Plant City Observer 02.07.13

FREE • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

UPCOMINGSPORTSDurant softball team seeks repeat magic.PAGE 15

PLANT CITYObserverYOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

INSIDEBuc pep rally revs up Trapnell Elementary students.PAGE 13

Blueberry Fest to host its first pageant. PAGE 5

Briefs ...................4 Crossword ......... 18 Obituaries ......... 14 Sports ............... 15Vol. 1, No. 31 | One section

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OUR TOWN

INDEX

SEE RESOURCE / PAGE 2

+ Do you have a love story?

Was it love at first sight? Did you overcome an awe-some obstacle to be with your spouse?

If so, we want to hear from you! The Plant City Observer is planning a special edition for Valentine’s Day, and we want to hear your love story. You could win a one-night stay in a suite at Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore, plus dinner for two at St. James Restaurant.

Contact General Manager Michael Eng, at 813-704-6850 or [email protected].

+ And the winner of our contest is ...

Stephanie Karr won the Plant City Observer’s social contest for two tickets to the Plant City Elks Lodge Wild Game Cookout. Karr gave the tickets to her boyfriend, Michael Alexander, who plans to take his brother, Howard, to the all-male event.

+ Former mayors’ offspring engaged

State Rep. Dan Raulerson and his wife, Shirley, of Plant City, announced the engagement of their daughter, Jaclyn, to U.S. Marine Capt. Jarod Dicks, son of former Plant City Mayor John Dicks and his wife, Sharon.

A graduate of Durant High School, Jaclyn Raulerson is a senior telecommunica-tions major at the University of Florida. She is a former Strawberry Queen Court member and Miss Florida 2010.

Dicks attended Plant City High School, is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and is an FA-18 pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is currently stationed in South Carolina.

Both Raulerson and Dicks were born and raised in Plant City, and their fathers each served as mayor of Plant City.

The wedding date is tentative.

From free vision and hearing screenings for children to CPR certification training for adults, the new East County Family Re-source Center has something for everybody. The Children’s Board made the decision to open a center in Plant City after it saw a need in eastern Hillsborough County.

“There were a lot of people from this area going to our Bran-don location and there were other areas around that weren’t being reached,” said Marcia Ce-dano, center manager for the East County Family Center, lo-cated in the shopping center be-hind Walmart next to Beverly’s Consignment.

The East County location opened its doors Oct. 1, 2012, and is the newest of six Fam-ily Resource Centers through-out Hillsborough County. The Healthy Start Coalition of Hill-sborough County administers the Children’s Board Family Re-source Centers, and Champions for Children manages the East County location.

The center provides family services at no cost. Services in-clude parental classes and de-velopmental play groups.

“We’re here for both the chil-dren and the parents to learn and grow,” Cedano explained.

In January, Baby Bungalow be-gan offering child-development services at the center. Trained facilitators lead those classes. Programs include Baby and Me, a five-week developmental playgroup for infants that tar-gets free exploration and play, as well as caregiver/child bonding.

Family Resource Center helps Plant City families The newest of six locations, the East County Family Re-source Center pro-vides free education programs to parents and children.

The passing of the gavel is a 31-year tradition. Jim Scott became part of that tradition Jan. 31, when the gavel passed from former chamber Chair-man Matt Buzza’s hands to his, at the Greater Plant City Cham-ber of Commerce’s Chairman’s Banquet.

Scott’s first line of business is to revolutionize the chamber’s website and bring it not just into the modern age of technol-ogy, but make it cutting edge and ahead of the curve.

“I want to give members a greater value for their member-ship,” Scott said.

The new and improved web-site will be the start of that greater value. Scott wants to have the website show up in the top-three hits on the first page when the chamber or Plant City

businesses are Googled. His plan to make this goal come alive is to use search engine optimization (SEO), or spe-cific keywords that help bump the chamber higher in search results, drawing potential cus-tomers to the chamber mem-bers’ businesses.

“Some small businesses might not even have a web-site, and some can’t spend the money to pay for SEO on their websites,” Scott said. “So, what we’re doing is pooling our re-sources to spend money on search engine optimization, which will benefit everybody.”

Scott said this move would help all chamber members, but

especially those business mem-bers who don’t attend Business After Hours or Contact Break-fasts to network.

The website will also have a new modern look that is more user-friendly.

The idea first came about in October, at the board retreat. Since then, the chamber has established a technology com-mittee. Yvonne Fry and Aaron Davis are co-chairs.

“They are new board mem-bers who have hit the ground running,” Scott said.

A couple of months ago, the chamber launched its new mo-bile site, which is configured to display on phones and tablets in a more simplified version of

new role by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Plant City Chamber names new chairmanJim Scott, of Jarrett-Scott Ford, hopes to help the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce get ahead of the curve.

SEE SCOTT / PAGE 2

See a list of the 2013 board and directors / PAGE 2

Mike EngIn his speech at the Chairman’s Banquet, Jim Scott spoke of having the chamber be on the cutting edge of technology.

by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

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Little Amigos, which Cedano said is one of the more popular programs at the center, is a five-week program for 2- to 4-year-olds that exposes English-speaking chil-dren to Spanish through music, singing, rhymes and other activities.

“It’s like an interactive ‘Dora the Ex-plorer’ learning program,” Cedano noted. The center also offers parental classes, including CPR and first aid training. A hands-on car-seat safety program is also offered. During this class, parents learn how to pick the appropriate car seat and correctly secure it.

“We even will provide families with a car seat after taking the class,” Cedano said. Before the center began offering programs, it offered services, including vision and hearing screenings. Prevent Blindness Florida provides vision screen-ings for children ages 2 to 18 and hearing screenings for newborns to 18-year-olds.

“The first time we offered hearing screenings, we had 12 kids, and eight had ear infections, some of which were severe,” Cedano said. “This just shows how much these services were needed in this area.” Cedano said preventative dental services

are already offered at some centers in the county and will be offered at the East County location soon. Nutrition classes teaching healthy eating habits are cur-rently offered.

Children who are uninsured and on Medicaid can receive free immunizations and school physicals by appointment with the Mobile Health Clinic.

Mobile clinic services is something that Cedano said was addressed as a need in this area, because some clients in outlin-ing rural areas such as Dover and Bees-ville have no way to get to the centers.

“This gives us the opportunity to refer people and provide outside service to those areas that need them,” Cedano said. The East County center also offers a com-puter lab for children and adults for edu-cational and professional use.

“We have adults come in to apply to jobs, and students who may not have a computer at home come in to use ours to do homework,” Cedano said.

According to Cedano, all services and programs are provided at no charge and are available to anyone, no matter finan-cial standing.

“We are all about taking care of the well-being of the child and instructing the par-ents on how to do that in the best way,” she said.

RESOURCE / FROM PAGE 1

EAST COUNTY FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERAddress: 639 Alexander St., Plant City; Behind Walmart in shopping plazaPhone: 813-752-8700Services: Parental classes, mobile clinic services, car-seat safety, computer access, vision and hear-ing screenings, developmental play groups and CPR and first aid certifi-cationCost: All services provided free of chargeWeb: familysupporthc.org

the website. “The chamber was behind,” Scott

said. “We don’t just want to catch up, but we want to be ahead of the curve.”

This isn’t Scott’s first run as a cham-ber chairman. In 2004, he was the chairman for the Dade City Chamber of Commerce after serving three years on its board.

“Whatever town I’m in, I just gravi-tate toward the chamber,” Scott said. “I love being involved in chambers be-cause it involves business and has to do with commerce. You want all the mem-bers of the chamber to do well because that means businesses are doing well. So, it’s just exciting to be part of some-thing like that.”

Scott is originally from the suburbs of Detroit. He graduated from Michi-gan State University with a degree in

general business administration. After graduating, Scott made it a goal to work for one of the “big three” automakers.

Scott’s uncle and grandfather worked for Chrysler, but Scott branched out on his own to work for Ford Motor Com-pany.

“Ford was a bit of a departure,” Scott said. “Everybody roots for each other, though.”

In 1996, Scott was transferred to Or-lando. In 2000, when he became part-ners with the Jarrett family in Dade City, he moved to the franchise side of the company. Then, in 2004, he part-nered again with the Jarrett family to run the Plant City dealership.

Scott has been married to his wife, Leigh, for 11 years. They have two children, Nick, 7, and Connor, 6. He has been president of the Rotary ser-vice club and is a past chairman of the YMCA.

SCOTT / FROM PAGE 1

BOARD AND DIRECTORSThe 2013 chamber board and directors were also announced at the banquet.

