Plant City Observer 08.16.12

Crossword.......... 15 Opinion.................8 Obituaries.......... 12 Sports................ 13INDEX Vol. 1, No. 7 | One section

PlantCityObserver.com

Plant City commissioners approved Aug. 13, an interlo-cal agreement that would send the city’s solid waste to the Polk County landfill.

The agreement would save the city an estimated $129,000 annually, compared to its month-to-month contract with its current vendor, City Manager Greg Horwedel said. It carries a 10-year term, with the possibil-ity of another 10-year extension.

Plant City’s rate would be $34.16 per ton, reflecting a 10% discount on Polk County’s gate rate of $37.95 per ton. Plant City currently collects 34,000 tons, annually. The agreement also includes Plant City paying $15,000 annually to assume the additional risk of disposing of the city’s waste. The new agree-ment will allow the city to keep its existing sanitation fee struc-ture in place for the next fiscal year, Horwedel said.

SEE COMMISSION / PAGE 6

Plant.CityOKs.wastedisposal.agreementIf.approved.by.Polk.County.commissioners.next.week,.the.city.will.begin.sending.its.solid.waste.to.the.Polk.landfill.in.October.

trash talk By MIchael Eng | Managing.Editor

Former Florida Senate Presi-dent Tom Lee emerged victori-ous following a bitter campaign trail against state Rep. Rachel Burgin for the Florida Senate District 24 seat.

Lee garnered 14,887 votes, compared to Burgin’s 10,203.

“We’re really excited,” Lee said during his party Aug. 14, at the Brandon Chamber of Com-merce. It’s been the most nega-

tive campaign I’ve been involved in. I tried to run on my résumé, public service and experience.

“But the voters have spoken, and they have rewarded that message with a large victory,” he said.

Burgin, a Plant City native, called her campaign a grassroots effort and painted herself as the small-town conservative pitted against a Tallahassee mainstay.

Lee, a Brandon-based home-builder with his family’s com-pany, Sabal Homes, served in the Senate from 1996 to 2006. He said jumping back into politics proved challenging.

“When you’ve been out of of-fice for six years, you have the challenge of reintroducing your-self to voters in 80 days,” he said.

Lee bests Burgin for District 24Republican Tom Lee will face Democrat Elizabeth Belcher and write-in candidate Randolph Link in November’s general election.

election By Michael Eng and Amber Jurgensen

Amber.Jurgensen

Former.Senate.President.Tom Lee.celebrated.his.victory.with.his.wife,.Laurel.Moore.Lee. SEE ELECTION / PAGE 6

FREE • ThuRsDAy, AuGusT 16, 2012

TOPSoccer.program.preps.for.another.successful.season.PAGE.13.

SPORTSNEIGhBORChristine.Miller.takes.the.reinsat.local.food.bank.PAGE.4

PLANT CITYObserveryou. youR nEIGhBoRs. youR nEIGhBoRhooD.

+ Archives to host photo contest

Attention.shutterbugs:.The.Plant.City.Photo.Archives.&.History.Center.is.hosting.a.photo.contest.as.part.of.its.Plant.City.Sculptures.Exhibit.

To.enter,.snap.a.photo.of.you.and/or.your.friends.with.one.of.the.eight.life-sized.bronze.seward.Johnson.sculp-tures.created.on.display.in.and.near.McCall.Park..Bring.an.8-by-10-inch.or.8.1/2-by-11-inch.print.of.the.photo.to.the.center,.106.S..Evers.St..

The.contest.is.open.from.Aug..17.through.Sept..5..Photos.will.be.displayed.in.the.Photo.Archives.through.September..The.first-,.second-.and.third-place.winners.will.be.determined.by.popular.vote;.so.tell.your.family.and.friends.to.come.in.and.cast.a.ballot.for.your.photos.

Winners.will.be.announced.at.5.p.m..Sept..7,.at.the.cen-ter..

Entry.forms.and.ballots.are.available.at.the.center..Maps.of.the.sculpture.locations.are.also.available.at.the.center,.the.Plant.City.Chamber.of.Commerce.and.at.the.train.depot.adjacent.to.McCall.Park.

For.more.information,.call.754-1578.

+ Network offersback-to-school bash

The.Network.of.East.Hillsborough.Neighborhoods.will.host.a.back-to-school.bash.from.noon.to.5.p.m..Aug..18,.at.the.network.center,.6369.E..Alexander.St.,.Plant.City.

The.event.will.feature.a.beauty.pageant.with.awards.for.best.smile.and.hair,.an.anti-bullying.puppet.show,.bucket.drumming,.and.free.screenings.for.memory,.blood.

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MusicMakersSPOTLIGHT By Michael Eng | Managing.Editor

Strawberry.Crest’s.Liz.Trader.listened.carefully.to.instructions.during.drills.

Plant.City.sousaphone.player.Kevin.Li worked.diligently.on.the.most.difficult.parts.of.his.music.

FOR.MORE.PHOTOS,.SEE.PAGE.10Durant.xylophone.player.Adam hogue has.some.tough.music.this.year.

The biggest bands in Plant City all took to the fields during band camp last week.

The marching bands at Durant, Plant City and Strawberry Crest are spending the last days of summer creat-ing and perfecting their

halftime marching band performances for the fall season.

In addition to per-forming at home and away football games, the bands also participate in a variety of competi-tions throughout the region.

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PlantCityObserver.com 3 Plant city observerTHURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012

The competition will have to ‘moo-ve’ over for the Tomlin Mid-dle School chapter of the Future Farmers of America. Ten of the school’s FFA members are headed to Indianapolis to represent Flori-da at the 2012 National FFA Con-vention.

In June, the parliamentary pro-cedure team won the state title in both the FFA middle school parliamentary procedure contest and the FFA middle school open-ing and closing ceremony con-test. The first-place title allows the team to move to the national level in October, when it will compete in the invitational novice-parlia-

mentary-procedure competition event. Fifty-thousand FFA del-egates will be present.

“It’s just an honor to represent our state,” officer Anna Conrad said. “To be the first chapter to represent Florida and compete — we’re just so excited.”

During the state competition, Conrad was a secretary during the business meeting portion. She was responsible for taking minutes as well as making her own motions. The eighth-grader also has competed in forestry and shows livestock at a variety of festivals and trade shows. She is home-schooled, so she can com-

pete as much as possible. “It can be difficult sometimes,

because of the personality of the animal you get,” Conrad said. “It’s the luck of the draw.”

Conrad likes showing cattle best and just got her first steer, which she will show at the 2013 Strawberry Festival. Her family owns Rocking S Farms, a beef cat-tle operation.

“It’s what my family has always raised and what I care for on a daily basis,” Conrad said.

Haley Riley, Conrad’s team-mate, also agrees that raising and showing livestock is hard work. Riley and her brother are raising a pig to be shown at the Hillsbor-ough County Fair. She has a heifer, which is her first cow, and may get a steer for the Strawberry Festival.

