 34,000 people, our circulation will be 15,000 free papers a week (see the complete list on page 20). Our newspaper will be delivered free to the driveways of nearly 5,100 homes in nearly 90 neighbor-hoods and available in about 140 businesses, organizations and news racks.

The Plant City Observer is also the result of a focused search for a professional edito-

rial and marketing staff, and we believe we have succeeded. Michael Eng, who earned his spurs over the past 11 years as the managing editor of the award-winning East County Ob-server, is our managing editor. His wife, Jess, is our assistant managing editor.

In addition, we welcome two reporters to Plant City, Amber Jurgensen and Matt Mauney. Longtime Plant Citian Veronica Prostko is our advertising ex-ecutive. Plant City native Linda Lancaster serves as our adminis-trative assistant and advertising support coordinator, and Petra Kirkland, who has lived eight years in Plant City, is our book-keeper.

We are all proud to serve Plant City, and can’t wait to hear your reaction to our first effort. We invite you to share our pride and excitement, and we pledge to you that we will always have an open door for your comments and sug-gestions.

Observer returns hometown news to Plant CityPUBLISHER’S NOTE

“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

ObserverPLANT CITY

Publisher / Felix [email protected]

Managing Editor / Michael Eng, [email protected]

Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, [email protected]

Staff Writers / Amber Jurgensen, [email protected]; Matt Mauney, [email protected] Advertising Executive / Veronica Prostko, [email protected] coordinator / Linda Lancaster

Advertising-Production Operations Manager / Kathy Payne, [email protected]

Advertising-Production Coordinator / Brooke Schultheis, [email protected]

Advertising Graphic Designers / Monica DiMattei, [email protected]; Marjorie Holloway, [email protected]; Luis Trujillo, [email protected]; Chris Stolz, [email protected]

President / Felix HaynesDirectors / Nate Kilton, Ed Verner,

Matt Walsh110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100A

Plant City, Fla. 813-704-6850

www.PlantCityObserver.com

The Plant CityObserver LLC

Locally OwnedPublisher of the Plant City Observer and

PlantCityObserver.com

©Copyright Plant City Observer LLC 2012 All Rights Reserved

MICHAELENG

FELIXHAYNES

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Editor’s note: Joseph Castagno wrote this column after the last Plant City July 4 celebration in 2007. We felt it was the perfect sentiment for the celebration’s return in 2012.

The sweet scents of cotton candy and caramel corn dance through the early evening air, mixing with the laughter of children and the murmur of a thousand conversations. The sun begins its descent, and you can feel the antici-pation thrumming through the stadium. As the sharp cadence of the color guard recedes, the lights go down, and the first shells burst in a spectacular blaze of color and thunderous sound.

Independence Day, a day of celebration, a day of remembrance, a holiday so simple yet so fraught with the com-plexities of modern-day politics and the ever-shifting landscape of inter-national policy, should challenge us to examine its true meaning.

In its purest form, we celebrate the courage and perseverance of our forefathers. “We hold these truths to be self evident …”

The power of these words shaped a nation and challenged the great-est imperial power of the time. They also set an inescapable responsibility for us as a people. We can’t embrace our independence if we ignore the balance of our declaration: “That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

We have taken this responsibility and have found opportunity in our history to rally to it: World War II, our vigilance against the communism during the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and, more recently, in the Middle East. These moral, political, and military battles represent our collective will, but the achievement

of our independence was built on the decisions of those men and women who chose to shoulder the burden of not only defeating our imperial masters but also investing themselves in the creation, nurturing and guiding of our country.

Too often, it seems the ideals our Founding Fathers espoused have become the fodder for today’s self-serving

political machine. It unfortunately transcends party and pollutes the purity of the democratic process. We must always remind ourselves of those “self-evident truths” and understand the preservation of them is a personal responsibility.

The final rumbles are fading into the distance, and the last vestiges of smoke have cleared, chased across the horizon by a warm breeze. I take my daughter’s hand as we walk to our car, and I rejoice in the fact she will grow up in the greatest country in the world. I promise myself to teach her the history of Independence Day, so she can one day become the consci-entious steward of our freedom — the legacy of our citizenship.

Joseph Castagno is president of MedState Healthcare Services.

Don’t forget why we celebrate July 4

City leaders continued their push to spur development as they approved a moratorium on transportation mobility fees June 25.

The moratorium began July 1 and will continue through Sept. 30, 2013. It also extends the discount to certain build-ing permits until Sept. 30, 2015.

Mobility fees are charged to developers and property own-ers to help pay for the transpor-tation costs the growth creates. However, during the downturn in the economy, many Florida counties have suspended or reduced these fees — includ-ing neighboring Polk County, said City Manager Greg Hor-wedel. He hopes the morato-rium will help attract business and development to Plant City.

“Of the 67 counties in Flori-da, only 14 are not doing any-thing with impact fees,” Hor-wedel said.

The mobility fee raised about $32,000 in the 2010-11 fiscal year. So far this year, the city collected $90,000, the ma-jority of which is attributed to several large projects, includ-ing Brandon Regional Hospi-tal’s $2.5 million emergency care center in Plant City.

Plant City adopted its trans-portation mobility fee struc-ture to replace impact fees in 2009. Under the new structure, the city is divided into five

zones, and fees collected with-in those zones are used to im-prove roads directly impacted by the development.

In addition, Horwedel said the moratorium will give Plant City staff an opportunity to work with neighboring Hills-borough County, which is con-sidering its own mobility fee.

Charter changeThe City Commission is

considering adding to the No-vember ballot a change that would eliminate special elec-tions when a city commis-sioner leaves with less than 15 months in his or her term.

The call for a change came following Commissioner Dan Raulerson’s campaign for the Florida House of Representa-tives District 58 seat.

