05.01.14 Plant City Times & Observer

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Durant High teacher completes Boston Marathon.

Thousands pick Blueberry Festival for weekend fun.

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FREE • THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014

Vote for Kristyn Ardrey in Doodle 4 Google contest.

line in the sand by Michael Eng | Editor

WLCA takes position on course The directors of the Walden Lake Community Association object to and recommend denial of Visions Golf’s rezoning request.

From left: Gil Gott, Photo Archives and History Center executive director; first-place winners Jackson Hardee and Ashlyn Yarbrough; and David Wolf, of contest sponsor Haught Funeral Home.

+ Photo archives names winners The Plant City Photo Archives and History Center announced last week the winners of its annual Photojournalism Contest.

This year’s contest ended with a first-place tie between last year’s winner, Jackson Hardee, and first-time entrant Ashlyn Yarbrough. Each received a $100 check for their Blue Ribbon performances.

It’s taken nearly a year, but the Walden Lake Community Association has taken its position regarding the potential redevelopment of the community’s country club and golf course.

The board approved unanimously April 24 a motion to object to and recommend denial of the rezoning application Visions Golf LLC filed in with the city. In that application, the owner of Walden Lake Golf and Country Club is asking to redevelop a portion of the property as residential, which would

Michael Eng

WLCA Treasurer Bob Hunter penned the motion.

include single-family homes, town homes/villas and an assisted-living facility.

“We’re officially taking a stand,” said former WLCA President Jan Griffin. “We’ve wanted to for a long time.”

The board’s positioning comes just two weeks after Visions Golf Managing Partner Steve Mercer revealed his prospective buyers, Bridgepoint Capital, which includes Safety Harbor-based Coastal Companies President Curtis Crenshaw and retired PGA professional Jimmy Wright. In addition to the residential component, Crenshaw and Wright said the project also would include a

new clubhouse, an 18-hole championship golf course, nine-hole executive-style course and a couple of holes reserved for a new golf academy.

The WLCA’s approved motion, written by Treasurer Bob Hunter, states that the WLCA board of directors objects to and recommends denial of the rezoning application of Visions Golf LLC to the Plant City Commission. However, the WLCA, in its objection/rejection of the current rezoning application, is

SEE WLCA / PAGE 4

AVA’S ALL CLEAR

Attention kids: Want to really surprise your mom this Mother’s Day? Enter our new Mother’s Day Essay Contest!

All you have to do is write at least 100 words telling us why you love your mom. Send your submissions to Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcity observer.com. Deadline is Tuesday, May 6.

We will select finalists and a grand-prize winner, who will receive a bird feeder and restaurant gift card, a combined $100 value, courtesy of Grimes Hardware! Finalists also will be featured in the next edition of the Plant City Times & Observer.

For more information, call (813) 704-6850.

Good luck!

Plant City Automotive will host an Open House from noon to 4 p.m.

Saturday, May 3, at the center, 2303 James L. Redman Parkway.

Guests can enter to win a variety of prizes and can enjoy free food and drinks.

Sprint car driver Grant Thormeier and his race car will be available for a meet and greet.

, 3&

by Michael Eng | Editor

Homicide suspect caught following chase Master Brown, 21, was arrested for the shooting death of 22-year-old Ha’keem Alagawan Cook.

Michael Eng

Ava Raab enjoyed the royal treatment at the 2014 Plant City Relay for Life. Her battle with cancer inspired Bailey Elementary’s most spirited participation yet.

Five-year-old Ava Raab, whose spunk and energy captivated participants at last month’s Relay for Life, got the best news of her life last week.

If one thing is true about Ava Raab, she’s certainly not shy.

Sitting at a picnic table at the Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival, the vivacious 5-year-old munches on some chicken and recounts the amazing story of how she broke her arm over spring break.

“A bear came up, so I kicked him, and he flew backwards,” Ava says.

“Then, I ran to get the spiders off. I went behind a bush, and it had porcupines in it. Then, angry butterflies chased me.”

Her family erupts into laughter.

