YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
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REALESTATE SPORTS Custom-built home tops transactions. PAGES 8-9
OUR TOWN
+ Chamber hosts Rep. Dennis Ross
US. Rep Dennis Ross was the featured speaker at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce’s Contact Breakfast March 19, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Building. Ross spoke on a plethora of topics, including immigration, health care, flood insurance and more. Silvia Dodson won the chamber’s Good Egg of the Month award.
FREE • THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014
Strawberry Crest girls are crushing the competition.
O’Brien’s goes green for annual St. Paddy’s Day celebration.
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SEE PAGE 6
everything’s waiting for you … by Justin Kline | Staff Writer
TRIPLE DIGITS
Last December, Plant City added a special events manager to its staff. Hot off the first Railfest, the city already is planning its next event — a food truck rally.
Plant City resident celebrates 103 years
City hopes to build buzz with new downtown events Plant City looks to be much more lively in 2014. Following February’s first Railfest at the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum, Special Events Manager Deanna Hurley plans to roll out a new
event every month in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. If everything goes according to plan, it won’t just be downtown reaping the benefits: When complete, the new Midtown area will see
plenty of action, as well. “Our hope is that the downtown core will see a new influx of visitors in the businesses, restaurants, parks and other amenities,” City Manager Greg Horwedel
said. “The special events will remind the residents and expose the visitors to the wonderful attributes of downtown and midtown.”
SEE EVENTS / PAGE 4
BLAST FROM THE PAST by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
+ Five earn Eagle Scout designation
Five scouts from Boy Scout Troop 5 will receive the award of Eagle Scout during a celebratory recognition ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 24, at the Norman McLeod American Legion Post 26, 2207 W. Baker St., Plant City. A Scout Court of Honor will be held on behalf of Chase Dunn, Michael Hahn, Isaac Rivers, Christopher Tatum and Spencer Tatum. The rank of Eagle Scout is earned by a Boy Scout who has been a Life Scout for at least six months, earns a minimum of 21 merit badges, demonstrates Scout Spirit, and demonstrates leadership in the troop, team, crew or ship. He must plan, develop, and lead a major community service project— the Eagle Project — that demonstrates both leadership and a commitment to duty.
Amber Jurgensen
Veterans Lance Ham, left, Jay Hays, Ed Duke, Jim Christiansen, Bryan O’Reilly and Bob Johnson helped load the helicopter onto a Texas-bound flatbed trailer.
IN GOOD COMPANY U.S. Army Sgt. Jay Hays, of the 281st Assault Helicopter Company, was among the veterans who saw a Vietnam-era helicopter leave Plant City for its new home, a museum in Texas.
+ Rotary Club donates AEDs
The Noon Rotary Club of Plant City donated recently another 20 Automated External Defibrillators to the Plant City Police Department. Police Capt. Jerry Stwan and Capt. Susan Pruet received the units from Rotary Club President Aaron Davis.
, 3&
This week’s winner is
Bill Turner
See his photo on PAGE 15.
It was Nov. 7, 1968 — the last day weathered Bandit Crew Chief and Platoon Sgt. Jay Hays had to spend in the rotting jungles of Vietnam. When he entered the U.S. Army, he was a strapping 230-pound young man. He left at 150. But, before he flew home, he was taken to see the helicopter in which
he lived, ate, suffered and, most importantly, survived for an entire year. “They wanted me to have one last flight,” Hays said. A current of memories streamed through him like the pulse of his own heartbeat. He had helped rescue 168 people who had been enslaved for eight years on just one mission. He
went on 13 assaults during another, when no one else made it more than three. He dined on steak in the cockpit, once. And he dropped grenades encased in empty peanut butter jars into enemy foxholes below. They didn’t call the 281st Assault
SEE VETRANS / PAGE 4
by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Almontha “Rose” Meadows spent her birthday with friends and family, at Health Center of Plant City.
Almontha “Rose” Meadows told her daughter-in-law, Vickie Meadows, to live every day like it’s her last. After all, that’s what Meadows has been doing for more than 100 years, and it seems to be working. Meadows, who simply goes by Rose, celebrated recently her 103rd birthday surrounded by family, friends and staff, at the Health Center of Plant City. On her cake were four pictures, each taken at a different time in her life — ages 2, 15, 23 and 99. Rose was born March 11, 1911, in West Virginia. She married her husband, Fonce, at age 18 and moved to Ohio, where she lived for 70 years. Together, they liked to go fishing and hunting. In one of her black-and-white cake photographs, Rose sits on the ground in the forest in her worn boots, her hand confidently propping her head up. “She’s a very outgoing, very religious woman,” Vickie says. It wasn’t until the spunky 4-foot-10 Rose reached her 30s that she started having her children — Richard, Suzy and Gary. During that time, she worked for 19 years in the lunchroom for Harrison County schools. She was part of different women’s societies, and she loved helping out with her church, whether it was in small groups, bake sales or candy-making. Throughout her life, Rose also collected antiques. She loved to peruse garage sales for hidden treasures. Vickie remembers one year, when she went to visit Rose in Ohio. Rose had an antique couch she needed to pick up from the seller’s house. She promised it would fit in her large station wagon. When they got to the home, the couch was on the front porch waiting for them, but it didn’t fit in the car. The
SEE BIRTHDAY / PAGE 4
sweet story by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor
Wish Farms releases book ‘Misty the Garden Pixie’ is about a pixie who sweetens berry patches with her magic wand.
Misty the Garden Pixie fluttered off the pages of her very own book onto the grounds of the Florida Strawberry Festival on its last day. In her signature red dress, airy purple wings and strawberry-blond locks, Misty helped with a signing for a brand new children’s book
published by Wish Farms. The book, “Misty the Garden Pixie,” is the vision of Wish Farms’ third-generation family owner, Gary Wishnatzki. It follows friendly pixie, Misty, as she works at the berry patch making sure the berries are sweet with her magic. But, she
doesn’t just make the berries sweet. Pete, a bully pixie, gets some magic dusted on him after his mama brings him to Misty for some help. The book is written by Gary’s wife, Therese Wishnatzki, and illustrated by a family friend, Joey Donovan. “We really wanted it to be about the character,” said AmAmber Jurgensen
SEE MISTY / PAGE 5 Wish Farms’ owner Gary Wishnatzki first conceptualized the book.
INDEX Calendar.......................2
Vol.1,No.34 | Onesection Crossword...................15
Obituaries...................10
Sports.........................11
Weather......................15
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