Under the existing charter, when Raulerson leaves the commission in November, the remaining commission-ers would appoint an interim commissioner to serve until a special election in January. That candidate then would have to run a second cam-paign in April 2013 for a new term to begin in June, when Raulerson’s term expires.

A special election costs the city $15,000, and should the election require a run-off, that number would double, said City Attorney Ken Buchman.

The revision would allow the commission to appoint an in-terim commissioner until the end of the term, eliminating the need for a special election.

The commission agreed to discuss the change further at its July 9 meeting.

Contact Michael Eng at [email protected].

JOSEPH CASTAGNO

My vieW

City commission approves moratorium on mobility feesLeaders hope the move will entice businesses to move into Plant City.

IN OTHEr NEWS• City commissioners decid-ed not to take a stance on the proposed elimination of Hillsborough Area regional Transit’s 28X East County Express route from Plant City to Tampa.

Commissioner rick lott, who represents Plant City on the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization, said he received a petition signed by about 70 residents request-ing the route remain.

However, Mayor Michael sparkman noted Plant City voters did not support HArT’s 2010 1-cent sales tax referendum, and thus, the city does not contribute to HArT financially.

HArT will host a public hearing from noon to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. July 10, at HArT Administrative Office, Florida Conference room, 1201 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa.

GOvErNMENT by Michael eng | Managing Editor



WALKER PLAZA • 617 N. Maryland Ave., Plant City • (813) 752-1548 Mon.– Sat. 7am – 9pm Sundays 7am – 8pm • www.FeltonsMarket.comPrices Valid July 4 - July 10, 2012

Celebrate 4th of July with these Deals!

Felton Sez...Welcome Plant City Observer & Happy 4th of July friends!

CHOICE MEATSPRODUCEGROCERIES

Open 7am to 9pm on 4th of July

Collard Greens Bunch .......................................................... $2.99All Purpose Potatoes 5 lb. Bag ............................................ $1.29Swet Baby Carrots 16 oz. .................................................... 99¢

Golden Ripe Bananas per lb. ................................................. 49¢

California Lettuce Each .......................................................... 99¢

California Celery Each ........................................................ $1.29Red or White Seedless Grapes per lb. .................................. $1.59

FARM FRESH PRODUCE SMOKE HOUSE DELISmoked Ribs Slab Each ..................................................$15.99Smoked Pork Butts Each ...............................................$16.99Smoked Pork Picnic Each ..............................................$14.99Whole Smoked Chicken Each ......................................... $5.99Smoked Leg Quarters 6 For ............................................ $5.99Fried Chicken Dark Meat 8 Pc ........................................ $5.99

COLD DELILean Deli Ham ...................................................$1.59 lb.Deli Roast Beef.................................................$5.99 lb.Old Fashion Liver Cheese ...................................$3.49 lb.

FOR THE BEST QUALITY

WITH THEBEST PRICES!

Fresh Lean Country StyleSPARE RIBS

$1.79 lb.

Fresh LeanBOSTON BUTT PORK ROAST

Bone In$1.69 lb.

Lean AssortedPORK CHOPS

Family Pack$1.49 lb.

Bar SFRANKS12 oz. Package$1.09

FrozenTILAPIA

2 lb. Bag$6.99

Uncle John’sSMOKED SAUSAGE

Hot or Mild - 10 lb. Box$29.99 ea.

Heavy Western Beef WholeSIRLOIN TIP

Cut Free$3.69 lb.

Sunset FarmsSMOKED SAUSAGE

FREE SAMPLES SATURDAY$2.99 lb.

Kellogg’sFROSTED FLAKES 10 OZ.

RICE KRISPIES 12 OZ. & CORN FLAKES 12 OZ.

DakinMILK GALLON

$2.69

DakinORANGE JUICE GALLON

$3.99 Medium

EGGS DOZEN

99¢

MeritaSLICED BREAD 20 OZ. LOAF

$1.69

HeinzKETCHUP 32 OZ. BOTTLE

2 For $3

Essential GranulatedSUGAR 4 LB. BAG

2 For $5

WE HAVE

EVERYTHING

FOR YOUR

BEACH OR

BACKYARD

FEST!

POTATO

SALAD,

COLE SLAW

& BAKED

BEANS!

Fresh WholeLean Boneless

PORKLOIN $2.59 lb.

Cut Free

Fresh Lean

PORKPICNICS$1.18 lb.

Cut Free

Fresh BonelessSkinless

CHICKENBREAST$1.89 lb.

8611

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FELTON’S

GIFT CARDS

AVAILABLE

Fresh Lean

GROUNDBEEF $1.79 lb.

Any Size Pkg

Fresh Fryer

LEGQUARTERS67¢ lb.

40 lb. Box $23.99

Heavy Western Beef Boneless SHOULDER STEAK $2.38 lb.

Heavy Western Beef Boneless SHOULDER ROAST $2.18 lb.

GROCERYHunts Pasta Sauce 24 oz ................................. 10 For $10Mullers Assorted Pasta 16 oz pkg ....................... 10 For $10Hellman’s Mayonnaise 30 oz jar ...BUY ONE GET ONE FREEImperial Margarine 16 oz pkg .....................................69¢

5 For $10

BREAKFAST


WALKER PLAZA • 617 N. Maryland Ave., Plant City • (813) 752-1548 Mon.– Sat. 7am – 9pm Sundays 7am – 8pm • www.FeltonsMarket.comPrices Valid July 4 - July 10, 2012

Celebrate 4th of July with these Deals!

Felton Sez...Welcome Plant City Observer & Happy 4th of July friends!