She continues on with her tale. Ava’s vivid imagination never quite lets her get around to telling exactly how she was injured “She fell off the monkey bars,” her mother, Sandra, reveals.

The family took to the festival to

This week’s winner is

SEE AVA / PAGE 5

JerriLynn Rodriguez See her photo on PAGE 15.

Walden Lake resident Shelly Orrico, who spearheaded the residents’ campaign against the redevelopment, will host a rally this weekend, in Walden Lake Park, to present what she and her group has learned.

The rally will take place at noon Saturday, May 3, at the gazebo on the lake.

The group also will be raising money for the Walden Lake Legal Defense Fund.

crime

SURVIVAL STORY by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

+ Honor your mom this Mother’s Day

+ Auto shop to host Open House

RALLY IN THE PARK

Amber Jurgensen

Ava Raab celebrated her all-clear report with her parents, Stan and Sandra, and brother, Andrew, at the Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival.

INDEX Calendar.......................2

Less than 24 hours after a man was fatally shot at a Plant City convenience store, police arrested the man they believe pulled the trigger.

Following an early-morning car chase and foot pursuit that involved four police agencies, Master Brown, 21, was arrested April 24, for the death of 22-year-old Ha’keem Alagawan Cook.

Brown is accused of shooting Cook following an argument at about 2 p.m. Brown April 23, inside the convenience store at 516 S. Maryland Ave. Plant City Sgt. Tray Towles said the two men were having a conversation that escalated into violence.

Multiple witnesses identified Brown as the shooter.

The car chase began after detectives, who were following up on one of many leads, spotted Brown’s vehicle at about 3 a.m. April 24, in south Plant City. The detectives attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Brown’s car. Brown refused to stop, and detectives notified the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, which was assisting in the search. Sheriff’s deputies located Brown and attempted a second traffic stop, but Brown again refused. Deputies pursued Brown, until he crashed into a gate at the intersection of Charlie Taylor and Midway roads.

SEE HOMICIDE / PAGE 4 Vol. 1, No. 39 | One section

Crossword...................15

Obituaries...................10

Sports.........................11

Weather ......................15

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COMMUNITYCALENDAR THURSDAY, MAY 1 Black-and-White Nite — takes place from 6:33 to 8:13 p.m.

Thursdays, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Vintage sitcoms and sci-fi from the 50s and 60s are played on a large drop-down screen. (813) 7521220.

Born to Run — weekly run takes place at 5:30 p.m.

Thursdays, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 7529100.

Casey Stidham — performance takes place from 6 to 9 p.m.

Thursdays, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 7529100.

Line Dancing Lessons — takes place from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Thursdays, at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill, 106 E. S.R. 60, Plant City. (813) 7374444.

Plant City Civitan Club Award Night — takes place 6 p.m., Thursday, May 1, at Plant City High School, 1 Raider Place. The Civitan Club will present awards for Outstanding Youth/Grand Marshal of the 2014 Youth Parade and the James C. Billings Scholarship Award.

Ribbon Cutting: Top Shelf Sports Bar & Grill — takes place at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 1, at 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-B. For more, visit topshelfsportsbarandgrill.com Trivia Thursdays — begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, at

O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 7529100.

FRIDAY, MAY 2

SATURDAY, MAY 3

Friday Night Fun — Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill will offer karaoke, cornhole tournaments, a deejay, darts and more beginning at 7 p.m. Fridays, at the restaurant, 106 E. S.R. 60, Plant City. (813) 737-4444.

Bike Fest — takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at 102 N. Palmer St. For more, visit plantcity.org.

Live Entertainment — performance takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

Plant City Social Dance Club — takes place from 8 to 11:15 p.m. Fridays, at Stardust Dance Center, 1405 S. Collins St., Plant City. Cost is $5 for members and associate members; $7 for non-members. For more, call Ken Miller, (863) 4097714 or pcsocialdanceclub@ yahoo.com.

Plant City Entertainment presents “Sin, Sex, and the C.I.A.” — performances at 8 p.m.

