01.17.13 Plant City Observer

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PLANT CITY

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FREE • thursday, JANUARY 17, 2013

HOME-GROWN SPORTS

inside

Clemons Road Flag-football poised to take tournament music national. benefits MTC. PAGE 6

PAGE 11

PAGE 8

strength and honor

OUR TOWN

Judges crown 2013 Junior Royalty winners.

by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

EDUCATION

by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

School Board denies extra security at elementaries + Have you seen this dog?

The Hillsborough County School Board will host a workshop to discuss safety measures further.

Plant City High School secretary Sherri Iturriaga is asking for help locating her beloved dog, Rosco, a 7-year-old white miniature Schnauzer.

On New Year’s Eve, Rosco broke away from his lead and ran away from his home, located off Robinson Farms Lane off Colson Road and James L. Redman Parkway.

The family is offering a reward.

Anyone with information should call Iturriaga, (813) 299-6108.

+ New Hope to host basketball tourney The Greater New Hope Anointed Ministries Prayer Retreat Center Inc. will host a basketball tournament beginning at 9 a.m. Jan. 26, at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 1601 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.

Registration costs $35 per youth team of five (fifth- through eighth-graders and ninth- through 12th-graders), and $50 per adult team of five (male and female).

Deadline to register is Jan. 21.

For more, call Juanita, (813) 850-1981, or Debra, (813) 719-5138.

+ Walden Lake to host roundup Walden Lake Elementary School will host its kindergarten round-up for the 20132014 school year at 6 p.m.

Feb. 7, at the school, 2800 Turkey Creek Road.

Children who are 5 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2013, may register for kindergarten.

Birth certificate, immunization record, recent physical (within a year of the first day of school), Social Security number and proof of residency are required.

For more, call (813) 7579433.

Matt Mauney

Dean Snyder was diagnosed with esophageal cancer last September. He currently is undergoing treatments but refuses to let that slow him down.

A True Gladiator Resident Dean Snyder’s battle with cancer inspired Dean’s Ride, a charity bike ride benefiting the Plant City Family YMCA’s Livestrong program.

Actor Russell Crowe’s 2000 historical drama film, “Gladiator,” is a favorite of Plant City resident Dean Snyder.

Little did Snyder know that more than a decade later, messages portrayed in the film would carry even more meaning.

“There are scenes in the movie (in which) Russell Crowe tells his men, if they stick together, that the fight becomes easier,” Snyder says. “That’s how I feel about cancer.”

That movie inspired Snyder, both with his personal battle with cancer and with the formation of Dean’s Ride, a charity bike ride event ben-

efiting the Plant City Family YMCA’s Livestrong program, a free wellness program for cancer survivors.

The motto of the event is “Strength and Honor,” a saying Maximus, played by Crowe, tells Quintus before the battle with Germanian troops begins in the film.

DEAN’S STORY

Snyder will never forget that day last September, when he sat down to eat a hamburger.

“I tried to swallow a bite, and I couldn’t,” he says. “I knew something was wrong.”

SEE SNYDER / PAGE 2

Dean’s Ride WHEN: 8 a.m. Jan. 19 WHERE: Start and finish at HCC Plant City Campus, 206 North Park Road, Plant City COST: $20; and $10 for children under 12. Cost includes T-shirt, light breakfast and lunch ROUTE: 18- and 38-mile options REGISTRATION: Online at tampaymca or active.com. Day-of registration may be made one hour before start time.

SAFETY: All bike riders must wear helmets.

INFORMATION: Call (813) 7576677 or email Eric Poe at eric. poe@tampaymca.org

INDEX Crossword.......... 14

Hillsborough County School Board members voted down Jan. 15, a $4.1 million measure that would have added police officers to every elementary school campus in the district.

However, the board agreed to hire Michael Dorn, a nationally recognized school safety expert, to review district safety and security protocols.

The board also agreed to conduct a workshop with a security committee to explore the measures further and add more definition to officers who would be located on campuses, such as their training and job descriptions.

The vote came less than a week after Hillsborough Superintendent MaryEllen Elia proposed a long-term plan to enhance security at every elementary school.

In addition to hiring Dorn and adding 130 officers, Elia’s proposal included: • $1.2 million for securing the remaining 10% of school facilities (failed); • $700,000 to boost existing staff with an additional 50 security personnel for three months prior to June 30, 2013. The remaining security personnel also would be in place during the 2013/14 school year (failed); and • $10,000 for crisis-management training (failed).

Board members said they would have liked more time to consider the measures.

“I have a problem with this agenda item only because we did not have an opportunity to talk about this as a board in a workshop setting,” board mem-

SEE SAFETY / PAGE 2 Vol. 1, No. 28 | One section

Obituaries.............9

Opinion.................8

Sports................ 10

PlantCityObserver.com

2 PlantCityObserver.com SNYDER/PAGE 1 After going to the doctor and enduring several tests, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Although he has led an active lifestyle and always looked after his health — including not taking any medications other than allergy pills and over-the-counter medicines — cancer runs in Snyder’s family. When he was 21, Snyder’s father, Robert, died of lung cancer. His grandfather died from bone cancer in 1964.

After serving in the U.S. Army for seven years and retiring in 1980, Snyder developed a love for running, but after knee surgery years later, he was left searching for something else to stay active.

One of his two sons, Brandon, introduced him to road biking three years ago.

“I needed something to keep me going and active,” he says.

A member of the Plant City Family YMCA, Snyder already participated in cycling and spin classes, but he developed a love for road cycling.

When he was diagnosed, Snyder used cycling as an outlet.

SAFETY/PAGE 1 ber Susan Valdes said. “I believe this is a board conversation and not something that should have come to us as a recommendation. I think this is overboard.”

The funding for the proposed measures would have come from the district’s contingency fund, which is not recurring.

Once the money is spent, the board would have to depend on grants or other sources to maintain the security measures.

“It behooves this board to look at this and carefully weigh

Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

ABOUT DEAN SNYDER

Dean Snyder has called Plant City home for nearly 29 years and is a local business owner as the CEO of Snyder Investments and Financial Services.

He belongs to the Tampa Bay State Planning Council on its board of directors as well as the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

Locally, he is on the advisory board for the Plant City Photo Archives and History Center, the Arts Council of Plant City and assisted with the Veterans’ Memorial Monument Park project. He is also a past president of the Plant City Lions Club.

Snyder also is an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts and has raised money for local chapters for the past 10 years.

DEAN’S RIDE

After his father died, Snyder began volunteering with the American Cancer Society and serves on its board to this day.

He thought of the idea of having a local charity ride a while back, but it never came to fruition.

After his diagnosis, Snyder mentioned the idea to Cindy Gutowski, an employee of the Plant City Family YMCA, and the concept of Dean’s Ride was born.

“We thought it would be a great thing to team up with the YMCA and raise money for the local

Livestrong program here,” Snyder says.

Livestrong is a 12-week program at the YMCA designed for adults who have recently become de-conditioned or chronically fatigued due to their treatment and/or disease.

“It really is a great program and helps people deal and cope with having a critical illness,” Snyder says.

Gutowski helped Snyder organize the ride, which will start and end at the Hillsborough Community College Plant City campus, beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday.

it,” board member Carol Kurdell said before the vote. “There are no guarantees when you’ve done everything you can to protect the school system, and some madman breaks in.”

Walden Lake Elementary School Principal Dina Wyatt attended the Jan. 9 press conference, during which Elia first debuted the security measures.

“It is a step in the right direction,” Wyatt said. “It is a part in that big puzzle. School is a different place now from when I went to school.”

Elia agrees.

“I wish this wasn’t necessary,” she said. “I wish we didn’t have to consider any of these strategies, but the world has changed since I was in school. It changed again on Dec. 14 (the date of the Sandy Hook shooting).”

The district already utilizes 78 school resource officers at middle and high schools through a partnership with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department and other agencies. In addition to adding a security presence on campus, the officers also develop neighborhood crime watches

Given the name, it’s only appropriate that Snyder participate in Dean’s Ride. Snyder plans to have his sixth chemotherapy session Friday, before taking to the 18-mile route the next day. He already rode the 38-mile route last weekend.

“The cycle I’m on with chemo is working well for me, so if you postpone a week, it takes away from what you’re trying to accomplish,” he says about the timing.