CHAIRMAN Jim Scott, Jarrett-Scott Ford

CHAIRMAN-ELECT Nate Kilton, Sedita Kilton and Company

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Matt Buzza, Platinum Bank

TREASURER Michael Cameron, Cameron Financial Management

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCILPhil Waldron, Waldron Consulting Services

MEMBERSHIP DIVISION Brian West, Publix Super Markets Inc.

COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS DIVISION Keith Smith, Trinkle, Redman, Coton, Davis and Smith P.A.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS DIVISION Janet Kelly, Rita Staffing

DIRECTORSAaron Davis, Hillsborough Title Inc.; Yvonne Fry, Lines of Communication; Michael Gottesman, CenterState Bank Edwena Haney, Hopewell Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens; Charles Harries, Holiday Inn Express and Suites Bradley Herremans, Suncoast Community Health Centers Pediatrics; Vicki Houllis, Sunshine State Federal Savings and Loan; Jason Jones, Advantage Restoration Inc. Advantage Contracting LLC; Gail Lyons, Regions Bank; Steve Nierman, South Florida Baptist Hospital; Michael Watkins, V&R Insurance

East County Family Resource Center Manager Marcia Cedano, Blanca, Cruz and Damian Flores and family resource spe-cialist II America Arevalo

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU�FRP 3 PLANT CITY OBSERVERTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Get ready to tee off. On April 6, the Junior Woman’s Club is hosting a charity golf tournament to help fund its Plant City Shoe Project.

This year, the club was able to give shoes and socks to 500 children, at 14 different schools in the Plant City area. Working with Payless ShoeSource, the budget for the project is $6,000, but it has decreased in the last few years.

“We do a lot of farming in Plant City, so there’s a lot of migrant workers and a lot of children who can benefit,” project Chairwoman Stephanie Eisenbach said.

The Junior Woman’s Club gets a list of children in need from a school counselor. Club members fit the stu-dents for shoes, buy the proper size and then revisit the students to put the shoes on the children and make sure they fit properly.

“It’s shocking, but wonderful to see their faces light up,” Eisenbach

said. “They stomp their feet and ask if the shoes will make them run fast-er. Some children desperately need them. They’re wearing shoes that are two sizes too small.”

The golf tournament will be at the Walden Lake Golf and Country Club, 2001 Country Club Drive. It starts with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. The competition includes a putting contest, closest to pin, longest drive, 50/50 cash prize and raffle prizes. The Tampa Bay Lighting Cheerleaders will also make a special appearance.

The cost for individual players is $75; a standard foursome is $300. There are other entry combinations that include super packs in the en-try fees. Super packs have five raffle tickets, one 50/50, one putting con-test and two mulligans. All entries will receive refreshments, goodie bags, continental breakfast and lunch from O’Brien’s Irish Pub.

“We’re hoping to get around 20 to 25 teams sign up,” tournament Chairwoman Kendelle Jimenez said.

Souvenir flag sponsorships and tee sponsorships are also needed.

March 15 is the deadline to register. The 25-member Junior Woman’s

Club also hosts the Baby Parade and Little Miss Plant City Pageant as ma-jor fundraisers.

“We just wanted to branch out,” Jimenez said. “Talking to other peo-ple, we learned golf tournaments can raise quite a bit of money.”

Jimenez was responsible for bring-ing shoes to Pinecrest Elementary during the project.

“It’s a really awesome experience,” Jimenez said. “I think it’s touching for the girls who do it their first time. You think that all kids have what they need. There’s always more than 500 students who need the shoes.”

Venturing beyond a rick-ety privacy fence Jan. 28, Hillsborough County Ani-mal Services discovered 26 pit bull terriers chained and living in appalling condi-tions. The dogs were part of a suspected dog-fighting ring. The privacy fence was located in the middle of a field, behind a house on Colson Road.

“A lot of these dogs had significant wounds, were extremely bloody, intertwined in chains and im-mobilized,” said Marti Ryan, animal services public in-formation officer. “It was clear that some of them had just been in a scrap.”

The dogs were an-chored to rebar with short heavy chains. Their unstable shelters were made of wood pallets.

Many of the dogs were females used for breeding. With dog-fighting rings, breeding females aren’t used as much for fight-ing. Other dogs were also younger and in better con-dition. They had new col-lars, some with the tags still on, which caused animal services to the question if this was a new ring begin-ning to take shape.

Hillsborough County Animal Services received an anonymous tip about the ring, which led to the search.

The owners of the house weren’t home at the time of the search. No charges have been filed yet, but Ryan said that doesn’t mean there won’t be charges. The case is still active.

“It’s very sad, it’s very disturbing, but we take it seriously, and it is never ig-nored,” Ryan said.

The profile Dog-fighting rings such

as this happen all over the nation and transcend gender, cultural and eth-nic lines. According to The Humane Society, there are more than 40,000 people in-volved with organized dog fighting in the U.S.

Hillsborough County Animal Services has an 11,000-square-mile area to manage, not just for animal fighting, but for abused and homeless animals, too.

“It’s a barbaric sport that is ever present,” Ryan said. “It occurs through a wide demo-graphic of people. This is not something that is new to us.”

The Jan. 26 bust was only the most recent ring to be discovered in eastern Hill-sborough County. Just two months ago, another ring in Seffner was discovered, and seven dogs were rescued. But, there were potentially hundreds of dogs that had been buried on site.

“Rings are often held in ru-ral areas because it is easy to deflect and hide,” Ryan said.

But the rings aren’t lim-ited to just rural areas. The rings can move around — and do move around to avoid discovery.

There are three different levels of dog fighting: street, hobbyist and professional. Street fighting is more in-formal and impromptu, often taking place in alleys. Hobbyist fighters are more organized with the intent to

make money and provide entertain-ment. Profession-als have a large number of animals and earn money from breeding, selling and fighting the dogs.

Ryan said there are a number of mobile intelligence units that animal services works with

to find out about the rings.

Rescued: the next step Rescuing animals from

rings or abusive situations is just the first step in the long process of rehabilitation.

Once animal control re-moves the animals from an abusive situation, they are provided with immediate medical care.

Dogs rescued from fight-ing rings often live in squa-lor and are susceptible to parasites and infections. Blood conditions are com-mon illnesses found in the rescued animals.

The animal will stay in animal control’s care while animal control seeks custo-dy of it in the court system.

Without custody of the an-imal, animal control can not care for it further, but once custody is granted, the agen-cy can assess the animal for behavior and temperament, and it can be spayed or neu-tered. The process of custody can take months.

Animal control receives about 21,000 animals per year. When a group of ani-mals comes in all at once, they take up more spots in the shelter.

“All these things can strain our resources,” Ryan said. “There’s a responsibil-ity on staff to feed the ani-mals and clean the shelter. We don’t just have animals from rings or abuse, but we have homeless animals, people who drop off their pets because they’re mov-ing or in the military.”

After they learn more information about the animal’s behavior, it can be placed in a more open situation where it can go on walks or socialize with other animals, if it is deemed safe.

Instead of going to the pet store to buy a pet, Ryan en-courages people to come to the shelter.

“In the path for justice, it is important for the pub-lic to come to the shelter and pick out their next best friend,” Ryan said.

harsh realityby Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Taking a bite out of dog fightingLast week, an anonymous tip busted a dog-fighting operation on Colson Road.

It’s been 120 years since the Al-len Chapel AME Church held its first church service in a one-room framed house located between Laura, Alabama and Lake streets. The area was known as the Roux Mill. The congregation used boxes for benches and flaming torches for lights. The church is deep-rooted in history and tradition.

The congregation of the Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church will get to celebrate its history Feb. 9 and Feb. 10, during its 120th anniversary celebration.

On Saturday, Feb. 9, the church will celebrate with a gospel concert called “An Evening in His Presence.” It will feature a Tampa singing trio, Women of Grace, as well as a Chris-tian rap artist.

“It is a big day for us,” said Floyd Cook, the church’s public-relations representative. “Every year the Founders Day celebration is always a huge celebration.”

Floyd expects 300 people to at-tend the celebration.

A group of families that in-

cludes the Ashfords, the Pages, the Cummingses, the Williamses, the Strongs, the Johnsons, and the Byneses founded the Allen Chapel AME Church in 1983. The Marshalls, the Carmichaels, the Smallses, the Houstons, the Andersons, the Isoms, the Robertses, the Romeos, the Byrds and the Members also joined the congregation shortly after the founding.