“It’s very time-consuming,” Ri-ley said. “I wanted to do sports, but I knew I had to commit time to this or else the animals won’t listen.”

Both girls agree that being part of the FFA is a great learning expe-rience and good times spent with friends.

“To say I won a contest with some of my best friends is some-thing I’m proud of,” Conrad said. “I think that’s one of the reasons we came out on top. We have such

a great bond. I didn’t want it to be over after state so it’s exciting to be competing again.”

Tomlin’s team is seeking dona-tions to help cover costs for the national competition. To donate, contact Stephanie Conrad, (813) 393-8695, Wesley Joyner, (813) 505-8227, or Yvonne Fry, (813) 763-1154.

Contact Amber Jurgensen at [email protected].

Banking options in Plant City are growing.

MidFlorida Credit Union, 2903 James L. Redman Park-way, had a soft opening in early August and will have its grand opening Friday.

The Plant City branch joins several other new branches that opened this year, includ-ing locations in Davenport and Brandon.

MidFlorida is a community credit union that serves people who live or work in an area branch location.

“We have been looking for a location in Plant City for a while,” said Lesley Cook, mar-keting assistant with MidFlor-ida who handles grand open-ings of new branches.

“The Plant City branch was a way for us to connect the dots, so to speak,” Cook said. “This is a way to provide service to peo-ple who live in Plant City and might work near some of our other branches, or vice versa.”

MidFlorida offers traditional banking needs, such as check-ing and savings accounts, along with loans and credit, mortgages and investments.

Joining MidFlorida on James L. Redman Parkway will be Florida Traditions Bank, which should open by the first of the year.

Florida Traditions is a com-munity-oriented bank that currently has five branches open throughout central Flor-ida and the greater Tampa Bay area. The bank first opened with a branch in Dade City in December 2007 and has been growing since, with locations in Zephyrhills, Spring Hill, Winter Haven and Lakeland. The new branch is one the company has had in its plans for years.

“Plant City was always on our target screen,” CFO Mike Ward said. “We look for com-munities that embrace com-munity banking, and we saw that in Plant City.”

The Plant City location will be the bank’s first in Hillsbor-ough County, but Ward expects the business will continue to grow. It will be similar to the existing locations, including drive-through lanes, a drive-up ATM and full-service banking.

Contact Matt Mauney at [email protected].

Hoke Minton rocks long hair and rides a mean motorcycle.

Little would an outsider know this tough guy har-bors a soft spot for those in need — and was the man behind a poker run benefit

Aug. 11 to benefit his former mother-in-law, Carole Perry, who has breast cancer.

Hundreds of family mem-bers and friends rode hogs and Harleys bar to bar dur-ing last weekend’s event. The six stops trailed from Seffner and ended in Plant City, where the motorcycle

madness continued at Minton’s house. Pink shirts were every-where, and Minton even painted his bike pink.

“That’ll be the last time you see it pink,” Minton says. “I’m not all about the pink. I’m not a pink bike-riding kinda guy.”

Perry, known to her family and friends as “Maw Maw,” was sur-prised at the turnout. She origi-nally didn’t want a benefit in her name.

“It really blesses my heart, and I’ve had a lot of people tell me they’re praying for me,” she says.

The first benefit Minton did was for his former wife, who died in a

car accident. Last weekend’s event was his second benefit. A fam-ily has since approached him on having a third for their 2-year-old girl, who is sick.

“I love it,” Minton says. “I love doing stuff for people and helping them. You’re probably going to see me doing it more and more.”

Minton is looking into getting a non-profit license so he also can get donations from businesses.

Perry lives in Brandon; Minton owns A & A Mobile RV Service in Plant City.

“We just wanted to try and sup-port her,” Minton says. “She’s a kind woman who helps every-one.”

Contact Amber Jurgensen at [email protected].

Tomlin miDDle membeRS2012 Parliamentary Procedure team membersAnna Conrad, officermeredith DelCastillo, officerClayton Joyner, officerParker Killebrewethan PerilloColton Smith

additional 2011-2012 office team membersAli bakerArie Frye

Banking options grow in Plant City

midflorida Grand oPeninGWHen:10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 17WHere: 2903 James l. Redman Parkwaydetails: Door prizes, free food, bingo and raffles

midFlorida Credit Union will celebrate its grand opening Friday. Florida Traditions bank should be open by the beginning of 2013.

DePoSiTS by matt mauney | Staff Writer

Haley Riley ethan Vaughan

tomlin middle ffa earnsspot in national competition

‘steer’ crazy by amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer

Members of the Tomlin’s FFA are excited to be competing at the national level in October.

Amber Jurgensen

anna conrad is excited to represent Florida.

STRAWbeRRY CReST FFA SeeKS DonATionSThe Strawberry Crest elton Hinton FFA chapter also will be compet-

ing at the national FFA Convention.The team won first place in Agriculture issues at the 84th Florida

FFA State Convention.Team members include morgan Gaudens, mcKenzie Greene,

lindsey Killebrew, danielle mayo, rachelle sapp and richelle sapp.They are seeking donations to cover travel expenses and registra-

tion. Anyone wishing to donate should send a check, payable to Strawberry Crest FFA Alumni, to 4720 Gallagher Road, Plant City, Fl 33565.

moToRCYCle mADneSS by amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer

Hoke minton said his bike won’t stay pink for long.

left: carole ‘maw maw’ Perry with her six grandchildren: Kayla Perry, nathan Perry, ryan lampp, emily minton and Jesse Perry. emily is Hoke minton’s daughter.

Hoke minton hosted a poker run ride for a family member with breast cancer.

Riding for a Reasoneven the little ones par-ticipated in the event.


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Christine Miller current-ly is pursuing her second degree in nursing as a way to fulfill her desire to make a difference and help people.

When the opportunity came to potentially take over as the new director of the United Food Bank of Plant City, Miller jumped at the chance.

“I was at a point in my

life where I decided that I wanted to make a differ-ence every day in the task that I’m doing, and that’s why I pursued nursing,” she says. “When I explored the option of the position here at the food bank, I found it really lined up with all of the goals I was hoping to get.”

Miller took the position Aug. 2 from interim direc-

tor and longtime volunteer Jim Chancey, who will take a step back to spend more time with his family. The United Food Bank of Plant City has been without a full-time director since 2011.

When presented with the opportunity, Miller discovered it included all the aspects she was seeking — helping people, being

able to work with the local community and even an element of education, by teaching people about the programs that are available through the food bank.

“One of the new goals of the board is to increase the community awareness of the food bank,” she says. “That will be my main goal, as well.”

Miller hopes to get schools and local business-es involved, teaching them how they can help with the food bank’s efforts.

The food bank served about 18,000 people in 2011 and hopes to expand further its outreach in the community.

Miller said in recent years, the “face of the hun-gry has changed,” and the food bank wants to reach out to those who may be new to that type of assis-tance program.

“A lot of people don’t know we exist, because they’ve never needed it before,” she says. “That’s

definitely one thing that we’ll be focusing on.”