CHOICE MEATSPRODUCEGROCERIES

Open 7am to 9pm on 4th of July

Collard Greens Bunch .......................................................... $2.99All Purpose Potatoes 5 lb. Bag ............................................ $1.29Swet Baby Carrots 16 oz. .................................................... 99¢

Golden Ripe Bananas per lb. ................................................. 49¢

California Lettuce Each .......................................................... 99¢

California Celery Each ........................................................ $1.29Red or White Seedless Grapes per lb. .................................. $1.59

FARM FRESH PRODUCE SMOKE HOUSE DELISmoked Ribs Slab Each ..................................................$15.99Smoked Pork Butts Each ...............................................$16.99Smoked Pork Picnic Each ..............................................$14.99Whole Smoked Chicken Each ......................................... $5.99Smoked Leg Quarters 6 For ............................................ $5.99Fried Chicken Dark Meat 8 Pc ........................................ $5.99

COLD DELILean Deli Ham ...................................................$1.59 lb.Deli Roast Beef.................................................$5.99 lb.Old Fashion Liver Cheese ...................................$3.49 lb.

FOR THE BEST QUALITY

WITH THEBEST PRICES!

Fresh Lean Country StyleSPARE RIBS

$1.79 lb.

Fresh LeanBOSTON BUTT PORK ROAST

Bone In$1.69 lb.

Lean AssortedPORK CHOPS

Family Pack$1.49 lb.

Bar SFRANKS12 oz. Package$1.09

FrozenTILAPIA

2 lb. Bag$6.99

Uncle John’sSMOKED SAUSAGE

Hot or Mild - 10 lb. Box$29.99 ea.

Heavy Western Beef WholeSIRLOIN TIP

Cut Free$3.69 lb.

Sunset FarmsSMOKED SAUSAGE

FREE SAMPLES SATURDAY$2.99 lb.

Kellogg’sFROSTED FLAKES 10 OZ.

RICE KRISPIES 12 OZ. & CORN FLAKES 12 OZ.

DakinMILK GALLON

$2.69

DakinORANGE JUICE GALLON

$3.99 Medium

EGGS DOZEN

99¢

MeritaSLICED BREAD 20 OZ. LOAF

$1.69

HeinzKETCHUP 32 OZ. BOTTLE

2 For $3

Essential GranulatedSUGAR 4 LB. BAG

2 For $5

WE HAVE

EVERYTHING

FOR YOUR

BEACH OR

BACKYARD

FEST!

POTATO

SALAD,

COLE SLAW

& BAKED

BEANS!

Fresh WholeLean Boneless

PORKLOIN $2.59 lb.

Cut Free

Fresh Lean

PORKPICNICS$1.18 lb.

Cut Free

Fresh BonelessSkinless

CHICKENBREAST$1.89 lb.

8611

6

FELTON’S

GIFT CARDS

AVAILABLE

Fresh Lean

GROUNDBEEF $1.79 lb.

Any Size Pkg

Fresh Fryer

LEGQUARTERS67¢ lb.

40 lb. Box $23.99

Heavy Western Beef Boneless SHOULDER STEAK $2.38 lb.

Heavy Western Beef Boneless SHOULDER ROAST $2.18 lb.

GROCERYHunts Pasta Sauce 24 oz ................................. 10 For $10Mullers Assorted Pasta 16 oz pkg ....................... 10 For $10Hellman’s Mayonnaise 30 oz jar ...BUY ONE GET ONE FREEImperial Margarine 16 oz pkg .....................................69¢

5 For $10

BREAKFAST



Spirit of AmericA

HoMetoWn Hero. Plant City Fire Rescue fire-medic bill saunders was honored at the 2011 Our Heroes Luncheon, which recognizes employees at all of Hillsborough County’s law enforcement and fire rescue agencies.

cattle call. These cows are familiar faces to students at Durant High; they reside just across Turkey Creek Road from the school.

loUD anD ProUD. Of course, the Fourth of July would not be com-plete without proper explosives. The Galaxy Fireworks tent was fully stocked for the American holiday.

oatH oF oFFice. Michael s. sparkman took the oath of office to succeed Dan raulerson as Plant City mayor in June. This is his sev-enth term as Plant City’s mayor.

boot scootin’ booGie. Plant City’s Cowboys Western World is home to hundred of pairs of cowboy boots — which grew in popularity during the cattle drives from 1866 to 1886.

tHe olD ballGaMe. andrew long, 11, and the rest of the Plant City 10-11 All-Stars A Team expect another successful season this summer.tHey JUst Don’t bUilD ‘eM liKe tHey UseD to. Many of Ford’s most famous models are on display in Plant City during the monthly Strawberry Classic Car Show.

FreeDoM oF FaitH. Members of the Weeks and Wiggins families partnered to establish Hopewell Baptist Church in 1870. Originally housed in a 10-by-12-foot school building, the church later moved into a new sanctuary in 1902. The original build price: $854.92.

FresH oFF tHe FarM. Plant City’s Joe Phipps spent most of his career in the glass business. But when his girlfriend lost her job about three months ago, he opened the Sun OK Produce stand on James A. Redman Parkway to help her earn money.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL ENG


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You’ll be seeing Kate Chang reading her favorite pop-up book, “Wide Mouth Frog,” at the Bruton Memorial Library more often. After a stint as the teen librarian and the computer-services librarian, Chang is now the new chil-dren’s librarian.

Chang took the position June 3, following longtime children’s librarian Carol Lane’s retirement.

“I get to work with the little ones more,” Chang says of her new post. “They’re just so enthusiastic about everything you try to teach them. You can find a book about dinosaurs and they’ll say, ‘This is the best day of my life.’”

Chang is busier than ever in her new position. A typical day starts with a morning full of organizing books and pre-paring the computers, before a line of patrons forms out-side of the library. During the day, she answers questions for readers, oversees the computer services and tends to books.

Chang is still running the teen events at the library in addition to her new duties as the children’s librarian. She is involved in “Crafternoons,” an event on Mondays, during which teens make horror-in-spired crafts and baked goods.