May 2, 3, 8 to 10, and 2 p.m.

May 4, at the theater, 101 N. Thomas St. For more information, call (813) 754-4929 or visit pceshows.com.

Praise, Gospel, Contemporary Christian Music — takes place from 6:33 to 8:13 p.m.

Fridays, at Krazy Kup,101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. (813) 7521220.

Uncork Your Weekend — live music from 7 to 11 p.m.

Fridays, at Keel & Curley

To publicize your event in our Community Calendar, please send by mail: 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563; or by email: meng@plantcityobserver.com. Photos are welcome. Deadline is noon Thursday.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 Get-Fresh Plant City Market — takes place 4 to 8 p.m.

Wednesdays, at Union Station Depot, in Historic Downtown Plant City. Fresh local veggies, dairy, jams, poultry, eggs, local crafts and more. Karen Elizabeth, (813) 435-8111.

Open Mike Night — begins at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

Live Entertainment — performance takes place from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays, at O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill, 1701 S. Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

Plant City Automotive Open House — takes place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the center, 2303 James L. Redman Parkway. Guests will receive free food and drinks, and kids can enjoy a bounce house. Sprint car driver Grant Thormeier and his race car will be available for a meet and greet. (813) 7547106.

Uncork Your Weekend — live music from 7 to 11 p.m.

Saturdays, at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 W. Thonotosassa Road, Plant City. (813) 7529100.

Young Adult Nite — takes place from 7:33 to 10:33 p.m.

Saturdays, at Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd. Live music and movies for 16- to 21-yearolds. (813) 752-1220.

MONDAY, MAY 5 Beginner Square Dance Lessons — classes take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays, at Strawberry Square, 4401 Promenade Blvd., Plant City.

BEST BET East Hillsborough Historical Society Spring Tour of Homes — The 2014 Spring Tour of Homes, presented by the East Hillsborough Historical Society, will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 3. The First class is free. Plus Square Dance Lessons begin from 8 to 9:30 p.m. (813) 752 0491.

TUESDAY, MAY 6 Faith Christian Academy of Plant City’s Got Talent Show — takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, at 1202 S. Collins St. A portion of the proceeds will be given to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital to help with cancer research. Marissa Textor, mtextor@fcapc.com or (813) 4732090.

Plant City Christian Women’s Connection 20th Birthday

tour will begin at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. Homes include 805 N. Wheeler St., 912 Roux St., 909 Roux St. and 1000 Roux St. The tour is $15, and lunch on the lawn is $8. For more, call (813) 757-9226.

Party — meets at 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, May 6, at Walden Lake Golf & Country Club, 2001 Clubhouse Drive, Plant City. Cost for luncheon is $14.

Speaker will be Barbara Perkins.

(813) 752-3786 or cwcpcfl@ msn.com.

Plant City Commons Community Garden Pot Luck — takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, at the garden, 302 Carey St. Karen Elizabeth, (813) 435-8111.

Ribbon Cutting: Seafood Dive — takes place from 11 to 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 6, at 238 W. Alexander St., Plant City. For more, visit theseafooddive.com.

Résumé 101 — class takes place from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 7, at Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St., Plant City. (813) 757-9215.

THURSDAY, MAY 8 Evangelical University and Seminary Seventh Anniversary Banquet and Fundraiser — takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Plant City’s First Baptist Church, 503 N. Palmer St. (813) 659-1903.

Ribbon Cutting: AAA Security Protection Inc. — takes place at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 8, at the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, 106 N. Evers St.

SATURDAY, MAY 10 The Florida Opry presents “A Cracker Saturday Night” — takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children. (813) 757-9226 or the floridaopry.org.

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faith by Michael Eng and Amber Jurgensen

Plant City churches welcome new leaders The Rev. Cole Dodd took the helm at First Baptist Church of Midway in March. Across town, St. Clement Catholic Church’s Jonathan Emery will be ordained as a priest later this month.

THE REV. COLE DODD

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF MIDWAY It takes a few minutes for the Rev. Cole Dodd to rattle off all the places he lived growing up as a child.