Miller has called Plant City home for more than 10 years. Her husband, Les, is a longtime Plant City resident, and the two bought land for their home in 2000.

Miller will shadow Chancey for the first few weeks to get adjusted into the position.

“He’s done such a great job, and I just want to take as much from him as I can,” she says. “I just want to carry on the good work that he’s done, and that’s evi-dent from walking around the facility and talking with the people here.”

Miller plans to continue pursuing her second degree at night in the licensed practical nurse program at Erwin Technical Center in Tampa. She also holds a degree in economics from the University of Massa-chusetts, which she earned in 1995.

— Matt Mauney

Christine Miller

The new director of the Plant City United Food Bank hopes to increase awareness of programs available, as well as continue efforts to help in the local community.


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The children of Walden Lake got one last taste of summer during a pool party Aug. 9, at the Walden Lake Golf and Country

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ry-age kids were drawn from their pool games by the smell of hot dogs

and hamburgers that wafted through the air.

Each child received a balloon and a pen-cil pouch filled with school supplies such as erasers and pencils. The back-to-school pool party was hosted by the Walden Lake Community Association. Use of the pool was donated by the Walden Lake Golf and Country Club.

ONE LAST SPLASH

POOL PARTY by amber Jurgensen | Staff Writer

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“It’s hard to come off the side-lines and get back in the game.”

In July, the campaign turned ugly when a group called The American People Committee mailed a flier that attacked Lee’s family and linked him to Rob Turner, Hillsborough County’s embattled property appraiser who admitted to sending por-nography to his officer’s former Human Resource Director Caro-lyn Fillippone.

Burgin denied accusations she supported financially The American People Committee.

Lee now will face Democrat Elizabeth Belcher and write-in candidate Randolph Link in No-vember’s general election.

COUNTY RACESTurner’s indiscretions proved

too damaging for his career, as Republican Ronda Storms trounced him in Tuesday’s pri-mary for Hillsborough County property appraiser.

Storms received 70.14% (39,039) of the vote, compared to Turner’s 16,617. She now will face Democrat Bob Henriquez and independents James DeMio and Rob Townsend.

For Hillsborough County Commission District 6, Republi-can Margaret Iuculano narrowly defeated Don Kruse, 26,185 to 23,830. She now will face incum-bent Democrat Kevin Beckner.

Democrat Craig Latimer won the primary for Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections over opponent Thomas Scott, 22,354 to 19,968. Latimer will face state Rep. Rich Glorioso, a Plant City resident.

Because she did not receive more than 50% of the vote, Hills-

borough County School Board District 7 incumbent Carol Kur-dell will face Terry Kemple in a runoff Nov. 6.

JUDGESIn the four judge elections,

Mark Wolfe defeated Plant City’s Johnnie Byrd for the 13th Judi-cial Circuit Court Judge, Group

14; Ann Ober won the County Court Judge Group 3 election over John Grant; Frances Maria Perrone beat Barbara Jean Twine and Lanell Williams-Yulee in the County Court Judge Group 4 race; and Matt Lucas earned the nomination over Nancy Ja-cobs in the County Court Judge Group 12 race.

pRimARY elecTion ReSUlTScanDiDate Percent votes

state senator District 24Rachel Burgin (Rep) 40.67% 10,203tom lee (reP) 59.33% 14,887

HillsboroUGH coUnty ProPerty aPPraiserronda storms (reP) 70.14% 39,039Rob Turner (Rep) 29.86% 16,617

HillsboroUGH coUnty coMMission District 6Margaret iuculano (reP) 52.35% 26,185Don Kruse (Rep) 47.65% 23,830

HillsboroUGH coUnty sUPervisor oF electionscraig latimer (DeM) 52.82% 22,354Thomas Scott (Dem) 47.18% 19,968

HillsboroUGH coUnty scHool boarD District 7‘Joe’ Jordan-Robinson 9.76% 9,840terry Kemple 19.09% 19,245carl Francis ‘captain carl’ Kosierowski 8.64% 8,705carol Kurdell 35.99% 36,274Robert mcelheny 9.16% 9,235michael Weston 17.35% 17,488

circUit JUDGe, 13th circUitJohnnie Byrd Jr. 36,73% 37,310Mark Wolfe 63.27% 64,278

coUnty coUrt JUDGe GroUP 3John Grant 36.4% 37,347ann ober 63.6% 65,263

coUnty coUrt JUDGe GroUP 4Frances Maria Perrone 55.97% 56,141Barbara Jean Twine 34.19% 34,296lanell Williams-Yulee 9.85% 9,876

coUnty coUrt JUDGe GroUP 12nancy Jacobs 42.41% 41,789Matt lucas 57.59% 56,749

The Polk County commission is scheduled to consider the item at its Aug. 21 meeting. If approved, the agreement would go into effect Oct. 1.

Plant City has been without a long-term solid-waste disposal contract since last fall, when its contract with its current vendor ex-pired.

“This is the culmination of a number of months of hard work,” Horwedel said.

City officials now will begin the search for a third-party hauler to transport the waste.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?City commissioners directed staff

to explore further the possibility of changing the name of one of the three roads named Thonotosassa in Plant City.

Business owner Dean Snyder ap-proached the commission to con-sider the change in March. Snyder reported customers and clients of-ten had a difficult time finding his office. Furthermore, most GPS de-vices have difficulty giving accurate directions in the area.

The three Thonotosassas include a segment from Interstate 4 to West Baker Street; a short segment be-tween that Thonotosassa Road and North Mobley Street; and a third from North Mobley Street to Alex-ander Street.

If a renaming were to take place, city staff recommends that it oc-cur on the middle section, which is city-owned and therefore would not require Florida Department of Transportation approval.

“That segment has the fewest number of businesses that would be affected,” Horwedel said.

At its March 12 meeting, the city commission directed staff to con-

tact the 10 business owners on that segment of Thonotosassa Road. However, since then, the city only had received feedback from two of the owners.

The Plant City Observer conduct-ed its own inquiry and found sev-eral business owners who opposed the idea.

“Historically, to me, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to make this change in the way they are propos-ing,” Dr. Howard L. Howell, of the Tooth Caboose, said. “We’ve been here since 1977, and this has been Thonotosassa Road all the way back from the inception.”

Scott Smith, of Youman’s Drafting and Design Inc., agreed.

“I think if you make the name change, it will confuse the people that have been here before,” he said.

Liz Gray, office manager for Dr. Leonila D. Camba (property owner of Strongtower Insurance), said changing the name could present logistical problems.

“Dr. Camba doesn’t like the idea, because it will cause us to have to change all of our business cards, stationeries and other records,” she said. “We haven’t had a huge prob-lem with people finding us.”

Commissioner Bill Dodson said changing the name of only the middle section wouldn’t solve the problem; the third segment from Mobley Street to Alexander Street also presents confusion.

Ultimately, the commission di-rected city staff to make contact with all property owners and busi-nesses on both the second and third segments of Thonotosassa Road. Horwedel said the city also would host a public forum for those parties to address the commission.