As the children’s librarian, Chang is present at children’s events such as Shana Banana, an interactive show, for which Chang clapped along with a smiling face during stories and songs about bedtime. She is also involved with the summer reading program. If children read 10 hours this summer, they can get a free ticket to Dinosaur World and other prizes.

Despite her hectic sched-ule, Chang says everyone at the library has been friendly and helpful, making the tran-sition easier.

The 24-year-old has en-joyed reading from an early age. When she was in fifth grade, she was the winner of a program called Accelerated Reader, for which students earned points for books they read.

“I ended up off the scale,” she says.

With a kindergarten teacher for a mother, Chang grew up in an academic setting. As a middle-schooler, she rode the bus from her school to her mother’s and spent her after-noons reading to the younger students. But it wasn’t until high school when she decided to become a librarian.

“It’s a position where you can learn about everything

and do a little bit of every-thing; you can be a journal-ist,” she says. “And you can help people. Sometimes, people will come to the ser-vice desk needing help with a résumé or job placement. It makes you feel good to help.”

Her love of books, knowl-edge and history led her to leave her hometown of

Inverness in Citrus County to study anthropology at the University of Central Florida. She then went on to study library science at the University of South Florida. After graduating, Chang saw a job posting at the Bruton Memorial Library and de-cided to make the move in October to Plant City.

With her academic back-ground and kind nature, Chang already has estab-lished a relationship with some of the library’s pint-sized regulars.

“I do get to know a lot of the kids here in the library and what they’re interested in,” she says.

— Amber Jurgensen

Kate Chang The new children’s librarian at Bruton Memorial Library learned to love reading from her mother, a teacher.

Amber Jurgensen

Like most kids, Kate chang didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up, switching her mind from paleontologist to archeologist. But Plant City’s new children’s librarian says her ultimate career path was the perfect choice.


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Simplify and ConSolidate today

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is actually rebuilding the inpatient surgical care unit,” Nierman said.

The unit is for those who undergo ma-jor invasive surgeries and are required to spend at least one night at the hospital. Currently, there only is enough space for 38 patients to fit in 18 rooms, which means that there are two patients to a room. There are only two community showers.

“That’s bad enough to have to have a roommate after going through a difficult surgery, but they literally share a narrow corridor with a toilet,” Nierman said.

The unit closed June 30 to begin an en-tire renovation that will create three times more space and include private rooms with their own bathrooms, showers, wood floors and electric boards to communi-cate with nurses, among other improve-ments.

“This is going to be the most modern, nicest, aesthetic impatient surgery center you will see in this county,” Nierman said.

During renovations, the unit has been moved to an observation unit in the ER. If there is an overflow, unused beds in the OB also will be utilized. The project should be complete by Jan. 30, 2013.

“Our goal is to be completely private, and this will get us about 80% on the way there,” Nierman said.

The telemetry unit for cardiac monitor-ing began its renovations in May. Work on the hospital’s busiest unit should be com-plete by the end of 2012. Eight rooms are being renovated at a time. The renovations include new bathroom walls, stone tile and new cabinets.

In a two-part project, the women’s ser-vices in the Swindle Diagnostic Center on West Reynolds Street will be moved into the hospital building to the right of the

main entrance. Called the Women’s Imag-ing Center, the new unit will have its own private waiting area and include medical procedures, such as digital mammogra-phy and bone density scanning and will have stereotactic breast biopsy machines among other features. Construction on the Women’s Imaging Center began on June 24 and will end in October.

The Swindle Diagnostic Center will be demolished in November to create a new 119-space parking lot. With the demoli-tion of the Swindle Diagnostic Center, the Walden Lake Medical Arts Center will be renamed the Ed and Myrtle Lou Swindle Medical Arts Center. The laboratory servic-es in the Swindle Diagnostic Center will be moved into the Walden Lake Medical Arts Center. Hospital rehabilitation services will be located in the Walden Lake Medical Arts Center as well as physicians representing different medical services, including ob-stetrics and gynecology, neurologist, gen-eral surgeon and three primary-care doc-tors.

South Florida Baptist Hospital is one of 10 hospitals in the BayCare Health System, which is funding the renovations and proj-ects.

“It’s hard to make the case that we need to rebuild our bathrooms and rebuild our units because they want to do things like add heart and vascular service and sexy stuff,” Nierman said. “But for five years, I’ve been harping on this every year, and they got sick of me. It’s a huge win for the com-munity.”

For next year, Nierman is asking Baycare for $2.9 million to build another surgical suite at the heart and vascular center on Al-exander Street and $2.5 million to replace five air handlers and an 800-ton chiller.


trying to maintain it, but there is a fatal disconnect that occasionally happens if a news voice is owned by people who don’t live inside that news. It’s hard to believe in the effect and affect of a story if you’re not there to live with it.”

Kilton, owner of Sedita Kilton Life and Wealth Management, became involved in the Plant City Observer about one year ago.

“I’m proud to see the Plant City Observer go to print,” he said. “Ed, Felix and I have worked hard over the past year or more. We hit many roadblocks along the way, and I think that it was fortuitous for us to partner with the Observer Media Group.”

Each week, the Plant City Observer will be filled with hyper-local news, features, photos and sports coverage. In the next few weeks, the company also will launch PlantCityObserver.com, which will feature all of our print content as well as web exclu-sives and multimedia content.

The editorial team comprises Managing Editor Michael Eng, Assistant Managing Editor Jessica Eng and staff writers Amber Jurgensen and Matt Mauney. As publisher Haynes will oversee advertising sales and circulation. His staff includes advertising executive Veronica Prostko, Linda Lan-caster as administrative assistant and ad-

vertising support coordinator, and Petra Kirkland as bookkeeper.