The Rev. A. L. Bronson was the first pastor appointed to Allen Cha-

pel; Bishop Daniel A. Payne, the first bishop, appointed him.

In 1905, the members began look-ing for a more comfortable loca-tion. The Benbows donated land on Laura Street across from Southland Frozen Food Plant.

The congregation purchased the present site of Allen Chapel, 1109 E. Laura St., in 1919 for $1,000. The members bought four lots to make space for their growing congrega-tion. In 1923, before building the church, they built a parsonage. Ro-wena Ferrell Brady was the first child born there. The church was built in 1925.

In 2011, the current pastor, the Rev. Ricky Polk, and his wife, Judy, came to Allen Chapel.

“Our founding fathers planted seeds of faith, and even today, we continue to harvest God’s richest blessing from those seeds,” Polk wrote in a prepared statement for the celebration. “The yield of those seeds has flourished into great oaks, and many are finding spiritual shade underneath their branches.”

do your part by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

ROOTS by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Allen Chapel AME Church celebrates 120th anniversaryA Founders Day celebration will be held Feb. 9 and Feb. 10.

Charity golf tournament needs teams, sponsors The first Junior Woman’s Club golf tournament will be held April 6.

Amber Jurgensen

The congregation purchased the present site of Allen Chapel AME Church, 1109 E. Laura St., in 1919 for $1,000.

IF YOU GO ALLEN CHAPEL AME CHURCH 120TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Where: 1109 E. Laura St.When: 7 p.m. Feb. 9; 11 a.m. Feb. 10 Tickets: $10 for adults,$5 for youthContact: Allen Chapel AME Church, 813-752-7389 Floyd Cook, 863-409-0769.

IF YOU GOCHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT SIGN UPSDeadline: March 15Contact: Kendelle Jimenez, 813-997-3359, or [email protected] or Tyger Jimenez, 813-507-8127, [email protected] entry form and payment to P.O. Box 1466, Plant City, Fla., 33564.Make checks payable to Plant City Junior Woman’s Club, Attention: Erica Taylor.

INFOTo report suspicious activ-ity, call the Hillsborough County Animal Services at 813- 744-5660.


SAT, FEB 9, 20136pm to 11pm$75 Donation in AdvanceStag Only – Must Be 21For tickets and information, call Frank LaBarbera at 813.716.3800 or the Elks Lodge at 813.752.2822 (after 4pm)Cattleman’s Association BuildingHighway 39 South, Plant City, FL1 Mile South of Highway 60 on Left, Look for Sign

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NEWSBRIEFS + Yard-sale fundraiser

takes place SaturdayShiloh Baptist Church will hold

a yard-sale fundraiser from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, to benefit the church preschool. The sale will include clothes, toys, furniture, household items and more, and takes place at the Family Life Center, Gym Building B, 905 W. Terrace Drive, Plant City.

+ Photojournalism contest opens today

The fourth Plant City Photo Archives and History Center Photojournalism Contest is open for Plant City High School stu-dents.

Each student can submit one or more photographs and write a 300- to 600-word story about the subject of the photograph. The deadline to submit entries is March 1.

The winners will receive cash prizes from $50 to $100, and their entries will be displayed at the Photo Archives. The winners will be announced March 21.

For information, contact Sherrie Mueller, college and career coun-selor at Plant City High School, or the Photo Archives, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, at 813-754-1578.

+ Plant City Entertainment presents ‘A Catered Affair’

Plant City Entertainment will tell the story of a young couple’s wedding in “A Catered Affair,” Feb. 15 to Feb. 17 and Feb. 21 to Feb. 23, on Plant City Entertainment’s stage, 1501 N.

Wheeler St.Show times are 8 p.m. nightly,

except for Feb. 17 when there will be a 2 p.m. matinee.

Doors open at 7 p.m. for the nightly shows and 1 p.m. for the Sunday matinee. Ticket prices are $10 for members, $12 for seniors and students and $14 for general admission. For information, con-tact 813-754-4929.

+ Valentine’s Day romance is in the air

Dine and dance with your sweetie at a Valentine’s Day Dance from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Ramada Ballroom, 3260 U.S. Highway 98 N., Lakeland.

Tickets are $30 for single admission and $60 per couple in advance, and $35 for singles and $70 per couple at the door. Price includes a buffet with three meat entrees to choose from as well as sides, salad and dessert.

New 2 U-The Mix will per-form.

Susan Stanton, a Plant City choreographer who has choreographed dances for Dancing with the Locals and taught classes at the Red Rose Inn and Suites, is host-ing the event.

For tickets, contact Stanton at 863-604-5060.

If you want to be featured in It’s Read Everywhere, snap a photo of you with the paper at your destination of choice and email it to Michael Eng, [email protected]. Make sure you include your full name and where the photo was taken.

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE

Sean Walker, his wife, Danielle, and their Chihuahua, Charlie, took their Plant City Observer along for the long car ride in January to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tenn.


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Move over strawberries, there’s a new fruit in town — the blueberry. As part of Keel and Curley Winery’s Blueberry Festi-val, the first annual Blueberry Festival Pag-eant will be hosted April 13. The next live sign-ups will be at the winery, Feb. 23.

“It’s just going to be a fun, fun pageant,” organizer Julie Hasting said.

The pageant is also part of a campaign for childhood-cancer awareness. As an el-ementary student with cancer, contestant Morgan Pierce has become an integral part of the pageant. She wants to act as an advocate for cancer and will be made an honorary blueberry princess.

“We wanted to honor her not because she has cancer, but because she doesn’t let it stop her,” Hasting said. “She’s done the Junior Royalty pageant and now this.”

A portion of the proceeds will go to Mor-gan’s foundation. She has a cookbook she wants to sell at the pageant.

In addition to the blueberry princess title, there are seven age categories with a queen and first maid winners in each cat-egory: Mini Blueberry Bud, 3- and 4-year olds; Tiny Miss, 5- and 6-year olds; Little Miss, 7- to 9-year-olds; Pre-Teen, 10- to 12-year-olds; Junior, 13- to 15-year olds; Teen 16- to 18-year olds; and Miss, 19- to 23-year-olds.

Each contestant is required to submit a “non-glitz” photograph with her applica-tion. The photograph will be used to judge “most photogenic” in each age division.

The pageant will consist of 60-second opening introductions of each contestant, an evening-gown portion and on-stage questions. For the younger divisions, 3- to 12-year-olds, the question will be the same. For the older divisions, contestants will pick their questions from a fish bowl.

The contestants will be judged on poise and grace on stage, natu-ral beauty, overall a p p e a r a n c e , introduction and the on-stage ques-tion. Judges will be from out of town.

“It’s not all about beauty,” organizer Brigittia Long said. “They need to be able to speak well and have confidence.”

Each girl will get a crown, T-shirt and goodie bag for partici-pating.

“If they have the courage to be there and compete, they should get something,” Hasting said.

“We feel like every child is a winner, so we want to give them a winning gift.”

This is the sixth annual Blueberry Festi-val, but Clay Keel, the events and market-ing manager for the winery, had wanted to do a blueberry pageant for the past few years.

“I thought, ‘What would I name them? Miss Keel and Curley? Everyone is usu-ally named after a state or city,” Long said. “Then I said, ‘We’re going to just do it, we’re going to give them a Blueberry Queen.’”

The Blueberry Queens will have to make an appear-

ance at the Blue-berry Festival,

April 27 and April 28.

S p o n s o r s that have stepped up to

give prizes in-clude Anna Ma-

ria Island Resort, Busciglio Smiles,

Kendall Nickerson Photography and Chili’s, but Long and Hasting are still look-

ing for more. Hasting and Long

both have daughters who participate in pag-eants. Long has been a

Miss USA Florida prelimi-nary director.

pageant patrol by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

New pageant in bloom The first annual Blueberry Pageant will be April 13.

Milee Hasting is the blueberry pageant spokesmodel.

LIVE SIGN UPSWHEN: 1 to 6 p.m. April 13; the first workshop for the pageant will be held Feb. 24.WHERE: Keel and Curley Winery, 5202 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant CityCOST: $40 INFO: You can also access the applica-tion online at keelandcurleywinery.com/ blueberryfestival/royalty/


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Celebrity chef to cook during United Food Bank fundraiser

cooking it up by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Join Whitney Miller, winner of the first America’s MasterChef competition, Feb. 15, at the Trinkle Center.