Staff Writer Matt Mauney contrib-uted to this report.

Contact Michael Eng at [email protected].

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This week’sCryptogram answers

This week’s Crossword answers

2012

1. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience mostly comes from bad judgment. So you’re able to be bad to be good?

2. The does posted a big sign on a mountain to keep their mates on track : “the buck stops here!”

NEW

SBRIEFS + HART board OKs

changes to 28X routePlant City residents riding

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Route 28X still will have a way to get into Tampa.

The HART board approved last week reducing the Plant City-to-Tampa route from two round trips to one, rather than eliminating it com-pletely as originally proposed. The new schedule will begin Nov. 11.

The change comes after HART held 11 community meetings in June and two public hearings in July.

Based on low ridership, HART had proposed to eliminate 28X. However, based on customer feedback received during the public-input process, the proposal was revised to keep one round trip on the schedule.

HART updates bus schedules and routes every March/April, July and November to adjust to bus ridership trends and improve the overall effi-ciency of the system.

+ Detectives searchingfor suspect in shooting

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office detectives are searching for the suspect who shot and killed a Dover man. According the Sheriff’s Office reports, victor Herrera-cruz approached antonio campos, of Dover, at about 10 p.m. Aug. 12, at 3508 Lindsay St. He brandished a firearm from his waistband and shot Campos in the head.

Campos died at the scene. The shooting was witnessed by two

different witnesses, who both identi-fied Herrera-Cruz as the person who shot the Campos.

Earlier in the night, Herrera-Cruz, Campos and the witnesses all were drinking alcohol behind the home. At that time, Herrera-Cruz and Campos got into a verbal argument. Herrera-Cruz left and returned about five to 10 minutes later with the gun.

Witnesses said Herrera-Cruz approached Campos and said, “You know what this is about.”

He then shot Campos and fled the scene in a silver truck.

Anyone with any information should call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200.

Meetings &agendas Plant city commission — 7:30 p.m., second and fourth Mondays, 302 W. Reynolds St., Plant City

Hillsborough county commission — 9 a.m., first and third Wednesdays, Second floor of County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa

Hillsborough county school board — 3 p.m., second and fourth Tuesdays, 901 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa

Walden lake community association — 6 p.m., third Mondays, 3035 Griffin Blvd., Walden Lake


We all know that guy. That superstar high school quarter-back who threw the last-second touchdown pass in the champi-onship to secure a state trophy and cement himself in his alma mater’s lore.

Maybe he goes on to play col-lege ball. More than likely, he moves on to a different career entirely. But all the while, those days, those good ol’ days, occupy a proud, comforting spot in his heart.

For me, those high school memories were born on the football field — but through an entirely different activity. I’m a card-carrying marching band geek and spent four years competing with a na-tionally ranked high school band from St. Louis. For many, August means preseason football and the birth of a new season.

For me, it’s the beginnings of new high school halftime shows. Football, schmootball. Give me the bands!

This past week, I had the privi-lege of checking out the band camps at Durant, Plant City and Strawberry Crest high schools (see photos, pages 1 and 10). At each school, student musicians were red-faced and tattered from hours in the Florida heat, their eyes bleary from information overload. On the other side, band directors, their staffs and student leaders were focused on the basics — all the minute details that separate the good bands from the great ones.

Word to the wise: If you’re one to head to the concession stands at halftime, change your plans. These kids put considerable effort into producing these shows, and

they deserve your attention. And yes, it’s much harder than

it looks. Just ask the parents, siblings

and friends of the student musi-cians at Durant. As part of the school’s band camp, Director Chris Satterfield hosted a preview night for families. But before the show began, he and his band

pulled a switcheroo. The musicians headed into the bleachers to pull one of their loved ones out onto the field to take their spot.

After just a few instruc-tions, the family members attempted to perform just a few measures of music and movement — with hilariously abysmal results.

Marching band is an ac-tivity that demands much

more than musical talent. It’s pay-ing attention not only to stepping on the beat of the music but also how high your toes are when you step. For a drummer, it’s making sure the heights of your sticks are exactly the same as the four or five other drummers around you. And for color guard members, it’s throwing a solid-wood rifle into the air, watching it spin multiple times and catching it perfectly in sync with the music and at precise angles.

Marching band requires pa-tience, perseverance, discipline, attention to detail and an ability to execute under extreme pres-sure. The goal is a perfect, in-spired performance.

And when you think about it, that’s not all that different than any athletic team.

So, to all of Plant City’s march-ing band members: the Plant City Observer wishes you the best of luck in the upcoming season.

i’m a band geek — and proud of itobserved | the good ol’ days

MICHAELENG

There are many good stories about Plant City, its religious life, social life, civic life, business life and more.

On the business side, which now has become social as well, is the honoring of the strawberry. Before the strawberry, the agricul-tural products included cattle, lumber, naval stores, cotton and the general run of produce — green beans, cucumbers, etc. The strawberry was introduced in the late 1800s and quickly became a favorite. By 1902, Plant City was evolving as the “Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.”

As early as 1914, the Plant City Board of Trade, a forerun-ner of the chamber of com-merce, sponsored Strawberry Day and encouraged residents to mail postcards to friends and relatives to tell them of the succulent berries. By 1920, strawberries were shipped from December through May on the 50 to 60 trains that passed through Plant City on a daily basis. In 1929, the Lions Club decided to sponsor a festi-val for the entire strawberry farming community, and with considerable assistance, the first Strawberry Festival was set

for March 12-15, 1930.This first festival was a won-

derful success, with an estimat-ed 15,000 attending on the first day and a total of 40,000 by the

close of festivities. The Strawberry Festival has been held every year, except for the years during and immediately after World War II, when Jane Langford was the reigning Strawberry Festival Queen for seven years. It resumed in 1948, when Barbara Al-ley received the crown.

Interestingly enough, the first queen contest

was decided by the public by placing a penny in a ballot box. Here’s how it worked: the Plant City Courier and Plant City Enterprise newspapers printed nomination forms, and any maid or matron residing in East Hillsborough County could be nominated by someone com-pleting the form and turning it in to the committee. There were 36 candidates nominated.

Each candidate was awarded 5,000 points as sort of a start-ing bonus. After that, each vote (point) was one penny, and pennies for votes were placed in clearly marked envelopes and deposited in the ballot boxes. Any resident of the area could

vote as many times as he or she wished — just deposit the pen-nies with your votes.

By the end of the voting, Char-lotte Rosenberg was the clear victor, garnering nearly 50,000 points/votes. Irvine Wilder, Net-tie Simmons, Alice Sly, Kathryn Dudley and Alice Maxey were elected members of the Queen’s Court.

Palestine Hamilton Collins Wright

Another interesting per-sonality is Palestine Hamilton Collins Wright, who had a taste for things exotic and Middle Eastern. She named her daugh-ters Juno and Pallas. She had a rich background with ties to the prominent Polk Hamilton fam-ily and the Polk/Hillsborough Collins family. She divorced her husband, Dr. Olin Wright, whom she had married in 1888, and continued to own property in and around Hillsborough County, possibly also in Pinellas and Manatee counties.