“After many years, Plant City once again has a locally owned weekly newspaper,” Kilton said. “The Plant City Observer has dedicated substantial resources in our editorial staff to ensure the paper will be widely read. My expectation is that people will look forward to reading the Plant City Observer every week. The paper will be a major factor in keeping readers informed about what is happening in their commu-nity. Extensive circulation and, more im-portantly, extensive readership of the pa-per will provide a return on investment to our advertisers and will be a benefit to the business community.

“I want people to feel like the paper be-longs to them,” he said. “I want to be able to tell my grandchildren with pride about how I helped to start the Plant City Observ-er way back in 2012.”

Verner agreed.“When I think about 10 years from now,

the results that could and should happen as the Plant City Observer drills down and delivers hyper-local news that is relevant, reliable and caring about Plant City, I am eager to get there,” he said. “It is hard to over-estimate the impact a successful newspaper that is locally owned and oper-ated can have in keeping Plant City’s voice alive.”

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Y O U T H | H I G H S C H O O L | G O L F | S E N I O R S | C O M M U N I T Y | T E N N I S

Sports

Matt Mauney

John Kelly served as the tight ends and strength and conditioning coach at Armwood High the past two seasons.

Steven Witchoskey is a star no matter

which sport he’s playing. 18

ATHLETE OFTHE WEEk

leadership By Matt Mauney | Staff Writer

In the short history of Straw-berry Crest High School football, perhaps no one knows the pro-gram better than John Kelly.

The new SCHS head coach served on the school’s first coach-ing staff during the 2009 season and has spent the last two sea-sons on the opposite sideline as an assistant at Class 6A District 8 foe Armwood High.

Kelly replaces Gerold Dickens, who resigned as the Chargers’ head coach after one year, go-

ing 1-9 last season. This makes Kelly, who served as the offen-sive coordinator on coach Todd Donohoe’s inaugural Chargers team, the third head coach at the school in a four-year span.

“I wanted the challenge, and I just felt like I had something to contribute to help the kids and maybe stabilize things for them,” Kelly said.

A 1997 Armwood High gradu-ate, Kelly’s biggest outlet growing up was sports. Although constant

personnel changes can be trou-blesome and frustrating for play-ers, he hopes that he can help provide a positive experience for his players and give them the outlet and the memories he gained as a young man.

“Some of my fondest memories growing up were from playing sports, and that was because of the coaches, and I’m still in con-tact with many of those coaches

SCHS coach John kelly hopes to offer stability for the Chargers.New coach, new identity

Athletics act as the “front porch” of a school or univer-sity.

It’s a saying that the presi-dent of my alma mater, Geor-gia Southern University, Dr. Bruce Keel, always said, and something I find rings true, not only at the col-lege level but also for high school and youth sports, as well.

Although not always considered hard-hitting breaking news, sports serve a special purpose in a community. Many times, out-siders know of a community or school solely because of its successes (and sometimes its failures) in athletics.

Plant City has a rich history in athletics, and as the Plant City Observer’s new sports writer, it is my job and privi-lege to give it the complete coverage it deserves. All of us at the Plant City Observer recognize the importance of local sports, and we are committed to providing this great city and community with compelling, relevant and in-depth coverage. Coming from a weekly newspaper in Georgia that covered an area similar to Plant City, I know what it means to be “hyper-local” and provide readers with what they want to know and read about.

I grew up in Atlanta and

MATTMAUNEY

SHOW ME THE MAUNEY

Are you ready for more local coverage?

Don’t let the term, “Little League,” fool you. Big things are happening at Mike E. Sansone Community Park in Plant City.

For a program that has existed for nearly 60 years, Plant City Little League has garnered its most suc-cess and notoriety in recent years. This year, two teams in particular harbor high expectations for what could be a memorable summer.

The Plant City 9- and 10-year-old All-Stars went as far as Little League allows a year ago, going undefeated and taking the South-east Regional in Ceredo-Kenova, W. Va. It was the first time in the history of Plant City Little League that a team — baseball or softball — took a section championship.

Ten players from that team and one new addition form the 10-11 All-Stars this year, and according to returning head coach T.J. Mes-sick, they are primed and ready to make another historic run.

“Obviously, we would like to make it all the way through again undefeated, and it would be a dif-ferent trip for us this time since the region tournament is in North Carolina,” Messick said.

One step in that process is al-ready complete: Messick’s team claimed the District 4 Champion-ship June 30, at Mike E. Sansone Park. They did so in convincing fashion, outscoring their three tournament opponents 49-1. Af-ter beating Lakeland 27-0 to open the tournament, the Plant City 10-11 A-Team took back-to-back vic-tories over their city All-Star coun-terparts, first sending the Plant City B Team to the loser’s bracket with a 13-0 shutout then taking a 9-1 win over them in the district championship.

“The other Plant City team is a very talented team and would be

district champions if it weren’t for us,” Messick said of the B Team that scored 38 runs in just five games.

Now the A Team will turn its focus to the section tournament, beginning next week against the District 26 champions.

“Getting through sectionals will be tough, but once you get through that, we’ve found that good things tend to happen on your way through state,” Mes-sick said. “It’s funny, looking back on how hot we were at the end of regionals last year, and we’ve seemed to pick up right where we left off.”

In Little League, only the 11- and 12-year-old division can qualify for the nationally known and watched Little League World Series, played annually in Wil-liamsport, Pa. Messick’s team may be a year away from that goal, but another Plant City All-

see COaCh / paGe 16

AT A GLANCE10-11 all-stars

head COaCh: T.J. Messick

status: Won the District 4 champion-

ship June 30. Will play in sectionals next week against the District 26 champions. last Year: As the 9-10 All-Stars, this team went as far as

possible, winning the district, sec-tion and state championships,

before completing its undefeated sea-

son by winning the Southeast Region in West Virginia.