First United Food Bank Board Member, Brian West, has been a fan of FOX’s MasterChef cooking competition show since it pre-miered in 2010. When he picked his favorite contestant for the first season, Whitney Miller, he didn’t know that she would go on to take first prize despite being the youngest person on the show. So, when the board was brainstorming new chefs to bring in for the annual Food Bank fundraiser, For the Love of Food dinner Feb. 15, West sub-mitted Miller’s name.

“Whitney had made a name for herself from the TV show, and I have always been a fan of the show,” West said. “She is just a sweet country girl who has all the right values.”

Miller has done charity events for organizations such as the American Heart Association and the Multiple Sclerosis Associa-tion.

“It just sounds like such a good event,” Miller said. “I like to use my cooking talents in any way that I can, especially for charity events.”

Not realizing that Plant City was the winter strawberry capi-tal of the world until talking with board members and event orga-nizers, Miller decided to choose her strawberry cream-filled cup-

cakes as the showcase dish and the dessert. Miller will also be doing a demonstration of how to make strawberry snacks. The cupcakes are featured on the cover of her cookbook, “Modern Hospitality.”

Also on the menu is her bacon-wrapped sirloin steak, butter-milk pan-fried chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, carrot soufflé and jalapeno cornbread.

One of her most popular items, the buttermilk pan-fried chicken, has a special story. Dur-ing a challenge on MasterChef, Miller accidentally dropped the chicken and had to cook another one in just seven minutes.

“I think that’s what made me stand out to the judges,” Miller said. “They thought, ‘Whoa, if she could cook this in seven minutes, then that’s a big deal.’”

Miller said she tried to cook it again at home in seven minutes, but it didn’t turn out nearly as good as the miracle she pulled off on the show.

When she was on the show, Miller was a 22-year-old Uni-versity of Southern Mississippi senior. At the time, her major was dietetics, but she wanted to do more with food and less with the health industry. So, just two weeks before the casting call, she decided to audition for the show.

“I never thought about doing anything with TV, but it I wanted to do something in the food in-dustry,” Miller said.

During the month-and-a-half of filming, Miller was up against competitors with more experi-ence.

“It was mentally and physical-ly exhausting,” Miller said.

Her hardest challenge was to make a chocolate soufflé during a pressure challenge between her and another teammate. Whoever lost the challenge would be eliminated. Miller had never made a dessert soufflé, but, before she left for the com-petition, she memorized several recipes based on challenges she thought she might get. The souf-flé was one of them. The rest is history. She won the pressure challenge and stayed in the competition.

Since the competition, Miller has traveled all over the world, including China, South Africa and even the Sundance Film Festival, in Utah, to do cooking demonstrations, book signings and charity events.

The 25-year-old will also have a book signing at the United Food Bank Fundraiser.

Since the fundraiser started in 2009, it has increased the number of funds it raises every

year. Last year, the dinner raised about $53,000.

The food bank served 477 people last month and remains a charity staple in the Plant City community.

“The numbers are through the roof,” West said. “It’s just a great charity. There are people who come to the food bank who you’d never realize needed help. It’s very sobering.”

FOR THE LOVE OF FOODWhen: Feb. 15; cocktails at 7 p.m., dinner at 7:30 p.m.Where: Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park RoadTickets: $100 per individual, table sponsorships start at $800Contact: Gail Lyons, 813-659-2185, or Christine Miller, 813-757-9809

CourtesyWhitney Miller


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Payton Carlisle takes the plunge on the bouncy slide.

“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

Founding Publisher / Felix Haynes

Managing Editor / Michael Eng, [email protected]

Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, [email protected]

Associate Editors / (Community) Amber Jurgensen, [email protected]; (Sports) Matt Mauney, [email protected] Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, [email protected]; Ronda Kyler, [email protected]

Advertising Coordinator / Linda Lancaster, [email protected]

Accounting Manager / Petra Kirkland, [email protected]

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

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

Advertising Graphic Designers / Peter Carlson, [email protected]; 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

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TO ADVERTISECall Veronica Prostko or Ronda Kyler at 704-6850.

SEND US YOUR NEWSWe want to hear from

you. Let us know about your community events, celebrations and family member achievements. To contact us, send your information via: Email: Michael Eng, [email protected]

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

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CONTACT USThe Plant City Observer is published once weekly,

on Thursdays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City. The Plant City Observer also can be found in many commercial locations throughout Plant City and at our office, 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.

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� TAILORED WALK by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

A former Strawberry Queen makes a special appearance at the request of one buddy.

This hot-pink dress was a crowd favorite.

Every ‘buddy’s’ beautiful at eventThe Plant City High School

cosmetology department host-ed its annual Every Buddy’s Beautiful Fashion Show Friday, Feb. 1.

The department partnered with Exceptional Student Edu-cation students (ESE), who have

disabilities and are gifted, to put on the show. The audience roared with applause while ESE students sang popular songs, in-cluding “Thriller” and “You Are So Beautiful,” and strutted their stuff down the catwalk along-side their cosmetology buddies.

kids being kids by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Walden Lake students frolic at annual Eagle Extravaganza

Students at Walden Lake El-ementary played and socialized at the annual Eagle Extravaganza Carnival Friday, Feb. 1. Students jumped in bounce houses, navi-gated obstacle courses and played carnival-style games, including musical chairs and a ring toss.

Genesis Ramirez’s pink shirt matched the bouncy slide.The ring toss was one of Makinley Jensen’s favorite games.

Zachary Shinneman tries his hand at the bean-bag toss.

A student opens up the show with his rendition of “You Are So Beautiful.”


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COPS CORNERPLANT CITY

JAN. 8SHOPPING SPREE

500 block of East Devane Street. Resi-dential Burglary. Unknown person(s) entered a residence and stole a 32-inch Phillips TV, Bright House cable box and 10 pairs of women’s jeans. The property is valued at about $530.

MISSING WHEELS2800 block of James L. Redman Park-

way. Petit Theft. The victim locked up her bike and left it in the parking lot of a store. When she returned, she found unknown person(s) cut the lock and stole the bike. The bike was described as a girl’s purple Avalon bike, valued at $150.

NEW WARDROBE1500 block of East Baker Street. Retail

Theft. An unknown suspect removed three shirts, valued at $31.50, from the shelf and exited the store without paying for them. The suspect fled prior to police arrival.

FAST CASH500 block of Seminole Lake Boulevard.

Grand Theft. The victim advised the sus-pect made several ATM withdrawals, to-taling $800, from her account. The sus-pect admitted to making the withdrawals and was arrested.

DINE AND DASH3010 block of James L. Redman Park-

way. Defrauding an Innkeeper/Petit Theft. The server advised two male suspects ate dinner and left the business without pay-ing. The server confronted the males in the parking lot, and they refused to pay. The total cost of the meal was $45.

JAN. 9GUN GRAB

700 block of West Saunders Street. Ve-hicle Burglary/Theft of a Firearm. Some-time overnight, unknown suspect(s) en-tered an unlocked Ford SUV and stole a Cobra .38-caliber pistol.

ODD SELECTIONS 1500 block of East Calhoun Street.

Burglary. The victim stated unknown suspect(s) stole a washing machine and scuba equipment from his shed.

JAN. 10RIGHT OUT THE FRONT DOOR

2600 block of James L. Redman Park-way. Grand Theft. A white male walked out of the store with a large flat-screen TV without paying. When confronted by store personnel, the suspect fled in a U-Haul truck prior to police arrival.

QUICK STRIKEArea near Paul Buchman Highway and

Interstate 4. Theft. Unknown person(s) stole two weed-eaters and a hedge trim-mer from the victim’s work trailer, while he was cutting grass in the area. The prop-erty was valued at more than $300.

JAN. 11ONE FELL SWOOP

1700 block of Horseshoe Drive. Vehicle Burglaries. Unknown person(s) rum-maged through unlocked vehicles at the address and stole coins, a golf club, a folding knife with a four-inch blade and a multi-purpose tool from one of the ve-hicles. There was no damage to any of the vehicles.

GET YOUR GUN2600 block of Bridle Drive. Vehicle Bur-

glary. Unknown person(s) stole a Taurus 9 mm handgun from a vehicle at this loca-tion.

TV TROUBLE2000 block of South Frontage Road.

Grand Theft. A hotel employee reported a 42-inch LG flat-screen TV was missing from room 312.

POCKET PROTECTOR1900 block of West Reynolds Street.

Vehicle Burglary. Unknown suspect(s) entered a Chevrolet Silverado through an unlocked door and stole a Colt .45-caliber handgun from the storage pocket on the driver’s door.