Typical effects from chemotherapy include fatigue, among other side effects, but Snyder says he won’t let that keep him from participating.

“It’s better to be out and be sociable with people rather than lying around the house bored and fatigued,” he says. “With the support of the community and the people around you, you’re able to accomplish so much more as opposed to doing nothing and feeling sorry for yourself.”

According to Snyder, around 70 riders were registered as of Tuesday. He expects about 100 the day of the event.

“My community faith is strong, and my friendships are strong,” he says. “It goes with who I am and who I want to be. I am very blessed to have support from family and friends, and I don’t take that for granted.”

Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@plantcityobserver. com.

and instruct students in their involvement with crime prevention, crisis management and anti-bullying programs.

Wyatt said the resource officers would do more than just provide extra security.

“The thing considered in an elementary setting is that we also teach community services, and this (would have helped) to have someone in that role on campus serving as a positive role model, versus someone who is around just during emergency situations,” Wyatt said. “It also (would have helped) segue them

into middle school, (because) there are school resource officers there already. The children haven’t questioned them. They just see them as another person on campus.”

However, Elia said she remains optimistic about the proposed workshop.

“This is exactly what we needed to have happen, and I thank you that you have pointed us in the right direction,” Elia told board members.

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.

According to Gutowski, in addition to benefiting Livestrong, this event also promotes cycling in the community.

“This event is a ride, not a race, so it is intended for riders of all skill levels,” Gutowski says.

To accomplish this, the event has two route options — an 18mile and a 38-mile route. Stops will be provided throughout the routes for riders to hydrate or for anyone who may need help or medical assistance.

Because both routes will begin at the same time and location, both novice and experienced cyclists alike will have the chance to mingle.

“We hope this will increase the popularity of cycling here locally, (because) we’ll have plenty of first-time riders,” Gutowski says.

DEAN’S PLAN

We are here for you and your family.

We are Plant City’s oldest and largest hometown financial institution. We’ve been helping our neighbors since 1954.

We make all decisions locally and offer all the modern banking services you expect.

If you like the idea of doing business close to home, visit us and see how easy and friendly hometown banking can be.

PLANT CITY – Main Office, 102 W. Baker Street, 752-6193 • WALDEN WOODS – 2400 Jim Redman Parkway, 754-1844 Also offices in: BRANDON, RIVERVIEW and ZEPHYRHILLS

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“Banking on a First Name Basis”

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PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

das auto by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Show gets worldwide recognition A German TV show will be shooting footage at the Strawberry Classic Car Show Jan. 19, for an episode featuring the Florida car scene.

It wasn’t the Florida Strawberry Festival that caught the eye of German television producer Andreas Vollbach while he was doing research online for an upcoming show.

Instead, it was Plant City’s Strawberry Classic Car Show that sparked interest.

Vollbach works for “Auto Mobil,” Germany’s most successful and longest running TV magazine on automobiles. It airs every Sunday and attracts 1.3 million viewers. The show has been on air since 1995 and started as “Auto Motor und Sport TV.” “I was looking for a place that would provide a nice backdrop for the intro shots of the show,” Vollbach said. “I was amazed when I learned that there will be up to 300 cars at the show. Also, it might be a good place to do some more research on location, see cars, meet people.”

The episode will focus on the entire car scene in Florida, which includes everything from swamp buggies and donks to

replicas and sports cars.

Car show chairman Benny Lubrano said the Plant City show should prove to be perfect for Vollbach’s show.

“We have a unique show in that it is held in and around McCall Park, with all the quaintness of the downtown area,” Lubrano said. “It’s a great way to introduce car show participants and spectators to our great city.

Hopefully, those attending will come back again and spend time in our community and support the local merchants of the area.”

Vollbach contacted the car show committee by email to arrange a date for filming. This weekend’s show will feature Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models.

“It’s very exciting that any production, much less one from Ger-

many, would like to do a story on the Strawberry Classic Car Show,” Lubrano said. “I feel that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to showcase our 15-year history of doing monthly shows in Plant City.”

On average, the car show has about 300 cars and trucks each month. With the 16th anniversary show in April, Lubrano said that number could increase to as many as 400. About 750 to 1,000 people come to browse through the show and enjoy the vendors, which sell food, Tshirts, auto accessories, insurance and other products. A kids zone keeps children happy with bounce houses, clowns and free face painting.

The car shows take place on the third Saturday of every month. The frequency of the show was another factor that caught Vollbach’s eye.

“I was amazed to learn that there is a car show taking place almost every other weekend in the Tampa area,” Vollbach said.

“We don’t have so many shows on a regular basis in Germany. Looks like the car scene is strong.”

Lubrano agrees. Several area clubs come to the Plant City show on a regular basis, includ-

accepting the call by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

STEPPING OUT ON

IF YOU GO Strawberry Classic Car Show WHEN: 4 to 8 p.m. Jan. 19 WHERE: McCall Park, Historic Downtown Plant City ing the Neon Cruisers, Imperial Mustang Club, MOPAR of Tampa, and a Corvette club.

Host Birte Karalus, a cameraman and a sound technician will join Vollbach during filming.

Lubrano has plans to walk them around the show along with other show committee members such as Tom Duramas, David Gott, Myrle Henry, Leo “Punk” Watson, Eric Barber and Robert Woods.

Instead of trophies, the Plant City Car Show gives out unique, hand-fabricated “strawberry” awards. Woods, a local metal artist, fabricates the metal strawberry, and Lubrano paints the statue. Usually, three trophies are given per show, but while the film crew is in town, six strawberries will be awarded.

The show will air on Feb. 3 in Germany and will be streamed online at voxnow.de/auto-mobil.php for free two weeks after date of broadcast.

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.

FAITH

Plant City’s First Baptist Church pastor, the Rev. Dr. Michael Lewis, has taken a position as executive director with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

After three-and-one-half years, Feb. 3 will be the last Sunday the Rev. Dr. Michael Lewis will serve as pastor of Plant City’s First Baptist Church.

“First Baptist is a wonderful church, and I love the community and am just so grateful for being able to be a part of it,” Lewis said. “I have nothing but a smile in my heart, seeing their lives spiritually enriched. They have been a congregation that is very involved in the community.”

Lewis has accepted a newly created position with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

As executive director of church revitalization and pastoral relations, Lewis will be responsible for counseling pastors at the 46,000 churches the convention has started. The convention strives to place churches in areas where there is not a Christian presence. Lewis will be based in Atlanta but will travel to various churches across North America to meet with pastors.

“The thing I’m passionate about is relating to and helping the pastors,” Lewis said. “Out of all the members of the congregation, the pastors are the most isolated. Some of these pastors will be out in obscure areas.

Who takes care of the pastors?

That’s what I will be doing.”

Lewis said he is grateful for the opportunity to encourage other pastors by taking the fellowship he had in Plant City and sharing it.

“A lot of the pastoral team

Courtesy photo

The Rev. Dr. Michael Lewis led Plant City’s First Baptist Church for three-and-one-half years. are my friends,” Lewis said.

“They’ve been to my house; I’ve been to theirs.”

During Lewis’ time in Plant City, he led First Baptist to start a ministry to feed the home-

less at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

On the second Saturday of each month, the congregation volunteers time to complete community projects, such as painting houses or assisting at the Boys and Girls Club.

Lewis became a Christian when he was 12 years old, after a friend died in a car crash.

“It created a real question in my heart,” Lewis said of the accident. “(After conversion) my life has never been the same.

I’ve had such a sense of peace and contentment.”

After graduating from high school in Richmond Hill, Ga., Lewis attended Columbia International University and entered into his first pastorate at age 21.

In 1996, he graduated with a master’s degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and, in 2005, he received a doctoral degree of divinity from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

Before coming to Plant City in May 2009, Lewis was a pastor at a large church in Texas.

Dr. Jim Henry will be serving as the transitional pastor until another senior pastor is selected. Henry was the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Orlando and president of the Southern Baptist Conference.

“I have a deep love for First Baptist and Plant City,” Lewis said. “We’re going to miss the Strawberry Festival, too.”

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.

3

identity crisis

by Michael Eng | General Manager

Survey says: Thonotosassa Road segment should change names The city will move forward with plans to rename the segment that stretches from North Mobley Street southeast to Dort Street.

Plant City commissioners directed city staff to explore options for renaming a segment of Thonotosassa Road during their Jan. 14 meeting.