11-12 all-starshead COaCh: Tate Whatley

status: Will begin the District

4 tourna-ment July 6,

at Mike E. Sansone Park. last Year: As the 10-11 All-Stars, this team won the district, section and state before losing in pool play at regionals.

Other NOtaBles: The Plant City 9-10 Baseball All-Stars and the 9-10 Softball All-Stars also took district titles over the weekend. The 11-12 Plant City Softball All-Stars also won the District 4 title, beating Lake Wales.

little GiaNtsAfter historic seasons last year, two Plant City Little League All-Star teams expect to go deep into the postseason this summer.

Bryar Christian threw 69 pitches in the District 4 semifinals.

GREAT ExPECTATIONS By Matt Mauney | Staff Writer

Matt Mauney

t.J. Messick, head coach of the 10-11 Plant City All-Stars A Team, reminded his players to show discipline on the field before their game June 27.

see GiaNts / paGe 16

see MauNeY / paGe 16

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012PlantCityObserver.com


(813) 757-6004

P.O. Box 4324 Plant City, FL 33563-4324

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from my high school playing days,” he said. “I want other kids to have that same experience.”

Kelly has taught at SCHS and served as the boys head track coach since the school opened. Following Donohoe’s first season, Kelly took on assistant coaching duties at his alma mater, serving as the tight ends and strength and conditioning coach for Armwood the past two seasons, including last season’s state championship team.

Kelly was also a part of the back-to-back championship teams in 2003 and 2004 as a part of Sean Callahan’s staff, while he was a student at the University of South Florida.

SCHS won’t be Kelly’s first go at a head coaching gig; he served at the helm at Cambridge Christian in 2008 after two seasons as an assistant for the Lancers. He went 2-8 that season before taking a teach-ing job with SCHS when it opened in 2009.

After Donohoe was forced to resign after going 8-12 in two seasons with the Char-gers, Kelly was offered the job, but said “the time just wasn’t right in his life to go back to being a head coach.”

Little did he know that a year later, the door would open again. This time, he was in a better place to take on the challenge.

“You almost take a step back from the individual coaching of positions and focus on not just the team but the program as a whole,” Kelly said of taking the head posi-tion. “I don’t think a lot of coaches like that aspect, but it just comes with the territory.”

After coaching for the Chargers the first year and against them the last two, Kelly knows the SCHS program well and hopes to bring the same practice intensity and work ethic mentality that his teams at Armwood brought each day.

“I knew there was potential here, and I wouldn’t have taken the job if didn’t think that, down the road, we could be a very good program,” he said. “My job is to build this program and to get the players to buy into what we’re trying to do, and we’ve done a lot of that already with the coach-ing staff that I’ve brought in here.”

That staff includes Isaac Anderson, who coached with Kelly at Armwood last sea-son but will be teaching at Brandon High this fall while serving as the offensive coor-dinator for the Chargers.

Most of all, Kelly hopes to bring a posi-tive presence to the Chargers’ program that has seen a large turnover the last three years, after forming from the split of three area high schools — Plant City, Durant and Armwood.

Win or lose, Kelly hopes to give Straw-berry Crest its own identity and its players something to be proud of and, most im-portantly, something to look back on long after their playing days are done.

“The bond that you make because of the hard work you put in together is something that wins and losses don’t always effect,” he said. “It’s more about the experience of going through it together.”

Contact Matt Mauney at [email protected].

spent my college years in south Georgia, and if there is one thing I know, it’s that football is as big (or dare I say bigger) down here than in the Peach State. I’ve al-ready learned a great deal about the high school football teams here and am eager and excited to learn more.

Our three main coverage schools will be Plant City, Durant and Strawberry Crest, and you have my word that those three schools will have the most relevant, bal-anced and accurate coverage around. The Plant City sports scene will no longer be just a blip on the radar of Tampa area prep sports, but instead be the key focal point of the local sports coverage the Plant City Observer will provide.

We won’t just be covering football either. The Plant City Observer is dedicated to coverage of all sports, so don’t be sur-

prised when you see team and player fea-tures from a local girls’ golf team or a boys’ swimming team. If a local team is having a successful season or if there is an inter-esting story — no matter the sport — we will be there. We’ll also be giving plenty of coverage to youth sports, senior athletes and more.

As with any topic, it is vital for our read-ers to stay in contact with us with any lo-cal sports stories. There’s a lot going on in this city, and we want to know about it. If you come across a coach, athlete or local sports story that would be of interest to our readers, please don’t hesitate to email me with the details: [email protected].

You’ll be seeing a lot of me in the com-ing weeks and even more of me when the fall sports seasons come around (I’ll be the one running up and down the side-lines with the camera).

Star team could make that dream a reality this year.

The 11-12 All-Stars return nine of the players from last year’s 10-11 team that won district, sectionals and state before getting eliminated in pool play in the Southeast Re-gional in Greenville, N.C.

Head coach Tate Whatley said he realizes his team has a “bull’s-eye on their backs” but said he has been pleased with what he’s seen of his team so far this year.

“The maturity level of this team has grown tremendously,” Whatley said. “This is a very tight-knit group, and they

all have a great work ethic.” If Whatley’s team can repeat as District

4 champs, it will be the fourth consecutive year a Plant City 11-12 All-Star team has won a district title.

The journey will begin for the 11-12 All-Stars at 6:30 p.m. July 6, against Lake Wales at Sansone Park.

“We realize that this is a new year and that it will take every player’s best to get past the district tournament,” Whatley said. “We are in a very tough district, so our focus right now is that first game, and then, we’ll see what happens.”

Contact Matt Mauney at [email protected].

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Local News...