Palestine Wright leased some of her land to carnival-type activities, which brought complaints from area residents. The most disturbing activity involved land west of Collins Street and north of Herring Street. This block she later sold to the School Improvement As-

sociation in 1914, the site of the 1914 Plant City High School.

After Palestine Wright died in 1926, her three children col-laborated to have a building constructed in her memory. The Wright Arcade, with its unique architecture, opened in late 1926 and was an immediate hit.

The Photo Archives and Histo-ry Center is continually search-ing for photos that help tell the story of the world around us. For more information or to suggest a future column idea, email Gil Gott at [email protected].

Gil Gott is executive director of the Plant City Photo Archives & History Center.

Meet Plant City’s first queenPAST AND PRESENT

“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 Haynes, [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]

Advertising Coordinator / Linda Lancaster, [email protected]

Accounting Manager / Petra Kirkland, [email protected]

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

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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

to aDvertiseCall veronica Prostko 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

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.

GILGOTT

Courtesy of the Plant City Photo Archives

In our July 26 edition, we published the first piece in our Hometown Heroes se-ries, titled, “Called to Duty.” It was a story about Plant City native U.S. Army Pfc. Ben Secor, who currently is stationed in Afghanistan, and how his family is han-dling his absence.

As a member of the Fourth Brigade Fourth Infantry Division Brigade Special Troops Battalion, Se-cor’s job was to protect Brig. Sgt. Maj. Kevin Griffin.

On Aug. 8, an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated the device, killing Griffin, Army Maj. Thomas E. Kennedy and U.S. Air Force Maj. Walter D. Gray, in Sarkowi, Kunar province, Afghanistan.

Secor suffered shrapnel wounds but is OK.

Two days after the attack, Secor wrote on Facebook: “I’m doing OK. Pretty sore, but I will be OK. They are treating me well. It sucks about the heroes. It was tragic; they will never be forgotten.”

Griffin, of Riverton, Wyo., was the highest-ranking soldier from Fort Carson, Colo., to be killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghani-stan. He was just 45 years old. He had been deployed to Afghanistan since March 13. It was his first deploy-ment in the country after serving three tours in Iraq. He also had served in Ku-wait and the Balkans during his career.

TRAGEDY IN AFGHANISTAN

Courtesy photo

In Afghanistan, Pfc. ben secor’s job was to protect Brig. Sgt. Maj. Kevin Griffin, right.


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Durant clarinetist Daniel theriaelt loved having his sister, Zoe, on the field.

Photos by Michael Eng

alex Michaelsen is a member of the Plant City drumline.

Kelsey Maldonado and the rest of Strawberry Crest’s saxophone section worked hard on their marching.

Left: Plant City trumpet player susan Weaver knows practice makes perfect.

Plant City’s color guard will add visual interest to this year’s halftime show.

Durant High School fans billy and Daniel McMahan cheered on their sister, Mariah.

Right: Plant City’s sara Donadelli is excited for a new show.

The Strawberry Crest drumline expects to be a tough competitor this year.

BAND CAMPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1


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Andrew C. ‘Shorty’ CothronAndrew C. ‘Shorty’ Cothron, 88, died

Aug. 6, in Plant City. He was born Oct. 14, 1923, in Winter

Haven to Andrew C. and Dora L. (Har-vey) Cothron.

He drove trucks his whole life and was retired from Seafood & Mariner Distribu-tors. Mr. Cothron was a member of Shiloh Baptist Church in Plant City.

He is survived by five sons, Hayward (Gail), Gary (Chere), Kenneth (Melinda), Mike (Dorie) and Allen Cothron; his former wife, Lorraine Cothron; 11 grandchildren; and sever-al great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a daugh-ter, Gail Cothron; two sisters; and one brother.

Funeral services were Aug. 9, Wells Memorial & Event Center. Burial was at Oaklawn Cemetery.

Condolences may be offered at www.wellsmemorial.com.

Betty JeAn holtBetty Jean Holt, 81, of Plant City, died

on Aug. 9.Born Nov. 7, 1930, in Plant City, she

was the daughter of the late William Hiott and Corey Hutson Hiott. She was the beloved wife of Richard Holt.

Mrs. Holt was a teller at SunTrust Bank for 32 years, an active member of Shiloh Baptist Church and loved vacationing at her home in North Carolina.

Survivors include a son, Richard C. Holt, Jr.; grandchildren Richard Lee and Jacquelyn Ann Holt; and a sister, Delores (Gene) Cooler.

She was predeceased by brother, Mickey Hiott.

A memorial service was Aug. 13, at

Haught Funeral Home Chapel.Online condolences may be made at

haughtfuneralhome.com.

CeCil J. JudAhCecil J. Judah, 73, of Plant City, died

Aug. 8, at his home after a short battle with cancer.

Born Feb. 18, 1939, Mr. Judah was a devoted family man who loved God and the Florida Gators. He enjoyed fishing, country music and Southern gospel music. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and retired from Mobil Chemical.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Faye; children, Michael, Phillip, Joel (Sherri), Russell ”Rusty” and Andrea (Ronny) Rosato; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his father-in-law, James C. Money.

The family received friends Aug. 10, at the Plant City Church of God

Online condolences may be made at haughtfuneralhome.com.

donnA JeAn SprouSeDonna Jean Sprouse, 64, of Plant City,

died Aug. 2, at her home.Born Dec. 7, 1947, in Tampa, she was

the daughter of the late Ollie Pick and the late Mary Russell Pick. She was the wife of Jack Sprouse.

Mrs. Sprouse was of the Baptist faith. She loved to cook and sew, and collected cookie jars and antiques.

Survivors include a son, Jack Ray Sprouse; daughters, Olyne Perez and Jacklyne Carter; four

grandchildren; and three great-grand-children.

Online condolences may be made at haughtfuneralhome.com.

OBSERVEROBITUARIES STORE AROUND THE CORNER

When David and Dianna Hinkley set out to open Au-tumn Leaf Academy, they didn’t want to be just anoth-er day care.

“That word carries kind of a negative feeling for us,” says David Hinkley, owner of Autumn Leaf Academy on 3007 Daniels Road in Plant City. “We are nation-ally accredited, and we fo-cus on quality that comes from interacting with the children.”

Autumn Leaf Academy is nationally accredited by the National Association of Child Care Profession-als and is a Florida Gold Seal Preschool. According to Hinkley, the aspects that sets his school apart are its teachers and limited turn-over.

“You want the kids to feel comfortable with the teach-ers, and that comes from having stability,” he says.

Hinkley says the core teachers are all from the Plant City area and have been at the school for sev-eral years. However, finding the right group wasn’t an easy task.

“We probably went through 70 teachers in those first two years after opening in 2005,” Hinkley says. “We just didn’t have teachers who were dedicated to be-ing teachers and who want-ed to be professionals.”