The directive came from results of a survey of all property owners along the three roads named Thonotosassa in Plant City. Segment one stretches from the What is your city limits suggestion for southeast a new name for to Baker segment three Street. The of Thonotosassa s e c o n d Road? Email spans from your suggesthe first segtions to General ment eastManager southeast Michael Eng, to Mobley meng@plantciStreet, and tyobserver.com. the third from Mobley Street southeast to Dort Street.

The city’s survey asked property owners and businesses on all three segments whether they were experiencing confusion and whether they would support renaming one or more of the segments. Overwhelmingly, the results indicated that property owners on the third segment experienced the most confusion and that they favored renaming.

Of the 12 property owners on segment three, 86% reported customers experienced confusion.

Moreover, 71% favored renaming the segment.

City Manager Greg Horwedel said renaming the road only would involve costs associated with replacing street signs. Horwedel also advised against simply adding a direction, such as east or west, to the name.

“It’s best to have a clean break,” he said.

Contact Michael Eng at meng@ plantcityobserver.com.

IDEAS?

IN OTHER NEWS

• U.S. Army Chaplain Maj. Daniel Middlebrooks received a proclamation from Mayor Mike Sparkman recognizing Middlebrooks for his years of service. Middlebrooks is retiring from active duty this year.

• The City Commission approved Steve Boggs for the Plant City Planning Board.

• Commissioners approved a resolution to direct demolition and removal of the buildings located at 1107 and 1109 W. Granfield St. • The City Commission set Jan. 28 as the hearing date to consider rezoning 31 lots within the Walden Reserve subdivision from R-1A (single family) to R-1 (single family). The rezoning would allow larger front and side yards on the lots.

NEWSBRIEFS

4 PlantCityObserver.com

Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

+ Plant City ready for annual MLK festivities The Improvement League of Plant City, in partnership with the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival, will celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. during the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Arts Festival Jan. 18 to 21, in Plant City.

The festival will begin with opening ceremonies at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 18, at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 1601 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Other featured events include a parade at 1 p.m. Jan. 19, along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from downtown to the rec center; a Leadership Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 20, at the HCC John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 North Park Road; and a Freedom Walk at 10 a.m. Jan. 21, at Samuel W. Cooper Park, 900 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

The festival also includes a carnival midway Jan. 18 to 19, at the rec center, concerts and more.

For more information, visitplantcitymlkfestival.com.

+ Alexander Woods Townhomes now open Hillsborough County Commissioner Al Higginbotham joined Plant City Mayor Mike Sparkman, City Manager Greg Horwedel and staff from Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Services and Florida Home Partnership Inc. in a ribboncutting ceremony Jan. 11, to celebrate the opening of Alexander Woods Townhomes, 273 Alexander Woods Drive, Plant City.

Alexander Woods Townhomes is an 80-unit development recently acquired by Florida Home

Partnership, a non-profit developer, through the county’s Affordable Housing Services Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

The townhomes are two- and three-bedroom units moderately priced for qualified homebuyers.

The development has 14 new townhomes currently available for sale. Ten additional units are under construction and will be ready for purchase in mid-2013.

Through the NSP, Hillsborough County received $27 million to purchase and redevelop abandoned or foreclosed properties, such as Alexander Woods, to create affordable, safe homes and remove blight from neighborhoods.

+ Plant City-based Guardsmen mobilized Florida Army National Guardsmen from the 3rd Battalion, 116th Field Artillery have been mobilized for a nine-month deployment to Qatar as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

National Guard Capt. Kyle J. Richardson said the public is invited to attend the unit’s departure ceremony, which will be at 4 p.m. Feb. 21, at the Highlands County Fair Association Convention Center, 781 Magnolia Ave., Sebring. The unit then will depart from Plant City for the mobilization site at 6:30 a.m.

Feb. 23.

“Everyone is welcome at the departure ceremony, and it would be great if we could line the streets that Saturday morning, providing a great, final wave good-bye to troops,” Richardson said.

The 3rd Battalion, 116th Field Artillery is headquartered in Plant City. There are about 170 Guardsmen stationed in Plant City; 16 full-time.

The battalion’s total strength is 475 soldiers.

mi casa es su casa

by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

State Rep. Dan Raulerson, Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce President Marion Smith and Mayor Mike Sparkman

Chambers celebrate Raulerson’s opening It was a full house Jan. 10, as Chamber of Commerce members from both Plant City and Temple Terrace gathered at Florida state Rep. Dan Raulerson’s district office, 110 W. Reynolds St., Suite 204.

Raulerson represents District 58, which includes both municipalities.

“This is your office, your house,” Raulerson said in his opening speech.

Attendees included Raulerson’s wife, Shirley, City Attorney Ken Buchman, City Manager Greg Horwedel, Mayor Mike Sparkman and members

Temple Terrace chamber members Barbara Sparks-McGlinchy and Lauren Tice

Raulerson’s aides Amber Smith and Robyn Bryant from Raulerson’s administration staff and CPA firm.

“We’re just very proud of you, and you’re going to do a good job,” Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce President Marion Smith said in an opening address.

Raulerson’s father, Ron Raulerson, and Jim Scott

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

5

writer’s block? not! by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor Morgan Davis has plans for his third book to release at the end of 2013.

Amber Jurgensen

Plant City resident finishes second book

Not only has 21-year-old Morgan Davis completed his second novel, but also he has recorded a song and is working on a video trailer for the books.

Morgan Davis casually strums his guitar, preparing to sing his song, “Worst Nightmare.” Davis wrote the song for his second book, “Referral to Reality,” part of his Prescribed Life series. The book follows high school student Leah Clark as she tries to rescue her boyfriend from a coma induced by a pill that causes its user to enter a dream which they can control.

The song title fits the plot of the book perfectly. And the chorus fits it just as well: “This dream’s my worst nightmare. Reality’s unfair. I need you beside me there.”

Davis created the song for his book’s website to stir more interest in the series.

“Aside from writing Prescribed Life, I also like to do a lot of poetry, and it really helped me to come up with the theme song, ‘Worst Nightmare,’” Davis said. “Just being able to make a song my own, instead of buying the rights to other music, was way more convenient, and I got exactly what I wanted out of it. People really enjoy it when they visit the site that I’m putting more into it than just writing.”

Davis started the book in July 2012 and worked on it during his shifts at the Plant City skate park. It took him only about five months to finish it. By comparison, his first book in the series took about 18 months.

“It was easier, because the characters were kind of already set up,” Davis said about his second release. “There were a few new ones, but I had experience on how to introduce characters from the first book.”

The 21-year-old, self-published au-

thor said his fans, friends and readers also helped him to finish the book sooner through their feedback on his first effort.

Davis always has loved writing. In high school, Davis began posting poems on Facebook and Myspace. A friend encouraged him to take his poems further by writing a novel. He started the Prescribed Life series in 2010.

In the first book, Clark is put on a trial drug after she has trouble socializing at school. The drug has a strange side effect that takes her into a dream world, where all her desires come true. But trouble starts when kids at school find out about the drug and abuse it.

“My second book is just a continuation from the first one,” Davis said. “It basically has a slogan that once you live a dream, reality’s not enough. And the whole book is pretty much centered around that.”

With no plans to stop writing, Davis already has ideas for the third in the series.

“No matter what is going on in the world around me, whether it’s pen to paper or typing it, I can just get away from anything,” Davis said. “Nothing matters when I’m writing other than what I create, and I can create whatever I want from it.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling of just making that happen and just seeing your creations not only come to life but progress — it’s just huge,” he said. “I don’t have any kids, but I imagine it’d be like watching your kids grow up.”

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@ plantcityobserver.com.

LONG ISLAND. Nancy DiBella caught up on all her Plant City news, while granddaughter Alyssa played in Long Island, N.Y.’s first snowfall of 2012.

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, meng@plantcityobserver.com. Make sure you include your full name and where the photo was taken.

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IT’S READ EVERYWHERE!

6 PlantCityObserver.com SPOTLIGHT

Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

SWEET SOUNDS OF SUCCESS Hot off a radio appearance and a gig at the House of Blues, the Plant City band is poised for national success.