SENSELESS ACT2610 block of Waver Street. Criminal

Mischief. Unknown suspect(s) threw a brick and a log at a vehicle parked at the residence and broke a window.

JAN. 12SYSTEM SHOCK

1100 block of West Warren Street. Ve-hicle Burglary. Unknown suspect(s) broke the driver’s-side window of the victim’s 1998 Dodge truck and stole the JVC stereo and an equalizer.

STEAL DIFFERENT510 block of East Dr. Martin Luther

King Jr. Boulevard. Business Burglary. Un-known person(s) entered the business by pushing in the A/C unit at the rear of the building. An Apple MacBook Pro, valued at $3,500, was stolen.

ABANDONED IN THE SHED1200 block of West Washington Street.

Found Firearm. A resident found a .22-caliber revolver in the outside shed.

THE OL’ SWITCHEROO

1860 block of James L. Redman Park-way. Stolen Vehicle and Recovery of Stolen Vehicle. An employee of an office supplies store parked his white 1999 Dodge Cara-van in the parking lot at 2:25 p.m. and discovered it stolen at 7:35 p.m. A 2000 Chrysler Town & Country van, listed as stolen by St. Petersburg Police Depart-ment, was located in the same parking space from which the Dodge was taken.

JAN. 13WORKOUT WOES

2400 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Vehicle Burglary. Unknown suspect(s) en-tered the victim’s unlocked vehicle while he was inside the gym and stole his wallet, which contained $200 in cash and credit and debit cards.

JAN. 13FASHION FAUX PAS

300 block of South Frontage Road. Trespass Complaint. A manager ad-vised that an unknown Hispanic male, wearing a wig, women’s un-derwear and sunglasses, had been seen inside a vacant room and was suspected to be sleeping in there. The male was gone upon the officer’s arrival.


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let it snow by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Photos by Amber Jurgensen

Knights students play it cool at festivalDespite the 70-degree weather, Saturday,

Jan. 26, the students of Knights Elementary enjoyed winter fun in the snow during their annual Winter Festival.

Snow machines misted the ground with flurries while students slid down a blow-up slide into a pool of fluffy white pow-der. Students cooled off with cotton candy and sno-cones, bowling and crafts. And, of course, no festival would be complete with-out a bounce house.

Kristina Cannoles loved the snow.Taylor Barfield gets crafty at one of the booths.

Alana Kicklighter cools off with a sno-cone.

Layla Marler gets trapped in the “jail.”

Cesar Cantellano gives his best throw.

Gerald Williams bowls a scoring ball.Friends Briana Green, Naarah Miller and Caitlynn Ralyea explore the festival together.


´³³´

The Plant City Observer has created quite a positive stir within the Plant City community. Through our activities with many local families, we hear nothing but praise for the local coverage. Everyone enjoys seeing the articles but also the many photographs — in color — that bring the paper to life every

week. Their efforts to reach us immediately with event coverage through social media is well received. The Plant City Observer is a great addition to our local way of keeping in touch with the happenings of the Plant City area.

JACK HOLLANDDirector, Plant City Recreation & Parks Department

WHY THE OBSERVER?

PLANT CITYObserverYou. Your Neighbors. Your Neighborhood.

ObserverPlant City. Longboat. East County. Sarasota. Pelican Press.

Longboat Observer and Sarasota Observer were named Local Media Association’s 2012 Newspapers of the Year. OMG has brought its AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM to Plant City.

³´

What I love about the Plant City Observer is that it is a great paper with big, vibrant, beautiful pictures and stories from the heart about great local hometown people. The local sports coverage is second to none and covers a variety of local sports. Best hometown newspaper ever.

RICHIE LONGReader

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“Banking on a First Name Basis”

The Greater Plant City Chamber of Com-merce installed its new officers and directors at the 31st Chairman’s Banquet Thursday, Jan. 31, at the HCC John R. Trinkle Center.

Interim Plant City Commissioner Billy Keel served as the emcee for the evening. Following dinner, outgoing Chairman Matt Buzza conducted the ceremonial passing of the gavel to 2013 Chairman Jim Scott, of Jarrett-Scott Ford.

Chamber installs its 2013 officers all business by Michael Eng | Managing Editor

2013 CHAMBERThe 2013 chamber board and direc-tors are: CHAIRMANJim Scott, Jarrett-Scott Ford CHAIRMAN-ELECTNate Kilton, Sedita Kilton and Company IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMANMatt Buzza, Platinum Bank TREASURERMichael Cameron, Cameron Financial Management ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCILPhil Waldron, Waldron Consulting Services MEMBERSHIP DIVISIONBrian West, Publix Super Markets Inc. COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS DIVISIONKeith Smith, Trinkle, Redman, Coton, Davis and Smith P.A. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS DIVISIONJanet Kelly, Rita Staffing DIRECTORSAaron Davis, Hillsborough Title Inc. Yvonne Fry, Lines of Communication Michael Gottesman, CenterState Bank Edwena Haney, Hopewell Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens Charles Harries, Holiday Inn Express and Suites Bradley Herremans, Suncoast Community Health Centers Pediatrics Vicki Houllis, Sunshine State Federal Savings and Loan Jason Jones, Advantage Restoration Inc.; Advantage Contracting LLC Gail Lyons, Regions Bank Steve Nierman, South Florida Baptist Hospital Michael Watkins, V&R Insurance

Photos by Michael EngJim Scott receives the gavel from outgoing Chairman Matt Buzza.

Above: Interim City Commissioner Billy Keel served as the emcee for the evening.Right: The new board and directors take the oath to work hard for the chamber and its members this year.

New Chairman Jim Scott, right, and the rest of the 2013 board of directors take the stage.


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The Tampa Bay Buc-caneers, in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools, held a pep rally with the Buccaneer cheerleaders and mascot Friday, Feb. 1, at Trapnell Elementary School.

The pep rally was the result of Trapnell’s par-ticipation in a program in which students and staff sold tickets to a Tampa Bay Bucs game. Five dol-lars from each ticket sold went back to the school, and the top 30 schools in sales were rewarded with a pep rally.

According to Principal Alan Black, students and staff sold about 130 tick-ets. Also, 60 students were carefully selected to take part in a football-skills camp after the pep rally.

“It’s a win-win situa-tion,” Black said. “It’s a great program for the Bucs and helps to bring money back to our school.”

Bucs pep rally comes to Trapnell Elementary

buc wild by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

Photos by Matt MauneyThe Bucs mascot, Capt. Fear, was a hit at the pep rally.

Emma Stephens improves her speed with an agility drill.

Cassie Kilcoyne was one

of two Buccaneers

cheerleaders at the pep

rally.

First-grader Amalia Deeson with Capt. Fear Tampa Bay Bucs cheerleader

Norie Miyata dances with students during a freeze-dance competition.

Karsyn Hadsall shined in the skills activities.

Alexandra Fryer shows off her agility duringthe skills camp.


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OBSERVEROBITUARIESMarian Annette ‘Ann’ Churchwell

Marian Annette “Ann” Churchwell, 77, of Plant City, died Jan. 21.

Mrs. Churchwell was born March 18, 1935, in Dover. She was an entrepreneur and owned

several businesses in her lifetime. She worked in real estate for more than 30 years and was most recently working for KP Realty in Plant City. She was a lifetime member of Mount Zion Assem-bly of God Church.

Mrs. Churchwell was a devoted and caring mother, grandmother, sister and friend.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey and Janell Walden.

She is survived by her daughter, Denise Wil-liams (Paul); son, Randall Churchwell; grandson, David Lupton and his fiancee, Jessica Osmanski; granddaughter, Alison Rousos (Greg); sister, Caro-lyn Churchwell; brothers, Joel Walden (Janette) and Roy Walden (Teala); and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice.

Online condolences may be made at wellsmemorial.com.

Willis Frank Ekhoff Willis Frank Ekhoff, 94, of Plant City, died Jan. 23, in

Brandon. Born Dec. 1, 1918, in Nokomis, Ill., he was the son of

the late Richard Ekhoff and Emma Bald Ekhoff. He was

the husband of Hazel Vaudine Ekhoff. Mr. Ekhoff was an entrepreneur and

had owned funeral homes, car lots, a nursery and orange groves. He had been a farmer and remained a farmer at heart.

Mr. Ekhoff served as a first sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, stationed in Okinawa, Ja-pan.

He was preceded in death by brothers Ralph Ekhoff and Harold Ekhoff.