Now, Hinkley has a staff of 12 teachers, with all of

the primary teachers being certified by the Child Devel-opment Association.

Autumn Leaf Academy, which recently joined the Plant City Chamber of Commerce, serves children ages 3 months to school age and features the Gold Seal preschool, along with tra-ditional child care for other ages. The philosophy at Au-tumn Leaf is that children should be interacted with using a hands-on approach to learning, not just with the preschool, but with all ages.

Autumn Leaf also par-ticipates in voluntary pre-kindergarten, a state-fund-ed program that prepares children for school while enhancing reading, math, language and social skills. The program is eligible for children who turn 4 by Sept.

1 and is free for three hours per day.

Autumn Leaf features six classrooms and also offers breakfast, lunch and after-noon snacks to its students.

— Matt Mauney

Autumn Leaf Academy

David Hinkley says his Plant City preschool facility focuses on quality teachers and education.

BASICSautumn leaf acaDemyaDDress: 3007 Daniels Road, Plant CityPHone: (813) 752-4561Website: www.autumn-leafacademy.com aGes: 3 months to school ageaccreDitation: Autumn Leaf is accredited by the National Association of Child Care Professionals and is a Florida Gold Seal Preschool.

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 WEEKTate Whatley puts up huge numbersfor Plant City. 15

Let me begin by saying that this isn’t my first rodeo.

I’ve been covering high school sports for about five years, and I thought I had mastered the craft.

Until I moved to Florida. It’s a whole different ballgame

down here, compared to cover-ing prep sports in Savannah, Ga., while I was in college, or covering metro Atlanta high schools for the past two years for my previous employer.

Let’s start with the fact that the setup and struc-

ture of things down here are much different. In Georgia, golf is a spring sport, along with soc-cer. Softball is a fall sport, while swimming and diving takes place in the winter season along with basketball and wrestling.

In Florida, softball joins its counterpart baseball as a spring sport, while soccer takes place in the winter and swimming and diving takes place in the fall, along with golf.

Confused yet? I sure was, initially.

I’m happy to report that since then, I have gotten things sorted out. I’ve managed to break away from my mindset of Georgia high school athletics and have adapted to how things run down in the Sunshine State.

The setup of sports here in Florida make a lot of sense. For example, why not have softball in the spring with baseball?

MATTMAUNEY

SHOW ME THE MAUNEY

Dealing with the learning curve

SEE COMMENT / PAGE 14

Matt Mauney

Plant City High girls golf coach Meg Jordan will rely on returning players Lindsey Box and Kellyanne Hurst, and newcomers Kendall Johnson, Dakota Bozeman, Katy Johnson and Kaitlyn Miller.

A GROWING DYNASTY

Darius Way is just a normal teenager.

The 17-year-old Plant City resi-dent does well in school and has a close group of friends.

And through the Brandon TOP-Soccer program, Darius, diag-nosed with Asperger’s syndrome, has enjoyed weekly soccer games for 11 years.

The program is available for boys and girls with varying special needs starting at age 5. It focuses on providing a fun and supportive

environment for kids to learn and play soccer. There are no prac-tices, just games on Saturdays, and there is no cost for uniforms, equipment or registration.

Darius began playing at just 6 years old, and his mother, Karen, said the experience has been re-warding.

“Everything the players do is a celebration,” she said. “If some-one kicked the ball, it was a cel-ebration, if someone scored, it was a celebration, and if they

missed, it was still a celebration.” Registration for TOPSoccer’s fall

season is under way. Games will begin Sept. 8.

“I just like meeting people and making friends,” Darius said of the program.

DIAGNOSISWhen Darius was 2, Karen took

him to several doctors for testing, because he wasn’t talking.

After losing its most talented class yet, the Plant City High School girls golf program will rely on returning talent and newcomers to keep the success going.

continuing to build By Matt Mauney | Staff Writer

It may not be considered a dy-nasty just yet, but the girls golf team at Plant City High is quickly building a tradition of winning.

The team has gone un-defeated in the regular season the last two years and is coming off win-ning both a district and region championship for the first time in 2011. The Lady Raiders also had a strong finish at the state tournament, finishing fifth, after placing eighth in 2010.

This year will bring a new challenge. The team will pre-

pare for the season after losing its most successful group of players. The trio was a big part

of the recent success of the program, and each will be playing collegiate golf this fall — Belinda George (North Florida), Shelby Johnson (official walk-on at Florida) and Kelsey Jensen (Seminole State.

Head coach Meg Jor-dan, who will be enter-ing her 10th year, will

rely on the experience of her two returning players — sophomore Lindsey Box and junior Kelly-

anne Hurst — along with four newcomers, all of whom bring varying amounts of playing ex-perience.

“We’re going through a little bit of a rebuilding process, but ev-ery coach has to deal with that at some point,” Jordan said.

George, Johnson and Jensen are the first three of Jordan’s play-ers to go on to play post-high school golf.

“That’s really exciting as a coach,” said Jordan, a 1985 Plant City alum and former Auburn University standout.

Hurst will be a key for the Lady Raiders success this season, and

Jordan will look to her and Box to take on more leadership roles, in addition to delivering on the course.

“We’ve built some high expec-tations over the last few years,” Jordan said. “It’s kind of like those three girls set the pace for us, and now we have a program started, and we want to keep that going.”

Hurst, who has been working hard with individual travel tour-naments this summer, said it will take a lot of practice and learning for the team to get to the point to be able to defend its titles.

TOPSoccer focuses on funRegistration is open for the Brandon TOPSoccer program, which provides Plant City youth with special needs an opportunity to learn, play and enjoy the game.

top of the world By Matt Mauney | Staff Writer

Matt Mauney

Darius Way, a Plant City resident, has met many of his friends through the TOPSoccer program and has accumulated many trophies and medals throughout his playing career.

SEE DYNASTY / PAGE 14

SEE SOCCER / PAGE 14

Meg Jordan

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 2012PLANTCITYOBSERvER.COM


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Plant City Office1804 James L. Redman Pkwy., Plant City, FL 33563 | Telephone (813) 659 - 1234 | Fax (813) 659 - 9134

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BANKING THE WAY IT USED TO BE.

“We have a lot of new girls com-ing up, so we have a lot of talent building, and we just have to take it one notch at a time, trying to do our best in each match,” Hurst said.

Box, who played with the team as a freshman through the post-season but rarely had her scores count (only the top four scores on each team being recorded), will have the chance to be a top two performer this fall.

“I am a little nervous, because I didn’t practice much this sum-mer, but I’m just focused on prac-ticing hard now and scoring well during the season,” she said.

Box also mentioned how having the support of George, Johnson, Jensen and Hurst last year helped her improve her game while keep-ing pressure a minimum.

“Pretty much every part of my play got better,” she said.

In addition to Hurst and Box, Jordan is excited about newcom-ers Kendall Johnson, Dokota Boz-eman, Katy Johnson and Kaitlyn Miller. Kendall Johnson and Boz-eman are both incoming fresh-men, while Katy Johnson and Miller will be juniors.