In December, Clemons Road made an appearance on the morning show for Tampa’s WQYK in Tampa. The opening came when a fan sent in Clemons Road’s name to deejay Dave McKay. The band appeared on “Write a Song Wednesdays,” one of the show’s segments that challenges a band to write a song based on

BACKGROUND

The seven-piece band has been promoting itself throughout Plant City and Lakeland since it formed in February 2012. The band played at Plant City’s annual Fourth of July Fireworks show, a Halloween Celebration at O’Brien’s Irish Pub and Grill in Plant City and have even opened up for big-name acts such as Dustin Lynch, at Boots and Buckles, in Lakeland, and Mi-

Courtesy photo

Clemons Road takes its name from the Plant City street near the band members’ childhood homes. chael Ray, the first winner of the CW’s “The Next Talent” competition.

“Everything is kind of taking off with us,” Brown says. “Artists we perform with come in with million-dollar budgets and bands and a technical crew. Now, people expect us to be of that caliber.”

Clemons Road currently is organizing a tour for the spring and summer, visiting cities throughout Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

The band also hopes to have a new album by February.

“It’s not that we’re done playing locally, but we want to build a fan base and want to push out,” High says.

Although the band formed less than a year ago, Clemons Road has acted fast in promoting and creating its music. Floating around town in fans’ CD players and iPods is Clemons Road’s first EP, “From Florida with Love,” which combines country with other styles, such as bluegrass, reggae and rock.

“There’s no bad style of music,” High says. “There’s good music or there’s bad music. We cut through the genres.”

Brown writes many of the songs

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WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Staying true to its roots, the band got its name from the 1.5mile Plant City road. In high school, Brown and bass player Eric Long, used to play in a jam room at his house on Clemons Road. Drummer Chris Williams and High played at Williams’ family’s plantation house on their farm in Springhead.

“All our musical influence started there,” Brown says. “We played, practiced and partied all in that area.”

Brown already knew High, Long and Williams, but through word-of-mouth found Baulac, Baker and guitarist Matt Richardson. Happy with the chemistry of the band, Brown is ready to take on the Southeast this year.

“We’re not a traditional country band,” Brown says. “We make our own sound. We grew up around different music styles, and we’re proud of where we’re from.”

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.

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“Some bands don’t even have full-time players, and we have two of the best,” Brown says.

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for Clemons Road, and he has the skill for it. Brown started creating beats for different artists and signed with Warner Publishing.

In 2007, he won a Grammy for helping produce a song on Mary J. Blige’s Album of the Year, “The Breakthrough.”

It was a breakthrough for Brown, but the job that made him successful had him away from his family for weeks at a time. He gave it up, but his love for music never waned.

“Now, I can do it on my own terms,” Brown says. “I can do what I want to do, when I want to do it.”

His experience has helped the band create the professionalquality demo. Typically, bands have to spend thousands of dollars to hire a producer. Clemons Road was able to do it at a studio at Brown’s Plant City home.

“We practice hard, because we want to get better,” Brown says.

“We’re just some hometown boys from Central Florida. We’re not the very best, but we want to be huge and have the world hear our music.”

The band also plays on the talents of fiddler Jason Baker and banjo player Gavin Baulac.

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callers who give them one line of the song. The band then has to take those lines and create a song — no matter how wacky or lame the lyrics may be.

Four band members headed to the station early that morning. They came bearing gifts — a sampling of pastries from Holein-One Donuts for the morning show deejays.

“We try to bring Plant City with us everywhere we go, because we are so proud of our town,” vocalist Cliff Brown says.

For two hours, the band joked with on-air talents McKay, parody songwriter Cledus T. Judd, “the Weird Al of country music,” and Veronica “V-Girl,” all while listening to callers’ song lyrics.

“They were funny,” Brown says. “Some people were creepy, though.”

One of the kookiest lyrics they received was, “You’re coming with me, whether you like it or not.”

In the end, they created a song with two guitars and a fiddle that broadcast throughout the 2012 Station of the Year’s Tampa Bay market. But for those listeners in Plant City, it’s not the first time they had heard Clemons Road’s unique sound.

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Most of us receive one or two Likes on a Facebook picture we post. But within 30 minutes of posting a photo of two Clemons Road bandmates on the Plant City Observer’s wall holding the newspaper, there were 20 Likes, two shares and two comments.

These guys are popular.

It seems Plant City music lovers can’t get enough of their hometown band. And now, word is extending far beyond the community. Last month, the band was featured on WQYK 99.5, the Academy of Country Music’s 2012 Station of the Year. And on Jan. 5, the group performed at the House of Blues, in Orlando.

Clemons Road caught the ears of the Greg Warren Band, which asked them to join them and Dustin Seymour at the venue.

“It was awesome, ridiculously awesome,” guitarist Josh High says. “The fact that so many big acts played there — people who we look up to — it was awesome.

It was probably our best performance yet.”

About 1,700 people came to the show, with 400 people there specifically for Clemons Road. Afterward, about 150 fans celebrated with the band at an after-party in Downtown Disney.

Plant city observer

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

7

Cops New crops take root at winery Corner fruits of their labor

by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

PLANT CITY

Keel and Curley Winery’s newest ventures include blackberries and peaches.

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

DEC. 21, 2012

FASHION STATEMENT

2900 block of Juniper Lakes Place. Vehicle Burglary.

An unknown suspect entered an unlocked Volkswagen and stole a pair of $15 sunglasses and a pair of $30 earrings.

DEC. 22, 2012

CAMERA CRIMINAL

100 block of Gordon Street. Shoplifting/Petit Theft.

The cashier stated a white male was exiting the store when the anti-theft alarm was activated. The cashier met with the male, who was carrying a bag. A look inside the bag revealed two digital/video cameras. The cashier placed the cameras on the counter, at which time, the male ran out of the store and again activated the alarm.

The cashier checked the cameras and determined another two were missing. The male was described as in his early twenties with a trimmed beard. He was about 5-foot-7 and slim. He got into a red Chevy Cavalier and fled the business. The cameras were valued at $30 each.

Two were recovered; two still are missing.

TV TROUBLES

510 block of Lindsey Anne Court. Residential Burglary.

The victim stated she left home and returned to find her four flat-screen televisions were missing.

The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class received last week a sneak peek at the beginnings of what may be a plentiful blackberry harvest at Keel and Curley Winery.

The self-pollinating ouachita blackberries were planted in October on about 4 acres of the winery’s property.

Ryan Keel, director of farming operations, designed a low-volume irrigation system to water the blackberries instead of the overhead irrigation system used to water the blueberries.

The irrigation system pumps about four gallons of water per hour. Keel and Curley spent about $20,000 to start the new venture.

The blackberries primarily will be available for patrons to pick. But they also will be used in the blackberry wine Keel and Curley makes on-site.

The winery has two types of blackberry wine, dry and sweet. The winery currently imports blackberries from other farms and then crushes them on the property.

“We thought it would be in our best interest to diversify,” Keel said.

“The blueberry market in Florida is

Amber Jurgensen

Keel and Curley Winery currently offers 12 different wines on its list.

flooded. And we already make wine with the fruit, so it just made sense.”

Blackberries aren’t the only new crop at the winery. Last month, Keel and Curley spent about $100,000 planting and cultivating peaches on a 10-acre tract of land off Interstate 4. The property used to be a washout area for the interstate. The peaches also will be available for picking and will be infused with the winery’s peach chardonnay. Like the blackberries, the winery has been importing peach juice to use in their wine.

“Once we have the peaches, we’ll be able to have a higher-end wine in select quantities, because we will be able to control how the peach is

grown,” Clay Keel, events and marketing manager, said.

There are four types of peach varieties being grown, including the Tropic beauty and Florida prince.

The crop also includes two more “experimental” varieties — the UF glow, which is white inside, and UFO, shaped like a flying saucer.

“I’m excited to see what the crops look like and see how interesting it will be to grow,” Keel said.

This year, both the blackberries and peaches will be pruned back to allow growth. Next year, they will be harvested.

Keel and Curley started as an offshoot from Joe Keel’s blueberry farm.

At the end of his harvest, he still had blueberries. He experimented with jams and jellies but eventually settled on blueberry wine. In 2003, he began bottling by hand. Since then, the winery has grown from 5,000 bottles per year to 350,000.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Clay said. “It’s hard to argue that. You’re making a product that people use when they’re having fun.”

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.

DEC. 23, 2012 JUST BECAUSE

600 block of West Baker Street. Criminal Mischief. An unknown person(s) threw a brick through victim’s vehicle window. Nothing was taken from the vehicle.