Survivors include his wife, Hazel Vaudine Ekhoff; daughters, Carol Stock, Barbara Galiunas and Patricia Bailey; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchil-dren.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 20, at Haught Funeral Home, 708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City.

Online condolences may be made at haughtfuneral-home.com.

Daryle Wayne HallDaryle Wayne Hall, 50, of Plant City,

died Jan. 30.Born May 14, 1962, in Elkhart, Ind.,

he was the son of the late Niles Hall and Yvonne Woodworth Hall. He served in the U.S. Army from 1982 until 1984.

Mr. Hall is survived by his daugh-ter, Melanie Ann Brock; brothers, Jeff (Trish) and Randy (Shayne) Hall; and grandchildren,

Zachary Brock and Ethan Samson. A memorial service was held Saturday, Feb. 2, at

Haught Funeral Home Chapel, located at 708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Plant City.

Online condolences may be made to the family at haughtfuneralhome.com

Lloyd Aloysius Jarboe Lloyd Aloysius Jarboe, 84, of Plant City and Lupton,

Mich., died Jan. 29, at his home in Plant City. Born May 22, 1928, in Flint, Mich., he was the son of

the late Charles Jarboe and the late Winifred Brockriede Jarboe. He was the husband of Helen Frey Jarboe.

There are no local services planned. The family will be holding services when it returns to Michigan.

Online condolences may be made at haughtfuneral-home.com.

Ralph James ‘Ken’ Kendrick Ralph James “Ken” Kendrick, 90, of Plant City, died

Feb. 1. He was born Sept. 8, 1922, to the late Claude and Mae

Pelham Kendrick. Mr. Kendrick was a man of many interests and trades

throughout his life. He was a veteran of the United States Coast Guard, serving during World War II, and had been involved with insurance sales, accounting and had even spent time as a cashier and bagger at Publix. He was a member of Mount Zion Assembly of God Church, in Plant City.

Mr. Kendrick was the husband of Betty Hoppes Ken-drick.

He is survived by his son, Larry Kendrick; daughter, Denise Maloney; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

A funeral service with military honors was held Wednesday, Feb. 6, at Florida National Cemetery, 6502 S.W. 102nd Ave., Bushnell.

Online condolences may be made to the family at haughtfuneralhome.com

Frederick W. LudwigFrederick W. Ludwig, 88, died Jan. 26,

in Tampa. Mr. Ludwig was born April 8, 1924, in

New York. He served in the U.S. Navy for six years.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Wanda Ludwig; and daughter, Robin Craft.

He is survived by two sons, Fred Lud-wig II and Richard Ludwig; brother, Jim

Ludwig; seven grandchildren; and several great-grand-children.

Charles M. Stone Charles M. Stone, 90, of Plant City, died Jan. 21, sur-

rounded by family and friends. Mr. Stone was born Jan. 3, 1923, in Guilford, Conn., to

the late Eliot W. Stone and Beatrice Brusie. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1944.

Mr. Stone retired in 1979 to Florida after 20 years in the insurance business. He served in World War II, was a charter member of the Guilford VFW and a member of the Rotary Club, with 56 years of perfect attendance.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Bill, and sis-ter, Doris.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Margaret; sons, Leverett (Kathy), Wesley, Gary (Sally) and Greg; daugh-ter, Laurie; grandchildren, Christopher, Benjamin, Ja-mie, Kelly, Katie, Kyle, Danielle and Michael; and five great-grandchildren.

A private service will be held. In lieu of flowers, dona-tions may be made to the Arlington Academy of Hope, P.O. Box 7694, Arlington, Va., 22207. Online condolences may be offered at wellsmemorial.com.

I have a confession to make.I am a nerd.Not the kind who dresses up as a

Klingon and attends Star Trek con-ventions, but the kind who knows all 270 Division I college football pro-grams (including their mascots) and the MLB Cy Young award winners for the past 20 years.

That’s right, I’m a sports nerd. The kind of person who will watch bowling or competitive darts on TV instead of the latest hit reality series.

It’s what fuels what I do for a liv-ing.

In this business, you’re not sup-posed to play favorites.

Every team and every sport wants to be viewed as equal, but it’s against human nature not to play favorites.

I have an apprecia-tion and respect for all sports and cer-tainly try to give ev-ery sport and every team the coverage they deserve.

But, there is one sport that will al-ways hold a special place in my heart — baseball.

I played baseball, and it was also one

of my first beats as a reporter in col-lege. I grew up on Atlanta Braves baseball and remember summer nights spent tuned into TBS with the rest of the Southeast to watch the Braves and their historic run in the ’90s.

In addition to covering my college team and playing a year of club ball, I had an internship in college for which I was selected to scout play-ers and write features for Scout.com and FoxSports.com for the Savan-nah Sand Gnats, a minor-league af-filiate of the New York Mets.

I got to meet major-league players and future stars and spent almost every day that summer at the ball-park.

I already had a deep knowledge of the game, but seeing the day-to-day operations of a team, stadium and front office gave me even more in-sight into the game I love.

One of the most common argu-ments I hear against baseball is that the game is too slow.

I guess there might have been a point when I would agree with that, but I’ve developed such an appre-ciation and understanding of the game that I now can watch every pitch without looking away.

And I am not just talking profes-sional baseball, but also college, high school and youth ball.

Baseball is a wonderful game that is fascinating to watch and analyze. If you are one of those people who thinks it’s too slow and boring, I urge you to give it another chance. Go check out a game or practice of a local team or catch an MLB spring training game in a nearby city.

The family-type atmosphere you’ll find is greater than any other sport.

Go check it out. When it clicks, you’ll see what I mean.

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

SportsATHLETE OF

THE WEEKMazeed

Aro-Lambois a true student-

athlete. PAGE 18 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM

SHOW ME THE MAUNEY

MATTMAUNEY

Baseball will always hold a special place

I n sports, team chemistry is important.

In girls high school soft-ball, chemistry can be the single factor that separates a cham-pionship team from one that didn’t live up to its potential. Through a tragic loss last season, the softball team at Durant High School came together in a way many teams never experience, and the result was a historic state

championship run, the first in program history.

“The camaraderie is there. It’s hard to get 18 to 20 girls to get along, especially when half of them are going to be starters and half won’t,” says head coach Matt Carter. “I think they all truly get along. It’s a team and takes a team effort, and that’s what you have to focus on. We’ve been do-ing a good job of that so far.”

The Lady Cougars lost four se-niors and return four this season, including three — third baseman Kennedy Dean, catcher Alyssa Colding and pitcher Paige Da-vis — who were starters on last year’s title team.

They also return juniors right fielder Brooke Freeman, center fielder Shannon Bell, first base-man Kelli Tidwell and second baseman Payton Lewis.

“We’re just looking forward to coming back this year and being competitive with a good group of girls,” says Colding, who hit .325 with 11 RBIs last season. “We’re getting along really well and are practicing hard to just win as many games as we can.”

Carter will look to Davis, who was the ace for the Lady Cougars

SOFTBALL PREVIEW by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

NATURAL RIVALRIES by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

TARGETED COUGARS After an emotionally charged state championship run, the Durant softball

team seeks repeat magic with its returners and newcomers.

Matt MauneyDurant returns a solid group from last year’s state championship team. Back row: Kennedy Dean, Shannon Bell, Kelli Tidwell, Brooke Freeman and Alyssa Colding. Sitting: Paige Davis and Payton Lewis.

It may only be Febru-ary, but the buzz about fall’s high school football sea-son is at an all-time high. The Florida High School Asso-ciation approved the final 2013-14 and 2014-15 football state series assignments Jan. 25, after hearing appeals from member schools, following a tentative realignment, were released in December.

The FHSAA goes through a realignment process ev-ery two years, classifying schools based on student

population and geography. Although some districts in Hill-sborough County remain most-ly intact, others saw significant changes.

One that saw a dramatic shift is 7A District 8, which might as well be renamed to the Plant City District. The new five-team district will include all three area schools — Plant City, Durant and Strawberry Crest. Plant City and Durant have spent the last realignment cycle in 7A Dis-trict 8, along with East Bay and Brandon, but the next two years will bring a much different look when it comes to district play. The district loses 2012 run-

ner-up Newsome, along with Riverview. Both will make the move up to 8A District 6. East Bay and Brandon will remain in the district, with the addition of Strawberry Crest, which will be mov-ing up from 6A District 8. The Chargers spent the last two years competing with perennial powers Armwood, Hillsborough and Sickles, along with King and Jefferson — which have had competitive teams in the past. SCHS went 4-6 last season after winning just one game its first year in the district.