“You kind of have to go back to the basics a little bit,” Jordan said.


“They said he had a speech and language delay,” she said.

Later, after taking him to a neurologist, Darius was diag-nosed with severe autism, a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and restricted and repetitive be-havior.

As he grew, Darius began to defy the odds set by doctors as

his mother worked with him. “There were things that doc-

tors said he would never, ever do — things like having (more than) a 20-word vocabulary,” she said.

With each doctor visit, Darius was progressing in ways that countered his original diagno-sis, such as the ability to read, do math and play sports. He now takes regular high school classes at Center Academy in Riverview, a school that provides a college prep environment for students with different learning styles.

The most recent diagnosis for Darius was Asperger’s syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder characterized by significant dif-ficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repeti-tive patterns of behavior or inter-ests.

For Darius, that pattern is sports. It allows him to defy as-pects set by his diagnosis.

JUST FOR KICKSIn 2001, Darius, then 6 years

old, told his mom he wanted to play soccer.

“I didn’t know how it would work out with a regular league,” she said. “He was already taking an adaptive gymnastics program, and they told me about TOPSoc-cer, so I thought we would give it a try.”

At first, Darius was shy about it. He wouldn’t kick the ball when

asked. When he was told to run, he would walk. But that changed in just one year.

“That second year was like a light bulb went off,” Karen said.

Darius liked the program and playing soccer so much that he continues to play today. His mom recently signed him up for his 12th season.

“Now he just like to score; he just wants to score all the time,” she said.

According to Ken Muzyk, one of the Brandon program’s four founding members, some play-ers play well into their 20s.

“We still have some of the orig-inal players playing,” he said.

In addition to a handful of Plant City participants through-out the years, including Darius, several players from area high school teams volunteer their time to help, including assisting players in wheelchairs so they can take part in the action.

“I like to meet high school stu-dents that are volunteers, so I can make friends with them,” Darius said. “They tell me, ‘Good job,’ and like to cheer me on.”

Sept. 8 will mark the 14th sea-son for Brandon TOPSoccer. The program was recognized in 2009 with the Excellence in Action award, presented by the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Re-sources System of Hillsborough County Public Schools, and again

in 2010 as the TOPSoccer Club of the Year by the Florida Youth Soc-cer Association.

“We are now one of the larg-est programs of our kind in the state,” Muzyk said. “Our goal is to all be supportive of one another, and we want the kids to have fun and just play soccer.”

For Karen, the program has been a great addition to her son’s life. She does have to special-order cleats for Darius, though, who wears size 16.

“The league can’t order them that big,” she said with a smile. “We had to order him football cleats.”


BRAnDon ToPSocceRreGistration: 6 to 8 p.m., Aug. 17-18, 24-25, and Sept. 7, and 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 8, at J.c. Handly Park, 3104 S. Kings Ave., Brandon. At registration, all players must bring a copy of their IeP and birth certificate and be accompanied by a parent/guardian with a valid ID.

inForMation: [email protected] or visit bran-donsoccer.com

Not only does it make sense for logistics and scheduling issues, but also softball always has seemed like it belongs in the spring. After all, that’s how it’s done in college.

Swimming and diving are sports that could take place at

anytime during the school year, because weather is not a factor. Even being born and raised in so-called “HotLanta,” it’s much hotter down here than what I’ve dealt with the past two years of covering prep sports. It will be nice to not have to leave a prep swimming meet — which often can get very hot and sticky in an

indoor pool — and walk out into the blistering cold.

Golf is obviously big in Florida, not just in high schools, but in general. People come here for vacation just to play a round or two. It is a little sur-prising that golf takes place in the fall — when I would think temperatures would be at their

highest — but that’s another one of those sports that could be played in any season at the high school level, despite being an outdoor sport.

A winter sport in Florida, soccer adds an interesting dimension from the spring sport I know. With so many spring sports in Georgia — one

of my old coverage schools had 11 spring sports — its nice to have soccer isolated with only wrestling and basketball. Soccer seems to get lost in the shuffle a bit when sandwiched in with numerous other spring sports, so it will be interesting to pro-vide local teams down here with the coverage they deserve.

Dynasty/PaGe 13

soccer/PaGe 13

courtesy of Karen Way

Darius Way has taken part in the Brandon ToPSoccer program since he was 6.

Dynasty/PaGe 13


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

Edited by Timothy E. Parker

CRYPTOGRAMS

1. S D D E B C E S W O K M J D W O I N A D W O Q F O A H O K J O . O Q F O A H O K J O

W D I M P T J D W O I N A D W Z U E B C E S W O K M . I D T D C ’ A O U Z P O M D

Z O Z U E M D Z O S D D E ?

2. C M Q K E Q J Z E J C Q K X U H F J H F G E G X O E B G C X H G C E L Q Q Z

C M Q H P O X C Q J E G C P X A L : “ C M Q U B A L J C E Z J M Q P Q ! ”

ACROSS 1 Cobra cousin 6 He eulogized Julius 10 “Buyer beware”

phrase 14 Barley used in

brewing 18 Arab chieftains (var.) 19 Length times width 20 Praise to the skies 21 “Young

Frankenstein” assistant

22 Car dealership’s promotion

24 Nostalgic pathway 26 “Take ___ Train”

(Duke Ellington song)

27 When a plane is expected in (Abbr.)

28 Show one’s pearly whites

30 Hepburn of classic films

31 Some male dolls 33 Coin-toss call 34 It flows through

Egypt 35 All the stage is his

world 38 ___ Gras (Louisiana

festival) 39 Subscription

continuers 43 Landing spots for

Santa 44 Bawl 45 Snack with coffee 47 Gretchen who

played Bettie Page 48 Terrible thing for

one to waste 49 Fish with a big net 51 Agcy. that conducts

workplace inspections

53 Orchestra woodwind

54 Move furtively 56 Weirdly strange 57 “Us” opponent 58 Not authentic

59 Safecracker, in slang 61 “Dukes of Hazzard”

deputy sheriff 63 “Able was I ___ I saw

Elba” 64 Ballroom blunder 65 Speeders step on it 68 Help even when it’s

inconvenient 72 Lock opener 73 Doctoral candidate’s

exam 75 Poisonous snake 76 “Don’t move,

doggie!” 77 Cross to bear 79 Bathroom wall-

covering, often 80 “Gone With the

Wind” estate 82 Whom the seeker

seeks, in a kid’s game

84 Cuddly-looking Australian marsupial

88 Elaborate fraud 89 Dragged into court 90 “Captain Blood” star

Flynn 91 Royal name in

Norway 92 “Skeptic” or “cynic”

attachment 93 It may cut things

close 95 On-off connector 96 Practice piano piece 97 Hairdresser 101 Old geezers 103 Cambodia’s ___