DEC. 24, 2012

UP, UP AND AWAY

1200 block of North Wheeler Street. Business Burglary. The suspect entered the 24/7 business and pulled down the ceiling panels in the bathroom and attempted to enter the area where the money/coins are stored.

OOPS

EcoWatEr S y s t e m s

3100 block of Azalea Blossom Drive. Accidental Shooting. A 46-year-old white male accidentally shot himself in the leg while visiting a friend.

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1200 block of Spotted Lilac Lane. Attempted Burglary. The victim was sleeping when he heard a knock at the front door. The victim did not see anyone outside.

Several minutes later, he heard a window break on the west side of the residence. The victim yelled and the suspect(s) ran off.

WHAT GOES UP ...

3210 block of Stevenson Street. Shooting into an Occupied Dwelling. The victim heard a noise around 2:30 a.m. that sounded like something hitting the house. The victim awoke later to find a hole in her living room ceiling and a bullet on the floor.

DEC. 26, 2012

CLEAN GETAWAY

1110 block of West Madison Street. Theft. Unknown person(s) stole a washing machine, valued at $200, from the front porch of the home.

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DEC. 30, 2012 NIC FIT

500 block of South Wheeler Street. Business Burglary. Officers responded to an alarm call and observed a hole in the concrete wall in the rear of the business. which led to the storage room of the store.

Officers checked the interior of the business for suspect(s), with negative results. The damages totaled $1,000. The suspect(s) stole 31 cartons of cigarettes, totaling $1,912.77.

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CRIMES OF OPPORTUNITY

2200 block of West Oak Street. Vehicle Burglaries.

Unknown suspect(s) entered 2006 Toyota truck and removed a black/grey purse, valued at $30. Additionally, suspect(s) entered a 2002 Buick SUV and stole a red Coach purse and grey Coach wristlet wallet, valued at $100 and $80, respectively.

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Observer

PLANT CITY

Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

spotlight by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

PAJAMA MAMA

You can keep your fork

“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

Founding Publisher / Felix Haynes Managing Editor / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, jeng@PlantCityObserver.com Associate Editors / (Community) Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@ PlantCityObserver.com; (Sports) Matt Mauney, mmauney@PlantCityObserver. com Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, vprostko@PlantCityObserver. com; Ronda Kyler, rkyler@ PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Coordinator / Linda Lancaster, llancaster@PlantCityObserver.com

Courtesy photos

Accounting Manager / Petra Kirkland, pkirkland@PlantCityObserver.com

The winners of the Queen’s category include Queen Elizabeth Padilla, center, First Maid Courtney Coton and court members Savana Garrison, Savannah Kummelman and Kellen Morris.

Advertising-Production Operations Manager / Kathy Payne, kpayne@ yourobserver.com

Judges crown Junior Royalty

Advertising-Production Coordinator / Brooke Schultheis, bschultheis@ yourobserver.com Advertising Graphic Designers / Peter Carlson, pcarlson@yourobserver. com; Monica DiMattei, mdimattei@ yourobserver.com; Marjorie Holloway, mholloway@yourobserver.com; Luis Trujillo, ltrujillo@yourobserver.com; Chris Stolz, cstolz@yourobserver.com

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CONTACT US

The 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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TO ADVERTISE Call Veronica Prostko or Ronda Kyler at 704-6850.

SEND US YOUR NEWS

We 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, meng@plantcityobserver.com Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100A, Plant City, FL 33563

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President / Felix Haynes Directors / Nate Kilton, Ed Verner, Matt Walsh

110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100A Plant City, Fla. 813-704-6850 www.PlantCityObserver.com ©Copyright Plant City Observer LLC 2012 All Rights Reserved

More than 1,000 people came out to watch 120 girls strut their stuff across the stage at the 2013 Plant City Junior Royalty Pageant Jan. 12, at the Evelyn and Batista Madonia Sr. Agricultural Show Center.

The pageant featured four categories: Baroness (5- to 6-year-olds), Duchess (7- to 9-year-olds), Princess (10- to 12-year-olds) and Queen (13to 15-year-olds).

Winners included Queen Elizabeth Padilla, Princess

Kamille Long, Duchess Bailey Brock and Baroness Kamri DePianta.

The winners will represent the Florida Strawberry Festival on a float in the youth parade March 2, and in the grand parade on March 4.

The winners of the Baroness category include Baroness Kamri DePianta, center, First Maid Sara Grace Sparkman and court members Gracie Garner, Emmerson Givens and Layla Lee. The winners of the Duchess category include Duchess Bailey Brock, center, First Maid Birdget McLaughlin and court members Lacie Collins, Giselle Gutierrez and Payton Talavera.

The winners of the Princess category include Princess Kamille Long, center, First Maid Savannah Tucker and court members Selena Berrios, Reagan Brown and Brilynn Hallman.

New Year’s resolutions tend to go in one year and out the other.

Or at least for me they do.

My never-ending resolution since having my two children is to return to my prebaby size. I have done it once or twice in the last six years, but I always find my way back to the dessert table.

With a rumbling tummy on day eight of my weight-loss EMILIE journey, I was given a PLANTS special message by an angel of God. Helen Maxine Brooks, 94, was a member of my church and like the granny I lost years ago.

Maxine, as she liked to be called, always made a point to give me a hug every Sunday.

Her example came into my life only one year ago, but even in her death, she had one more lesson to teach me.

Inside the funeral program, was a poem:

“You Can Keep Your Fork” In all my years of attending church socials And functions where food was involved ...

My favorite part was when you were told: You can keep your fork ...

I knew that something better was coming!

My eternal home in heaven!

So, the next time you reach down for your Fork, let it remind you, oh, so gently, That there is something better coming!

My prayer is that each one reading this Will know you can have that same hope!

Are you ready? John 3:16

If you’ve ever been a fancy restaurant, the waiter will arrive at the end of your meal to remove all of the dirty dishes, except your fork.

You see, that means the best part of the meal is on its way — dessert.

Maxine loved dessert, but she lived her life waiting for the ultimate dessert — heaven.

As I paid my last respects, she was holding a silver fork, and I can only imagine her using it to enjoy a heavenly dessert, sitting with Jesus, her husband, Charles, and the friends and family she had missed here on Earth.

It’s not a secret that I love dessert or I wouldn’t be on this diet. However, there’s something I love even more: God. I still am going to keep with my diet and strive for a healthier life, but my fork will now be a symbol of hope for the future.

I may never see my 26-inch waist again, but my most important resolution is to live in such a way to one day enjoy a dessert with my friend.

Emilie Plants, a Plant City native, is a stay-at-home mother of two, freelance journalist and a former Florida Strawberry Festival Queens Court member.

Courtesy photo

Helen Maxine Brooks continues to be an inspiration to this day.

Plant city observer

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

OBSERVEROBITUARIES Margo DeBerry Carr

Margo DeBerry Carr, died Jan. 10, in Plant City.

She was born Sept. 10, 1920, in Buda, Texas.

During World War II, she worked at the Tampa shipyard as a press operator and welder. She helped her brother, Marvin, get a job there.

Mrs. Carr worked in the Hillsborough County school system from 1968 through 1986 as a teacher’s aide at Dover and Jackson elementary schools, was active in PTA, the American Legion Auxillary (five-time president), the Democratic Party, March of Dimes (chairman) and numerous other political and community service organizations.

Survivors include her sons, John L. Carr and his wife, Linda, and Samuel D. Carr and his wife, Joy; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Carr was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, John D. Carr; her twin brother, Marvin DeBerry; her sisters Leona DeBerry Truman and Iva DeBerry Hensley; her daughter, Nancy Hencey Holloway Cunigan; and son, physicist Thomas R. Hencey III. Online condolences may be made at wellsmemorial.com.

Haywood Mack Griffin

Haywood Mack Griffin, died Jan. 9. He was 94.

Mr. Griffin was born April 25,

Griffin (Karen); and 13 greatgrandchildren, Abby, Griffin and Dean Clark; Carter, Carson Jay Clark; Groves Bennett; Hayes, Reed and Whit Barrus; Griffin and Emma Hodgdon; Rebecca and Eleanor Griffin; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife of more than 60 years, Lucille E. Griffin; parents, Clark and Wilmouth (Mimi) Griffin; brothers, Simmie J. (Kay), L.C. Jr. (Red) and Calvin (Bert).