John Kelly, who will enter his

Football coaches reflect on realignment Class 7A District 8 now includes five teams, including all three area schools.

7A DISTRICT 8 FOOTBALL • Brandon• Durant• East Bay• Plant City Strawberry Crest Note: Changes will take effect for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

SEE FOOTBALL / PAGE 16

SEE SOFTBALL / PAGE 16


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second year with the Chargers this fall, said that although the realignment ul-timately doesn’t have an effect on per-formance, it should help the program from a geographic and community standpoint.

“It’s one of those things that’s out of your hands and you have to line up and play whoever is across from you,” Kelly said. “But, being able to play teams closer to us and to have a district composed of mostly eastern Hillsbor-ough teams is a neat thing.”

Strawberry Crest will also be moving from a seven-team district to a five-team district, which means more non-district games and a district schedule that carries even more weight, with just four district games deciding which two teams move on to regionals.

“It’s an interesting situation because there is a higher percentage of your team making the playoffs, but the per-centage of error goes up,” Kelly said.

The move should also benefit Du-rant, the back-to-back 7A District 8 champion. Newsome, the runner-up last season, eliminated the Cougars in the region semifinals, snapping their 11-0 record. With Newsome now in 8A, Durant will be one of the favorites out of the district and region.

According to head coach Mike Gott-man, the Cougars can’t take any game lightly, especially district games and what looks to be a brutal non-district schedule that could have Durant fac-ing teams such as Armwood, Hillsbor-ough, Tampa Bay Tech and a heated rivalry with Newsome.

“The district will be wide open, but we’re pleased where we’re at,” he said. “We have to get ready to play the bet-ter teams in Hillsborough County and hopefully stay healthy through those non-district games.”

According to Plant City head coach Wayne Ward, the new district will be

a positive thing for his football team and the Plant City community. Durant and Brandon are already archrivals for the Raiders, and with the addition of Strawberry Crest, he said it should make for an interesting two years.

“We’ve got a lot of good teams in this district,” Ward said. “Durant is still the top dog, and bringing in Straw-berry Crest creates a rivalry all the way through the district. I feel like it’s pretty even across the board and anybody can win on any given night.”

Ward is no stranger to competitive districts. When he played for the Raid-ers, Plant City was in a district consid-ered by many to be the toughest in the state, if not one of the toughest in the nation.

“We had Plant City, Brandon, Lake-land, Riverview (Sarasota), Manatee (Bradenton) and Southeast (Braden-ton),” he said. “Nine times out of 10 the team that came out of that district went on to win the state title. There were no let-down games when it came to that district.”

With just four district games decid-ing postseason fates, there certainly won’t be any “let down” games for area teams the next two years.

FOOTBALL / FROM PAGE 15

pitching staff last season, to fill that role again as a senior. Davis pitched 181 of the 193 in-nings last season and finished with a 2.44 ERA and a 22-4 record.

“I wasn’t surprised by our success, but I was a little shocked at the way we kept com-ing back,” Davis says of her team’s late-inning heroics.

Those come-from-behind wins propelled Durant through the postseason, beginning in the 8A District 7 tournament championship against Alonso, in which the Lady Cougars battled back from an 11-0 deficit to win 15-14. Durant went on to come back in the region quarters and semis against East Lake and Palm Harbor University before shutting out Tim-ber Creek 2-0 in the region finals and beating Mandarin 7-2 in the Final Four.

In the state championship, Du-rant fell behind 2-0 in the first in-ning before going on to an 8-2 win. According to many of the Durant players, that inspiration to push through came from above. On May 4, just a week before the Lady Cougars began the state playoffs, Antoinette Cuellar, “Momma C,” lost her battle with breast cancer. Cuellar’s daughter, Olivia, was a senior short-stop for Durant.

“She was our guardian angel and we played every game for her,” Davis says.

When it comes to defending their title, the current Durant seniors say they don’t feel any added pressure.

“We just love to play the game, so we just take it when it comes and take one game at a time,” says Dean, who led the team with three home runs last season, along with Tidwell. After losing three starters, Carter says there will be some position changes, but says that there is plenty of offensive talent, so a defensive spot may be made to add more offensive firepower.

“You’ve got to have hits,” he says. “You can’t put the best defense out there, but, if you don’t score runs, you’re not going to win. There’s some changes out there, but everybody is ad-justing really well.”

Durant’s title defense began Tuesday, with a season opening win at East Bay.

OVERVIEWPLANT CITY Coach: Amanda Sawyer2012 record: 17-6Postseason: Runner-up in 7A District 8; lost to Bartow in regional quarterfinalsTop players returning: SS Kristen Wyckoff (Sr.), LF Nan Lawson (Sr.), 2B Kacie Booth (Jr.)Outlook: First-year head coach Amanda Sawyer inherits a young, but talented, team that made a regionals appearance last year. The Lady Raiders are heavy on both sides of youth and experience with seven freshmen and five seniors on the 17-player squad. Plant City will be young in the pitching department with sophomore Noelle Dietrich and freshman Alexis Williams. Wyckoff returns for her senior season and will cer-tainly be an essential part of the offense. The South Florida commit had a .592 bat-ting average and stole 42 bases last season, which was fourth in the state. Lawson and Booth will both be other keys to success, according to Sawyer.

STRAWBERRY CREST Coach: Mindy Miltner2012 record: 18-6Postseason: Lost in district semifinalsTop players returning: C Mia Fung (Jr.), SS Megan Reed (Jr.), 1B Savannah Bradley (Sr.), CF Cacey Simmons (Jr.), P Sammy Tyler (Jr.), P/OF Jordan Bowers (Jr.), 3B Trystan Reibsome (Jr.) Outlook: A program on the rise since its first season in 2010, Strawberry Crest went 18-6 overall and 9-1 in 6A District 11 last year, before being upset in the district tour-nament semifinals by Leto. Every player from that team returns this season, as the Lady Chargers go for a deep postseason run. The Lady Chargers hit .443, as a team, in 2012, being led by Reibsome (.537), Reed (. 493), Bowers (.492) and Bradley (.483).

SOFTBALL / FROM PAGE 15

Strawberry Crest will benefit from a better geographical alignment. The Chargers had to travel to Sickles last season, a three-hour round-trip.

File photo


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The 2013 high school baseball season should be a memorable one. Durant and Strawberry Crest are both coming off above .500 seasons, while Plant City ushers in a new era under head coach Mike Fryrear. There’s plenty of talent to go around, as well, with this crop of area teams, most notably Durant pitcher and third baseman Tyler Danish, a Uni-versity of Florida commit and a pro-jected first- or second-round MLB draft pick.

DURANT COACH: Butch ValdesYEAR AT SCHOOL: Eighth; fifth as head coach 2012 RECORD: 16-10DISTRICT RECORD: 5-5 in 8A District 7TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: RHP/INF Ty-ler Danish (Sr.); RHP/OF Luke Heyer (Jr.); LHP/1B Chaz Fowler (Sr.); OF Paxton Sims (Jr.)OUTLOOK: There’s no doubting that Danish will be the ace of the Cou-gars’ staff this season. Already com-mitted to Florida, Danish can con-sistently throw in the low 90s and possesses good off-speed pitches. Danish will replace Trey Oest (0.48 ERA), now at the University of Virginia. Durant will also have to replace catch-er John Coglianese. In addition to Dan-ish, the Cougars will return Fowler, who logged 31.1 innings in 2012 with a 1.56 ERA in 14 appearanc-

es. Heyer had a breakout sophomore campaign last season at the plate, hitting .384 with eight RBIs and sev-en runs scored.“Our goal this year is a state title,” says Valdes, who has guided the Cou-gars to the regionals three out of the four years as head coach. “Keys to do that include execution and team chemistry.”

PLANT CITY COACH: Mike FryrearYEAR AT SCHOOL: First year2012 RECORD: 12-14DISTRICT RECORD: 4-6 in 7A District 8TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: RHP/3B Kev-in Long (Sr.); 2B/INF Sergio Garcia (Sr.); LHP/RF Nick Robriguez (Sr.); CF/RHP Mike Wells (Jr.); UTL Zach Mondoux (Jr.) OUTLOOK: Fryrear was hired last sum-mer and wasted no time better-ing the program at PCHS. On top of getting the field and facilities in top-notch conditions, Fryrear has brought a hard-working and pride-ful attitude to the program, with the goal of creating an “all-around pro-gram,” both in the classroom and on t h e field.