Rouge 104 “___, poor Yorick!” 105 “Positive thinking”

advocate Norman Vincent

106 Does and ewes, e.g. 108 Word before “puff”

or “keg” 111 Check the figures

again 112 Highest card 113 Prefix with “ballistic”

or “lite”

117 It may cause you to stop

119 Alfred Noyes subject

122 “___ Trek” 123 Puts up a picture or

door 124 Molecule part 125 Believer of a sort 126 Some pajama parts 127 Painter Warhol 128 “With shoes on,” at a

diner 129 Pest-control brand

dOwn 1 Union Jack holder 2 Eastern housemaid 3 5,280 feet 4 First light 5 Balaam’s beast 6 Trading centers 7 Opera diva’s solo 8 ___ up (accelerate an

engine) 9 Salad type 10 Skating leaps 11 Copycat’s request 12 Agcy. that won the

1969 Peace Prize 13 Muscle injury 14 Bathroom problem 15 Actor who married

Temple 16 “The ___ Ranger” 17 Card with three pips 20 “Bobby” director

Estevez 23 Fox home 25 Christmas season 29 Neither liberal nor

conservative 32 Ambulances’

destinations (Abbr.) 33 Striped upholstery

fabric 34 Infernal region 35 What the Venus de

Milo is missing 36 Nickel or dime 37 Sound quality 38 “... to form a ___

perfect union ...” 39 Sorority hopeful 40 Commence, as a

venture 41 First-year player

42 About to doze off 44 Plated dino 46 “To be or ___ to be” 50 Some tipplers 52 “You’re ___ one,

Mister Grinch” 53 Frequently,

poetically 55 What’s tapped at a

beer bust 60 Nanny and billy 62 ___-climber (exercise

machine) 65 Like some

architecture or romance novels

66 Lyrical song style 67 Sub meat 69 Hoist into the air 70 Add water 71 Curly’s loud laugh 74 Superman’s nemesis

Luthor 78 Prognosticator 81 Wood-shaping tool 83 Extremely long time

divisions 85 2011 grad, now 86 Fill with freight 87 Affirm as true 94 Where whales roam 96 ___ out (barely

manage) 98 Some volume

controls 99 Take to the hills 100 Catwoman portrayer

Kitt 102 No longer in style 105 Buddy Holly’s “___

Sue” 106 Knucklehead 107 Chop down, as a tree 108 “Hey, buddy!” 109 “Beetle Bailey”

canine 110 Alternative to a

sandwich 111 Part of an orange 112 Very excited 114 Give off, as fumes 115 Red, itchy patch 116 “Hang ___ your hats” 118 “The Streets of ___

Francisco” 120 “What was ___

think?” 121 There’s much of this

in Shakespeare

PARK IT HERE by Paul Jenn

2

CROSSWORD_081612

ATHleTe of THe week by Matt Mauney | Staff writer

Did you know that your stats were that good? When did you find out?

Pretty much today. I don’t really pay at-tention to that stuff too much. I just focus on doing my best and helping the team.

To whom do you give credit for your performance?

God really helped me out a lot. I pray a lot, and he blesses me and helps me every day to work and do my best.

Do you have a favorite mem-

ory from the tournament?Really, just being there. Get-

ting to be there with the team. They’re all my friends and just a good group of kids. We all get along really well.

How long have you been a catcher, and what do you like about that position?

I kind of started last year. I used to play middle infield, and then, they put me behind the plate, and I guess it worked out. That’s kind of the leader on the team, and I like being the leader and being able to help the team.

What part of your game would you say has improved the most?

Definitely my hitting. I’ve worked on it a lot, and it’s gotten a lot better.

Your team repeated as state champs this year. What does that mean to you?

It means a lot, because we don’t al-ways get a lot of credit here in Plant

City compared to some of the other bigger cities, but this is a really good city, and I’m glad we won state.

Why do you think Plant City has enjoyed so much success in Little

League baseball and softball?We have really good

coaches here. A lot of us started really young and just kept playing. We

have great facili-ties here, and it’s just a

great place to play.

Do you have a favorite book?

Tim Tebow’s book, “Through My Eyes.”

Any baseball supersti-tions?

I have to put my jersey on the same way every time before each game.

tate whatleyStats are thrown around a lot, but the numbers Tate Whatley put up in the Little League

World Series Southeast Regional Tournament last week are rare. The catcher for the Plant City 11-12 All-Stars batted .714 in four games, with 11 RBIs and seven runs scored. He also had four home runs in the tournament and left with a slugging percentage of 1.643 and an on-base percentage of .750. Although the team missed out on the semifinals, playing only four games, Whatley managed to lead all tournament players in average, hits, home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and runs created.

+ MADD tourneybegins on Saturday

The MADD Softball Benefit Tournament in Memory of Jean McCarthy will be Aug. 18 and 19, at Plant City Stadium and Randy larson Softball four Plex.

The benefit tournament is sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and 1N3, an organization that focuses on drug and alcohol awareness, along with addiction recovery and grief recovery. Batting Zone Sports, for which tourna-ment organizer anthony abramson is a bat representative, is also a sponsor of the event.

Abramson, 40, of Riverview, is put-ting together the tournament in memory of his mother, Jean Mccarthy, who was killed by a drunken driver on Dec. 17, 2011, in Toms River, N.J.

The tournament will consist of games in the men’s (Aug. 18) and coed (Aug. 19) divisions, along with a home-run derby and various raffles and giveaways.

for more information or to sign the petition for stricter drunken driv-ing laws, visit the MADD Softball Benefit Tournament in Memory of Jean McCarthy facebook page.

+ WWE affiliate storms into Plant City

world wrestling entertainment will bring its NXT wrestling program to Plant City Aug. 18, at the Plant City Armory, 4004 Airport Road.

wwe NXT, which recently became the official name of the former florida Championship wrestling franchise, is a developmental territory for the next crop of wwe wrestlers.

The event will feature eight matches, including NXT Superstars and Divas.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with autograph sessions. Bell time for the first match is set for 7:30 p.m.

General admission tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Golden Ringside Reserved seats are available for $25 for adults and $15 for kids.

Tickets can be purchased at Buddy’s Home furnishings at 408 e. Baker St. in Plant City or by calling (813) 752-8200. for group tickets, call (813) 344-8904.

+ Plant City build chemistry at camp

The Plant City High football team got better in more ways than one at a boot camp last weekend at the Vero Beach Sports Village in Vero Beach.

The facility is where the University of South florida football team conducts its preseason camp.

The camp lasted two days and put 36 of the Raiders players through grueling workouts and team-building exercises.

New PCHS strength-and-conditioning coach andrew Mcnair, a reserve for the U.S. Marines, led the boot camp.

The camp consisted of early morning wake-up calls, early bedtimes, position drills and conditioning exercises.

Raiders head coach Wayne Ward, entering his third season, is going through a rebuilding process after losing 22 seniors from last year’s squad. Plant City started the season 7-0 last year before dropping its final three games, missing a state playoff birth. The Raiders only return five starters each on offense and defense.

SIDELINES


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Plant City Observer 08.16.12

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