Memorials may be made to Mack Griffin Memorial Scholarship Fund, 2507 N. Maryland Ave., Plant City, FL. 33563.

Online condolences may be made at wellsmemorial.com.

1918, in Berrien County, Georgia.

He was the oldest child of Leslie Clark and Wilmouth (Mimi) Harper Griffin.

The family moved to Florida when he was a small child and settled in the Dover area around 1925. Mr. Griffin graduated from Turkey Creek High School and worked his way up to Seaboard Coastline fireman on the train, carrying phosphate to Boca Grande prior to World War II. He enlisted in the Army and attended OCS and graduated from Camp Lee Virginia Transportation Corp. He served during World War II in England and France.

Mr. Griffin remained in the U.S. Army Reserves for more than 20 years and retired as a captain.

He and his wife, Lucille E. Griffin, bought what had been known as the Newman Brothers Farm in 1950, in Plant City, where they farmed and resided. They later established Sunny Acre Farm as a recognized brand in the produce industry.

He is survived by his sister, Mary Evers (Clyde), of Coral Gables, children Linda Griffin Clark (Jay), of Wauchula; James L. (Jim) Griffin, (Judy), of Tampa, and Mike Griffin (Barbara), of Orange Park; grandchildren, Jason Clark (Holly), Justin Clark (Lisa), Candice Bennett (Ron), Lisa Hodgdon (Keith), Melissa Barrus (Charles), Ben Griffin (Elizabeth) and John

Marie Ketner

Marie Ketner, 83, died Jan. 10.

Born April 17, 1929, she was the daughter of the late James Spencer and the late Emma Phibbs Spencer. She was the wife of the late Curtis Ketner Sr. Mrs. Ketner enjoyed camping, fishing and spending time with her family.

Survivors include sons, Curtis E. Ketner Jr. and John Paul Ketner; daughter, Wanda Tina Carrick; brother, Walter Spencer; sisters, Virginia Edwards, Dora McCallops and Doris Meece; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

She was also preceded in death by brothers, Ralph and Harvey Spencer.

Services will be held privately at a later date.

Online condolences may be made at haughtfuneralhome. com.

9

in memoriam

William Reece Smith Jr. remembered for hard work William Reece Smith Jr., whose career in law included serving as president of the American Bar Association, died Jan. 11. He was 87.

Smith was born Sept. 19, 1925, and grew up in Plant City. He graduated in 1943, from Plant City High School and was the school’s most recent inductee into its Hall of Fame, an honor he received during the school’s 2012 Homecoming festivities.

Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in 1946, from the University of South Carolina. He then attended law school at the University of Florida and in 1949 graduated first in his class. He then became a Rhodes scholar in 1952, at Oxford University.

After Oxford, Smith came back to the United States and joined the faculty at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he taught for a year.

In September 1954, Smith joined the Carlton Fields law firm and became active in the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association. He had been part of the American Bar Association for 55 years.

Smith was sworn in as the president of the ABA in 1980, in Australia, where he spoke on how to make legal services available to the poor and made it his life’s mission.

“I think law has a desirable social goal, a useful goal,” Smith told

the Plant City Observer in October 2012. “It’s about making a notable contribution. It’s not about money for me.”

Smith helped save the federally funded Legal Services Corp., after former President Ronald Reagan announced a plan to eliminate it. He brought 100 leaders representing 300 associations to Washington, D.C., to lobby and testify on behalf of the LSC, which handled about 1.5 million cases at the time.

For his humanitarian efforts, he has received various awards, including the B’nai B’rith National Humanitarian Award.

His many accomplishments include serving as president of the American Bar Association, chair emeritus of Carlton Fields, 12 honorary degrees at the doctorate level and the Distinguished American Award in the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.

Survivors include his son, William Reece Smith III, and daughter-in-law, Rachel-Anne Winter Smith; grandson, William Reece Smith IV, (Liam); and former wife, Marlene Medina Smith.

A funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Jan. 17, at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, 500 W. Platt St., Tampa. A reception will follow at Chester Ferguson Law Center of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, 1601 N. Tampa St., Tampa.

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YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | SENIORS | COMMUNITY | TENNIS

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Senior Kellee Brown leads fierce Lady Raiders. 12

PLANTCITYObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

for the love of the game by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

GSA growing as major tournament host Non-profit founder and local resident Bob Mondoux is focused on providing quality travel tournaments at a low cost and bringing money to local teams and economy.

Matt Mauney

Global Sports Alliance Florida Director and National President Bob Mondoux is responsible for bringing large travel tournaments to Plant City and using them as ways to give back locally.

show me the mauney

Community turns out for Antioch Little League This job has many rewarding factors.

As reporters, we sometimes lose sight of these through deadlines, multiple stories on our plates, long, unorthodox hours and other daily stresses.

Many of our story ideas come from the readers themselves — often alerting us of an upcoming event or asking us to MATT spotlight a MAUNEY resident or outstanding athlete.

Every now and then, we have the chance to actually see our efforts make a real difference.

We received an email from Donna Skeens, a local mom involved with sponsorship and fundraising for the Antioch Little League. Her husband, Jimmy, is in charge of groundskeeping and safety management for the organization.

Skeens explained the county had stopped supplying red clay and sand to get the fields, located at 8510 Franklin Road, in Plant City, in proper playing condition for the upcoming baseball and softball season.

The county also does not maintain the fields, forcing the Skeens and the rest of the Antioch Little League family to search for help.

They worked tirelessly to get the fields ready, along with the help of James and Stephine Sheffield and other volunteers.

SEE MAUNEY / PAGE 13

With five athletic kids, Plant City resident Bob Mondoux knows life in sports can be costly.

Equipment, team dues and fees for travel and tournaments all add up for any parent with kids active in sports.

Mondoux now spends his days finding ways to help cut down on that aspect, sanctioning leagues and travel tournaments for baseball and softball throughout Florida.

Mondoux started Global Sports Alliance in 2010, with partners O.J. Simpson from Washington and Paul Griffin, from New York. He now serves as the Florida state director as well as the president of the national office of GSA, which became an incorporated nonprofit in 2011.

“We want to provide competitive tournaments where teams can afford to play,” Mondoux said.

Prior to his involvement with GSA, Mondoux worked as a director with both the United States Specialty Sports Association and Nations Baseball. After signing on with Global Sports Authority, a Georgia-based organization that hosted softball tournaments, he and partners Simpson and Griffin decided to form their own, non-profit version of GSA, naming it Global Sports Alliance.

“With the economy the way

it is, we had to bring the cost down and make it affordable to play,” he said.

They did just that, organizing travel tournaments for less than half the cost of competing organizations in Florida as well as states across the country. Now, GSA sanctions tournaments across the nation for baseball, softball and even soccer.

Mondoux also wanted to use

SEE GSA / PAGE 12

Team on the Rise soccer by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

Boys District Plant City

The Raiders have been plagued with injuries and setbacks this season.

According to head coach Chris Black, every starter on his team except Edgar Morales has missed time due to an injury or a red card suspension.

“We have had 19 different lineups in 19 games,” Black said. “We hope to have all of our players back for districts.”

Plant City is 10-81 entering Friday’s regular season finale with Wharton. The Raiders will host the Class 4A District 9 tournament and will be the prime-time game at 7 p.m. Jan. 22, when the No. 3 seed plays No. 6 seed Hillsborough.

Durant

Matt Mauney

Team leader Mazeed Aro-Lambo, left, Colin Archer and the rest of the Strawberry Crest Chargers hope to continue to improve as a program.

The Chargers will enter the Class 4A District 9 tournament next week as the No. 1 seed and undefeated in district play.

The Strawberry Crest boys soccer team has improved its postseason push each year of its existence.

If that pattern continues, that means the Chargers will earn their first district title next week.

In just four years, the Chargers have established themselves as one of the top teams in the area.

This year’s campaign has been the best yet, as they enter the regular season finale Friday at 10-1-1.

Their lone loss of the season

came last week in a 2-1 defeat against Plant High School, a nondistrict foe. The Chargers hope to enter the Class 4A District 9 tournament with 11 wins, when they face another powerful nondistrict opponent Jan. 18, in Newsome.