“Our team motto this year is ‘yet?’” Fryrear says. “What have we done yet as a program, community and a teammate in the base-

ball program? Our goal is simple: Rep-resent our family, school and com-munity with being

accountable, prideful and acting professionally and as young men.”

The Raiders have plenty of talent returning, including Long, who hit .438 as a junior. Garcia will hit in the two hole or in the middle of the or-der, according to Fryrear, while Ro-driguez will be a leader on the team as captain. Wells and Mondoux are two athletic and versatile players who will also be keys for success.

STRAWBERRY CREST COACH: Eric BeattieYEAR AT SCHOOL: Fourth year2012 RECORD: 14-10DISTRICT RECORD: 5-5 in 6A District 11TOP RETURNING PLAYERS: RHP/1B Tan-ner Thompson (Sr.); RHP Ben Welch (Jr.); OF Flabio Garcia (Jr.); 2B Nick Brocato (Sr.)OUTLOOK: The Chargers en-ter their fourth year under Be-attie after their first winning season in program history. SCHS lost a handful of pitchers to graduation, including All-County selection Matthew Lemons (1.52 ERA, .333 BA) and will be without 2012 leading hitters Jose Molina (.377) and Jordan Fameree (.318). Thompson and Welch will likely fill those key spots lost on the mound, while Beattie expects Garcia and Brocato to also have strong seasons. For Beattie, the key to success will be staying healthy and focusing on the process.“If we focus on the process, good re-sults will follow,” he says. “That cov-ers pitching, defense, offense and a good mental approach.”

BASEBALL PREVIEW by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

Coaches set high expectations for 2013Two schools are coming off winning seasons while another has a new coach who wants to put the program back on the winning track.

SIDELINESRUNNINGThe Strawberry Dash and Strawberry Distance Challenge

The 5K run/walk Distance Challenge kicks off at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 9, at Walden Lake followed by the Strawberry Dash at 8:15 a.m.

To register, visit strawberrydistancechallenge.com. Race-day registration will begin at 6:30 a.m.

Each participant registered by Jan. 30 will receive an official 2013 Strawberry Distance Challenge Dri-FIT shirt. Additional shirtsmay be purchased for friends and family, if available.

Medals will be awarded for the overall male and female, overall masters male and female (40 and older) and for the top-three finishers in each age group (11 and under to 70-plus).

SOCCERYouth Soccer registration open until Feb. 13

Registration is under way for the Plant City Recreation and Parks Department/Optimist Club Youth Soccer Program and its 37th season of play.

All area youths ages 4 to 18 are eligible to participate in 11 age groups: co-ed 4, co-ed 5, co-ed 6, co-ed 7; boys 8 to 9; girls 8 to 9; boys 10 to 11; girls 10 to 11; boys 12 to 14; girls 12 to 14; and co-ed 15 to 19). Age is determined as of July 1, 2013, with a birth certificate required.

More than 1,200 players participated on 100 teams last season. They played games at the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex. The season is late March through the end of May, with games mostly on Saturdays for the 4 to 11 age groups and weeknights for the older age groups.

The $35 registration fee covers all expenses, including jersey and supplemental accident insurance.

Registrations will be accepted by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, by mail or in person at the Recreation and Parks administration office, 1904 S. Park Road, Plant City.

For more information, contact youth athletics coordina-tor Danny Smith at [email protected] or 813-659-4200, Ext. 4313.


Number of area high school football players who signed letters of intent on National Signing Day Wednesday. Players

include: DL Devyn Salmon (Plant City/Michigan State), DL Quentin Robinson (Plant City/Ridgewater College), DL Tranard Styles (Plant City/Ridgewater), WR Dontavius “Tae” Johnson (Plant City/Ridgewater), LB Chris Smith (Durant/Florida A&M) and Karel Hamilton (Strawberry Crest/Samford). Durant FB Jamarlon Hamilton (FAMU) and Plant City OL Seth Crowell (Florida Tech/Miami preferred walk-on) are both pending commitments.

O B S E RV E R C RO S S WO R DEdited by Timothy E. Parker

CRYPTOGRAMS

1. P A R L T E Z L E K P J P Q U W I R B E C R L U L C , C B L Q R L T E Z L E K P A L

W I R B E C R L U P J L .

2. Q L J L N C E Z L K P A L C F F X L N P F D X K I . R B I Q F C B E J L E U F F O

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a sound 6 Blender speed 10 Modify 15 Eve’s hubby 19 Tequila plant 20 Shake in the grass? 21 Soviet currency 22 Fly alone 23 Bee secretion 25 Congestion

problem 27 Word with “bear”

or “sand” 28 ___-day sucker 29 How low you can

go 31 Ancient Greek

theaters 32 Coral reef creature 34 Did half the

entertaining? 35 Brownish songbird 36 Coconut meat 38 Ape 39 Electric-motor part 43 Separate the

strands of, as rope 44 Teacher’s favorite 45 “A Few Good Men”

star Demi 47 Boston Tea Party

issue 48 Typesetter’s “leave

it in” 49 “Do-Re-Mi” scale 51 Maryland food

specialty 53 Snake dancers of

the Southwest 54 Head-scratching

question 56 Gradually expand 57 Tornado-riding dog 58 Makes a choice 59 Furniture buildup 61 Depletes, as of

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curiosity 92 Bake, as eggs 94 “___ you with me?” 95 Less damp 96 Army meal buddy 100 CBer’s sign-offs 102 “___ and Ivory”

(McCartney-Wonder song)

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104 Has hands-on experience?

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game!” 38 Cat’s plaint 39 Object in a quiver 40 Ideal place to live

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fish 93 Agile ruminant 95 Cub Scout division 97 Rapid 98 Wine press residue 99 Country song? 101 Bastille Day party

site 104 Colored warning

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using notes? 110 Min. segments 111 Parched 113 Get together 114 Makes a blunder 116 Hatchling from a

green egg 118 Horse course 119 Brown truck co.

SPREAD IT ON THICK by Rob Lee

3

CROSSWORD_020713

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

JUST THE STATS

6

What do you like most about soccer?I’m a forward, so scoring goals is definitely one of the

best feelings. Also, playing with my teammates. The bond we have on and off the field is strong, so spending time

with them is a great experience.

Looking back, what are some memories you will take with you?

When I came here in 2009, it was a brand-new school, so I had a chance to

be a part of a program from the ground up. During these past four years, I’ve seen

the program improve as a whole, and I’ve had the chance to set a few records, such

as scoring the first goal in school history; first hat trick; and the most goals. All the seniors,

Tarek, Noah, Patrick, Rahul and Ernesto, have seen this pro-gram grow as a whole.

How did your scholarship with Northwestern come to fruition?

I applied through this program called Quest Bridge. Their goal is to link low-income students with high-ranked colleg-es. I started applying early and found out that I got a full ride to Northwestern around late November, early December. I didn’t really have the chance to look at many other offers, so I knew where I was going pretty early, and I was fine with that.

What did you do when you found out you had the offer?I started researching the school like crazy, and I’ve been

doing as much research as I can. Every time I get something in the mail from them, I just get really excited. As soon as I got the letter, the next day I ordered a bunch of gear.

Do you plan to play soccer at Northwestern?I got in contact with the coach there, and I’m going to try

and walk on. They are in the Big-10, so I know it will be a challenge, but I’m excited.

MAZEED ARO-LAMBOAfter moving to Florida from Brooklyn, N.Y., when he was 7 years old, Mazeed Aro-Lambo

became involved in karate and soccer after school. His mother urged him to pick one to stick with, and he has been playing soccer ever since. Aro-Lambo recently wrapped up his senior season with the Strawberry Crest soccer team; he led the Chargers with 18 goals. His focus now is academics — he is near the top of his class. The senior has a full academic scholarship to Northwestern University where he plans to major pre-med.

File photoPlant City's Devyn Salmon (55) made his longtime commitment to Michigan State official Wednesday.

Number of Strawberry Crest boys basketball players who recorded double figures in the Chargers’ 75-51 win

against Lennard in the regular season finale. Malik Channer led SCHS with 19 points, while Devin Diggs had 15, and Karel Hamilton scored 11.

3Points the Durant High School

Wrestling team scored at the Class 3A District 6 tournament Saturday. The Cougars finished second overall behind host Brandon High.

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LV48

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PENS MUGS SHIRTS BAGS HATS AWARDS PINS ETC...


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Plant City Observer 02.07.13

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Transcript of Plant City Observer 02.07.13