...From Local PeopleFrom left to right:

• Veronica Prostko, advertising executive, Plant City, 22 years• Matt Mauney, Staff Writer, Plant City, one month• Petra Kirkland, Bookkeeper, Plant City, 7 years

• Felix Haynes, Publisher, Dover, 13 years• Linda Lancaster, Advertising Coordinator, Plant City native

• Michael Eng, Managing Editor, Plant City, Plant City, one monthJess Eng, Assistant Managing Editor, Plant City, one month

Amber Jurgensen, Staff Writer, Plant City, one month

Let us hear from you. No news is too small for the Plant City Observer.

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STRENGTHENINGOUR COMMUNITY2012 Plant City Family YMCA Strong Leader Award Dinner

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Join us on Tuesday, August 28th at The John R. Trinkle Center to honor David Miller, 2012 Plant City Family YMCA’s Strong Leader honoree.

Cocktails: 6:30pmDinner: 7:00pmProgram: 8:00pm

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AthLEtE of thE WEEk by Matt Mauney | Staff Writer

Of all the sports you play, do you have a favorite?

I do not have a favorite sport. They are all my favorite.

What do you like about playing mul-tiple sports?

I like that I don’t have to get bored with only one sport, like most of my peers. For example, on a Friday, I could be playing a night baseball game, then the morning on Saturday, I would be in a basketball tournament for the weekend.

Do you have a favorite sports mo-ment that stands out?

Not really. I am al-ways helping my team out in the little, casual plays.

Who is your biggest role model?

My biggest role model, like most kids, is my dad. He taught me sports, watched sports with me and discussed my sports with me. We practically live sports.

Do you have a favorite sports team (pro or col-lege)?

Tampa Bay Rays and the Florida Gators.

Do you have a favorite sports movie? “Facing the Giants,” since it projects the

importance of having faith in Jesus Christ.

What is your favorite post-game meal?I usually eat grapes and drink a big

Gatorade after every game.

Do you have any siblings, and do they play sports?

I have one brother who plays football, wrestling and track and field.

Do you plan on playing multiple sports in high school?

I plan on playing baseball, bas-ketball and football at Durant.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

To have ultimate wisdom in every thing I do.

What would be your dream job when you grow up?

To play on a profes-sional sports team for about 20 years, then to

become an an-nouncer for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Do you have any other talents or hobbies?I am involved in

TV productions at my school, and I am a busi-ness manager for a group of kids called N.R.G (Next Radical Generation).

STEVEN WITCHOSKEYTurkey Creek Middle School rising eighth-grader Steven Witchoskey has been busy

this summer. The 6-foot-1, 13-year-old has participated in a football camp at Durant High School, won four awards at a basketball camp at Plant City High and recently coached and played in a national championship baseball tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.

Plant City golfers hit the links for the United Food Bank and Services of Plant City dur-ing the sixth O’Brien’s Plant City Charity Golf Classic July 23, at Walden Lake Golf and Country Club.

“We feel that it is so impor-tant to keep any charity efforts in the local community,” said event organizer Kirstie Mara, of O’Brien’s Pub in Plant City.

This year’s tournament fea-tured 35 four-man teams and raised about $3,000 for the bank. O’Brien’s also is still col-lecting food donations at the restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander St. For more information, call Mara, 764-8818.

Plant City resident richard chaney worked hard on his game.

o’Brien’s Pub employees Karen Fuentes, Katharina redelberger, tisha Howard, Jamie Jackson and Jessie Williams attended the tourney to show their support.

Area golfers tee off at annualPlant City Charity Golf Classic

fore! by Matt Mauney | Staff Writer

lori bean sang the national anthem before the tournament. Bean is a physical education teacher at tomlin Middle School.

PlantCityObserver.com 19

Incom-ing freshman Preston Gilbert worked hard during an agility drill at Durant’s football camp.

Although classes aren’t in ses-sion, students have been keep-ing busy this summer with vari-ous sport camps at Durant, Plant

City and Strawberry Crest high schools.

The schools hosted a vari-ety of athletic camps, in-cluding sports

such as foot-ball, basketball,

volleyball and cheerleading.

Plant city observerWEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

O B S E RV E R C RO S S WO R D

Edited by Timothy E. Parker

CRYPTOGRAMS

1. H B E F Z F K M X E G N Z F N K P B G M L N U A Z F S E L L M L N U R E M .

Y Z R E M H A F ’ Y Q Z H F Q Y Z I N M Z P U R E M . Y Z X Z U U Z D D Z P K R F ’ Y

I N Q Z Z R N H Y S N U .

2. X S J R M R S M H R Z O R O R Z H H B P S Y S E D W Y E R X X . I G Y W

D W K G O R C S G Y Y P R O R W X Z H S Y Y S I R K Z W E R C I B E S Y

K S W E K Y S Y P R K B J : E S M Z W E , E S M Z W E .

ACROSS 1 Cop show climax 8 Had the guts 13 Pitcher Martinez 18 In an absurd

manner 20 Give an account of 21 Fool’s month? 22 1982 Meryl Streep

thriller 24 High school

students 25 Luau wreath 26 Cologne that

sounds wrong? 27 Bard’s “always” 28 Kid around with 29 Frequently, to

Shelley 32 Shpoken thish way 34 Took the wheel 36 Sign on a restroom

door 37 Goes by jet 39 “Gladiator” director

Scott 41 Danger for Pauline 43 Develop, as an

opinion 44 Bull’s motto? 45 Loutish fellow 48 Shoe cushion 51 Victorian and

Edwardian, for two 52 Leg, in old slang 53 Morose 55 Not quite round 56 Get ___ of (discard) 57 Element with the

shortest name 58 Amateur baseball

fields 60 School semester 61 Discourage 63 Prefix with “type” 64 “Born in the ___”

(Springsteen tune) 65 Sentence fillers 66 Somnambulate 70 Sun helmets 73 One way to sell

medicine (Abbr.) 74 Mice, to owls 75 Little bloodsucker 78 “Madama Butterfly”

sashes 79 Inclines more and

more 81 Possessed 82 Hip-hop genre 84 Dim-bulbed sort 85 Slasher genre 86 Violate a