In district play, the Chargers were nearly perfect at 5-0-1, with their only blemish coming in a 3-3 tie Nov. 13, against Hillsborough.

Strawberry Crest will hold the No. 1 seed going into the Class 4A Dis-

trict 9 tournament, where they will play the East Bay-Tampa Bay Tech winner at 5 p.m. Jan. 24, at Plant City High School.

“That was the worst 48 minutes of soccer we played all year,” said head coach Scott Vomacka about the Hillsborough game, during which his team fell behind 3-0 before battling back with three unanswered second-half goals.

“Whatever we tried to do didn’t

SEE SOCCER / PAGE 13

The Cougars are 3-6-2 entering the regular season finale at Freedom Friday. They will enter the Class 5A District 7 tournament Tuesday in the opening round.

According to head coach Will Tunstall, the Cougars need to use an intensity they have shown recently to be successful in the tournament.

“There is much more desire evident in our training and as a result the fitness has improved dramatically,” Tunstall said. “If this factor comes together with the technical skill set that my players already possess, Durant will be a major threat.”

The Cougars are led

by Eric Salmeron, Jesus Molina, Derek Wells and Duncan Fisher, along with defensive leader Ben Eisenhauer and team captain Josh Mansilla.

Plant city observer

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

heroes in uniform

11

by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

Public-service football teams take field for charity The Tampa Bay Sentinels, a fullcontact football team comprising first-responders and military veterans from throughout the Tampa Bay area, took on the St. Pete Green Machine in a charity flag football game Jan. 12, at Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex.

Money raised from the game benefited the MacDonald Training Center, a non-profit that strives to empower people with disabilities to live the lives they choose. MTC has locations in Tampa and Plant City.

The Green Machine, a flag football team comprising members of the St. Petersburg Police Department, replaced the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League.

The Storm had to forego the charity game to be at the funeral of teammate Chandler Williams, who died unexpectedly in a flag football tournament Jan. 6, in Miami.

For more information on the Sentinels, visit tampabaysentinels.com.

Tony Santiago nearly made this great catch before the half.

The Tampa Bay Lightning mascot, Thunderbug, was on hand.

Matt Berry is a member of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Left: Sentinels quarterback Dan Parvin made some nice plays.

Jim Mayors, Dustin Pierce and John Wedge brought Bayflite 3 from Bayfront Medical Center to the event.

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12 PlantCityObserver.com athlete of the week

Plant city observer

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

by Matt Mauney | Associate Editor

KELLEE BROWN

Perhaps no one has seen the progression of the Plant City High girls’ soccer program over the last four years more than Kellee Brown. The senior center back/defender has been a captain for the Lady Raiders since her junior season and has started since her freshman year. PCHS has come a long way as a program since then, including two consecutive trips to the region tournament. The Lady Raiders hold the No. 1 seed for the Class 4A District 9 tournament and will face either Hillsborough or Brandon Jan. 17, for a chance to clinch a third-consecutive regional spot.

How long have you been playing soccer?

Competitively, I’ve been playing since I was 11 years old.

For what club teams have you played?

I played for the Plant City Lancers, and then I played in Lakeland, and now, I’m in Brandon with the VSI Flames.

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What are your thoughts on this season so far at PCHS? We all came in thinking that we were going to go far, because of our results last year and making history with the regional semifinals. We don’t know if we’re going to make it further, but we definitely plan on it.

The Plant City Observer’s

To what do you attribute the continued success over the years?

There’s definitely been more girls coming in with talent, and the coaches have been great.

What are some highlights from this year that stand out?

Tying Newsome 2-2 early this year was big for our team. They’re a really good program and are out of our district but are still a rival.

So, that was big for us.

2013

Florida Strawberry Festival Guide

What about personal highlights?

Reach more than 40,000 readers with the first of its

GSA/PAGE 10

kind, Plant City guide to the Florida Strawberry Festival.

The guide will be inserted in the Plant City Observer as well as distributed by hand at local seasonal events.

GSA’s non-profit status to help rebuild ballparks nationwide.

“Cities and counties are strapped for money, including right here in Plant City,” he said. “We wanted to find a way to not only host tournaments but raise money for the places where we’re holding the tournaments and for the home teams of those areas.”

As a proud resident of Plant City, Mondoux wanted to help out local schools, teams and organizations in the place he calls home. GSA teamed up with the Kiwanis Club of Plant City in December.

That tournament collected 150 Christmas presents for local kids in need.

“They were ecstatic over it, and we were so happy to be able to help out,” he said.

With two boys at Plant City High School and his oldest a graduate and a former baseball player at PCHS, Mondoux wanted to use GSA as a way for the Raiders baseball team to raise funds.

After reaching out to new head coach Mike Fryrear, PCHS players assisted with running two GSA tournaments last fall, including working the gate and concessions. Those two tournaments alone raised $3,800 for the program.

GSA has also hosted tournaments at PCHS and Strawberry Crest High School and has plans to continue to do so, so the money raised can go back locally. Mondoux also said he hopes to move the corporate office for GSA here in Plant City.

• Listing of all the performers and attractions • Map of the festival grounds • Behind the scenes stories of the volunteers and residents who make the festival possible • Strawberry Queens coverage

PUBLICATION DATE: Thursday, Feb. 7 RESERVE SPACE BY: Wednesday, Jan. 23

CONTACT:

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Call 813.704.6850 or email llancaster@ yourobserver.com for more information.

I’ve scored five goals this year, so that’s the most I’ve scored playing in high school.

What will you remember most from your high school career?

Just the atmosphere of the team. It’s fun to have the group of girls to talk with and have fun with. Also, both coaches I’ve had have been encouraging and positive.

Any plans to play in college?

I’m committed to play for Florida Southern.

Were there other schools interested in you?

Just (University of Tampa) and Florida Southern, but I really wanted to stay close to home.

Have you chosen a major?

Not yet, but I know I want to go into physical therapy.

Do you play any other sports?

I’ve been on the flag football team since my sophomore year and played volleyball my sophomore year.

Do you have any hobbies outside of sports?

Not really, but school is important. I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA. What’s your favorite subject?

Math

“Plant City is my home, and we want to keep the money here,” he said.

To avoid over-saturation, GSA hosts no more than one tournament per month in one area. This approach has seen large numbers, including 155 teams in the first GSA Fall State Championships in 2011, held at Mike Sansone Park. Last year’s fall championships had 133 teams participate — only because there were not enough fields available for more to register.

Mondoux also believes in promoting fairness in his tournaments.

“We want to give teams that might not have a chance to play in a championship game that opportunity,” he said. “We also make sure teams don’t play more than three games in one day. We don’t believe in a team having to play four times in a day.”

GSA’s next tournament will be smaller, featuring about 40 teams for the Winter Warm Up Jan. 18 to 20, in Plant City.

Seven other tournaments are planned for Plant City this year, including Grand Slam II, Summer Slam III, Hope for the Holidays and the GSA Fall State Championships.

GSA also has tournaments planned in Tampa, Sarasota, Leesburg and Avon Park, among others.

For more information about local tournaments, visit gsafloridabaseball. com or visit the national site, gsanational.org.

Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@ plantcityobserver.com.

Plant city observer

PlantCityObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

Girls Districts Class 4A District 9

Strawberry Crest, the No. 3 seed defeated No. 6 seed Tampa Bay Tech 2-1 Tuesday night at home. The win sends the Lady Chargers to the semifinals Thursday, where they will face No. 2 seed East Bay. The top-seeded Plant City High girls team will face the winner of HillsboroughBrandon Thursday night at Strawberry Crest, the tournament host. The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but was pushed back due to finals week. The Lady Raiders are 5-0-1 in district play this season, with their only nonwin coming in a scoreless tie against East Bay. Plant City is led by juniors Ericka Lott (24 goals), Stephanie Galloway and senior leader Kellee Brown.

Class 5A District 7

No. 5 seed Durant fell to No. 4 seed Bloomingdale 3-0 Tuesday at Plant High. The loss ended the season for the Lady Cougars.

Please visit PlantCityObserver.com and follow us on Twitter at @ PlantCitySports for updates.

SOCCER/PAGE 10 work. When we got to the second half, we got a spark off a corner kick, and then they started to believe in themselves, and next thing you know, we scored two more goals in the next 12 minutes.”

According to Vomacka, the Chargers’ main downfall has been consistent play throughout an entire game.

“We’ve had spurts, where your eyes are open and you realize we could have something special going on, but it would be nice to piece together a whole 80 minutes to see what we can do,” he said.

That inconsistent pattern showed Jan. 8, in a road game against Riverview. It was the Chargers’ first game back following Christmas break, and they found themselves down 2-1 late in the second half. That’s when senior leader Noah Shaffer stepped in during a team water break.

“He was not happy and told the team that we didn’t come this far just to give up this easy,” Vomacka said.

The Chargers would score three goals in the final 15 minutes for a 4-2 win.

“It took them (Riverview) out

of the game real quick,” Vomacka said.

According to Shaffer, he and the rest of the six seniors knew that this season had potential to be special.

“After the Hillsborough game, we decided that we were going to work harder, so we didn’t have to work that hard again for a game,” Shaffer said. “We decided that we wanted to try to go undefeated and used that as motivation. If we go down, we think that we can beat anybody and come back no matter what the score is.”

In addition to Shaffer, who has six goals and six assists on the year, the Chargers are led by seniors Mazeed Aro-Lambo and Patrick Mayo. Aro-Lambo, who also excels in the classroom and has earned a full academic scholarship to Northwestern University, leads the Chargers with 14 goals and 34 points.

According to Aro-Lambo, the goal of this year’s seniors is not to only find success this season but also further establish the Strawberry Crest program for the future.

“We want to improve the program as a whole, so when the seniors leave, it carries on throughout the years,” he said. “That’s a huge goal of ours.”

The Chargers are on the right track. Vomacka’s team has improved each year since the program began in 2009. After falling short in 2010-11, the Chargers advanced to regionals last season for the first time, falling to Plant City 6-1 in the district title game before suffering a 7-0 defeat to Seminole in the regional quarterfinals.

“It was an eye-opening experience for us to realize that, if we want to get to the next level, this is what we need to be,” Vomacka said of Seminole, who ended up as the state runner-up last season.

One of the biggest questions headed into the year was how the Chargers would be in goal, but junior Nick Kubecka has been solid, with a 1.25 goals against average and has recorded three shutouts.

With Kubecka, a strong defense and an offense led by AroLambo, Mayo, Shaffer and junior Aldair Moralez-Sanchez, along with others, the Chargers appear to be headed in the right direction.

“I like the position we’re in heading into the district tournament,” Vomacka said.

Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@plantcityobserver. com.

13

SIDELINES Youth sports + Area Little Leagues need participants Registration for the spring 2013 Plant City Little League season is open until midnight Jan. 18.

After Jan. 19, the registration fee goes up by $25, and space is limited. Tryouts begin the week of Jan. 21.

The last in-person registration date is from 8 a.m. to noon Jan. 19.

To register online or for more information, visit the Plant City Little League’s website, plantcitylittleleague. org.

Children ages 4-16 who are interested in playing for Antioch Little League baseball or softball can register at the Antioch fields from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 17.

More players are needed to fill out teams, as well as parent coaches and volunteers.

The Antioch fields are located at 8510 Franklin Road, Plant City.

MAUNEY/PAGE 10 They were in need of a tractor/box blade and bucket last weekend to help get the fields ready, and the Skeens reached out to us for help.

First, it is a privilege to be able to help with things like this — and even more of an honor that community members think of the Plant City Observer to come to for help. After all, we’re your community newspaper.

With limited funds, the Antioch program was hoping for any volunteer help they could get.

“I am telling you this as I hope with some of your contacts you would be able to lead me in the right direction for help,” Skeens wrote in the email.

After asking around within our office for any leads, I posted the request on our Facebook page.

A day later, I received another email.

Skeens wrote: “I would like you to know how much this means to me as we try to teach our boys that one person could make a difference. We would just like to see Antioch return back to the park it was meant to be.”

Antioch also was looking for more players, ages 4-16, to fill out their baseball and softball teams for the league, along with parent coaches and volunteers.

So, I posted another update on Facebook about those needs. On Monday, I received another email from Skeens.

This was the best one yet.

“First I would like to thank you for listing what you did in the Observer,” she said. “We had people coming for sign-ups.”

Then, even more good news: “I would like to let you know our prayers have been answered. We now have two men that came out Sunday with tractors to help us. The fields are coming together faster and a special shout-out to Antioch Feed Store for its support.”

Receiving emails like these never gets old. It is a regular reminder of why I love this job.

This week’s Crossword answers

2012

1. “Dude, lobelias are really pretty, but I’m the most intelligent plant in the garden,” said the sage.

2. The big clairvoyants’ meeting at my home had to be cancelled due to a few wildly unforeseen events.

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This week’s Cryptogram answers

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ACROSS 1 “Our Gang” member 7 Circled, as a planet 14 Conquer 20 Con’s preoccupation 21 More prepared 22 Anxious concern 23 “My kingdom for ___” 24 One, for lithium 25 Place for pollen 26 Places with lots of sneezing?

28 Grafting shoot 30 Bridal bio word 31 Shady trees 32 Controversial topic 34 Stick a fork into 38 Strong fishing nets 41 Characteristic 42 Say W-H-E-N? 43 Friendly 46 Kind of inspiration 47 Bert’s Muppet pal 48 Hypnotic inducements 49 “Be right there” 50 Shields from film 51 Like fingerprints 52 Able to speak smoothly 53 Foretold one’s future 54 Above, to Shakespeare 55 Green park feature 56 Musical group of eight 57 Academy freshman 59 Green unit of 55-Across 60 Artist’s cap 62 Old-fashioned shoe covering 66 Razzle-dazzle

68 Earthenware cooking pots 69 Hairy beast 70 Went rowing 73 To boot 75 One with a bum leg, perhaps 78 Like most greenhouse plants 79 California oak 80 Errors 81 Its capital is Oranjestad 82 Postpone, as a deadline 83 Baked breakfast item 84 Already-beenseen TV 85 “Happy Birthday” medium 86 Type of chip 87 ‘N ___ (boy band) 88 Issue suddenly 89 Bamako’s home 90 Toddler’s noontime break 93 ___ Rouge of Cambodia 95 Indian Ocean arm 99 Make a mess of 102 Another type of chip 105 Warning signals 106 “Open mouth, ___ foot” 107 Instrument associated with Hawaii 108 Most healthy 109 Comfortably warm 110 More than a few 111 Where you can hear pins drop

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16 Salad toppers, often 17 Beaver construction 18 Find an application for 19 Nighttime, poetically 27 Siamese sobs 29 Awww-inspiring 32 Baseball Hall of Famer Monte 33 New Orleans athlete 35 Highest adult male voice 36 “Great minds think ___” 37 Extort money from 39 Try to outrun 40 Not yet up 41 Marathoners’ concerns 42 Material that’s worsted for wear?

43 Barbershop band 44 Built-out window 45 Group of key personnel 46 Put out, as a fire 49 Decked out 50 Cigar remains 52 Rush week venue, for short 53 One-spot cards 55 Cheerful 56 Like some thermometers

58 Cowboys wear big ones 59 Past tense of 37-Down 60 Mixer button 61 First name among jazz legends 63 ___ New Guinea 64 Sneak ___ (glimpse) 65 Concise 67 Fresh from the laundry 68 Not debt-free 70 Practices boxing 71 Haim or Feldman 72 Car’s about-face 73 Bit of clowning 74 Aroma 75 Italian coin of old 76 “It ___ what you think!”

77 U.S. senator Mitch 79 Message that departs from the main subject 80 Recurrent theme 82 Blarney Stone land 83 Blimp or Klink 86 Record promotion scandal 88 E, on a gas gauge 89 Ceremonial staff carrier 91 What subjects and verbs should do 92 Swindler’s easy mark 94 Injured 95 Digestive aid 96 ___ Men (“Who Let the Dogs Out” band) 97 Airline that doesn’t schedule flights on the Sabbath 98 D-Day craft (Abbr.)

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CROSSWORD_011713

““ ” Plant city observer

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2013

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Why THe observer?

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 Holland

Director, Plant City Recreation & Parks Department

RIChIE long Reader

Observer Plant City. Longboat. East County. Sarasota. Pelican Press.

Longboat Observer and Sarasota Observer were named Local Media Association’s 2012 newspapers of the Year.

”

Observer PLANT CITY

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OMG has brought its award-winning journalism to Plant City.

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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.

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