Commandment 87 Lugosi of film 88 Erase from the

computer 90 Visualize 91 Cub Scout unit 92 Two-timing

rodents? 93 Bay window 95 Random scrap 98 Totally fills 99 Lumberjack’s tool 101 “Good ___!” (Charlie

Brown phrase) 104 Book-smart 106 Poetic “previously” 107 Private instructor 109 “I ___ Rock” (Simon

& Garfunkel song) 110 San Juan, Puerto ___ 111 “___ Legend” (2007

Will Smith movie) 113 Words of wisdom 114 Ronald Reagan

movie 120 Paper producers

and pepper grinders 121 Wiggle room 122 Carte blanche 123 Rib jabs 124 “Captain Blood” star

Flynn 125 Supplemented

dOwn 1 USSR successor 2 Tiny insect 3 Trident-shaped

Greek letter

4 Like Shaq 5 Word of exception 6 Lubricate again 7 Helper in Santa’s

workshop 8 Leave bare 9 “The Arabian

Nights” hero 10 Was relentless, as a

storm 11 Upper regions of

space 12 Excessive 13 What a seamstress

may follow 14 Olympic sword 15 Bobby Darin hit 16 Step between

“lather” and “repeat”

17 “Superman” character Jimmy

19 Element no. 39 20 Civil War soldier in

gray 23 Laurel’s partner 29 Good news for a job

applicant 30 Excessively ornate 31 Angry speech 33 City-related 35 Blood carriers 38 Type units 40 “___ be surprised” 42 Springfield minor

leaguer, on “The Simpsons”

46 Enticements 47 Overly decorated 49 Product of fatback 50 Stately trees 52 Slumber party

attendee 53 Nosy Parker 54 “Too many more to

mention” abbr. 57 Darjeeling and

pekoe 58 Like some apologies 59 “___ volunteers?” 62 It sent Dorothy to

Oz

63 Some soda purchases

65 Garden intruder 67 Japanese relative of

the zither 68 Large coffeepot 69 Splash and dash 70 One of the Flanders

boys 71 Certain wind

instrument 72 Day/Hudson flick 76 Make 77 Horse restraint 79 Transparent, as

hosiery 80 Person creating

rhymes 81 Language in Kolkata 83 Not in vogue 86 “Bon voyage” party 87 Car grille protector 89 Female jungle beast 91 It may be wild in

poker 94 Legally responsible 96 TV antenna 97 Needing a

scrubbing 98 Sunken treasure

locale 99 Snail mail

attachment 100 It’s mastered in a

studio 102 Mideast VIP (var.) 103 Sound engineer’s

knob 105 Eager to rest 108 Look up and down,

on a beach? 112 What a greedy

person wants 115 One-third of six 116 “Are you a man ___

mouse?” 117 Nancy Drew’s beau 118 Nightmare on prom

night 119 Lennon’s wife

BETTER LATE THAn nEVER by Potter Stern

2

Summer camps keepyoung athletes busy

preparing the next crop by Matt Mauney | Staff Writer

christian rivers worked hard dur-ing the fifth annual Raiders Coed Basketball Camp June 22, at Plant City High School.

Plant City High cheerleader tayler Kip lifted Maddie Hardwick during a practice cheer at the Plant City High Cheerleading Clinic June 26.

Durant head coach Mike Gottman fielded many questions from campers after the first day of his second annual youth football camp June 12.

eva oyola, 7, aimed carefully during a shooting game at the Plant City High Basketball Camp.

savannah busciglio worked on her game during the Strawberry Crest High School Volleyball Camp.



t takes more than luckto become Plant City’soldest and largesthometown financial

institution...

...It also takes hard work and a steadfast commitment to

the people of Plant City who make this such a great place to

live, work and play.

We’ve had over 58 years to perfect our hometown

approach to financial services. Visit us and see how easy and

friendly hometown banking can be.

“Banking on a First Name Basis”

PLANT CITY – Main Office, 102 W. Baker Street, 752-6193 • WALDEN WOODS – 2400 Jim Redman Parkway, 754-1844

Also offices in: BRANDON, RIVERVIEW and ZEPHYRHILLS

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Thonotosassa Rd.

E. Hillsborough Ave.Plant Ci t y33563 33564

33566

33567

33565

County Rd. 582

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39

Dover

Cedar Run

Turkey Creek Rd.

Hopewell Rd.

N. D

over Rd.

S. Forbes Rd.

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Old Hopewell Rd. 60

E. Trapnell Rd.

E. Baker St.

Coronet Rd.

County Line Rd.

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We are proud to introduce the new Plant City Observer, your locally owned, weekly newspaper.

Our mission is threefold: We are dedicated and committed to serving our community; serving our advertisers to help them grow and become more successful; and serving as Plant City’s leading source for local news and information.

Our focus is: You. Your Neighbors. Your Neighborhood.

Distribution by Zip Code and Neighborhood

33563 Citrus Landing, Country Hills, Doreen Terrace,Four Seasons, Gordon Oaks, Greenland, Historic District, Morrell Park, Oak Pointe Place, Oakwood Estates, Pinedale Estates, Unit 4, Pinedale Estates, Roseland Park

Zip Code Neighborhoods: FREE Home Delivery

33565 Colonial Woods, Sam Allen Oaks

33566 Walden Lakes, Wilder Park, Wilder Reserve, Wilder Trace

33567 Magnolia Green, Trapnell Ridge, Westside

Where we reach

Scan this code for a complete list of commercial distribution locations where you can pick up your copy of the Plant City Observer or visit:http://ads.yourobserver.com/WhereWeReach.pdf

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Documents

Plant City Observer 07.14.12