With an insurance claims adjuster for a mother, Dodd always seemed to find himself in the middle of tragedy. In 1992, when everyone in his or her right mind was fleeing Miami in the wake of Hurricane Andrew, Dodd moved to the South Florida city. Two years later, he was in Los Angeles after the Northridge earthquake. In 1996, they were off to the Carolinas for hurricanes Bertha and Fran. A year later, a blizzard in New Jersey/New York, and then to a Minnesota hail storm a year after that.

“I’ve seen a lot of depravity,” Dodd said. “I’ve seen people shaken to their foundation.”

Which is precisely why First Baptist Church of Midway leaders approved Dodd as the church’s new lead pastor. After serving as FBC Midway’s worship leader and interim pastor, Dodd was installed March 23, as the new leader.

At just 30 years old, Dodd, a Plant City native, is one of the city’s youngest pastors.

But, with that youth comes an energy and passion that already has shown results at the 115-year-old church.

“We need to change the culture we’ve sunken into,” Dodd said. “The biggest thing, to me, is to bring sincerity to the word. We’re going to take Jesus to the community. He told us to go and make disciples, and we’re going to do that with love. We’re going to love so radically that people

fancy flea

Michael Eng

The Rev. Cole Dodd also has had success as a Christian musician. Currently, he is the lead singer for the Georgia-based band, Love Like Gravity. are going to be so overwhelmingly curious about this love.

If we show this radical love of Jesus, and we invest in their lives, they’re going to want to know about this love of Jesus.”

To that end, FBC has turned its attention outside the church walls. It already has started a new ministry to feed homeless residents, and, later this month, the congregation will launch a campaign inspired by Jason Sowell, founder and president of the nonprofit organization, Current of Tampa Bay. “For one day, we’re going to adopt a laundromat, and we’re going to pay for everyone’s laundry that day,” Dodd said.

“We’ll have soap available, too, and we’ll send everyone home with clean clothes.”

As a high-schooler, Dodd succumbed to partying and drug use, and it wasn’t until tragedy struck the nation and then his life that he began to change.

“One week after 9/11, four of my friends were killed and

Amber Jurgensen

Jonathan Emery has spent nine years studying and soul searching on his path the become a priest.

a fifth went to jail,” he said.

“I realized that that would be me if I continued down that road.”

Dodd completed one semester at Trinity Baptist College before returning home.

At 20 years old, he took his first job as a youth pastor and later earned his bachelor’s degree from Luther Rice University and Seminary. Before becoming the worship pastor at FBC Midway, he served at First Baptist Church of Riverview.

And, now that he’s at the helm at FBC Midway, he plans to lead the church for as long as possible.

“My vision (for FBC Midway) is to be a body of individuals on a mission for Christ,” Dodd said. “I don’t care about money. I don’t care about buildings or being popular.

I care about spreading the name of Christ through this city.”

Dodd is married to his wife, Nikki. They have two children, Dani, 5, and Roman, 3.

JONATHAN EMERY

ST. CLEMENT CATHOLIC CHURCH Robin Emery often jokes that she took one out of the seminary, so she had to put another back in. Emery’s late husband, Robert, had taken a break from his religious studies, when he met her serving as a eucharistic minister at a Clearwater Catholic Church.

She stole his heart — but not his legacy.

Now, their son, Jonathan Emery, will pick up where his father left off and be ordained at a priest on May 17.

“I’m 80% excited, 20% nervous entering into this new era in my life,” Jonathan Emery said.

It certainly will be a new era for the faithful servant, who has spent the last nine years in seminary. He attended Saint John Vianney College Seminary, in Miami, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He then went on to work towards his master’s degree in divinity, which

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST NAMES NEW PASTOR

he will receive May 8. And although Jonathan Emery is following in his father’s footsteps, it wasn’t his intention.

“We didn’t groom him for this,” Robin Emery said. “It was a calling little by little.”

From the moment of his birth, Jonathan was exposed to the Catholic faith. He was born on a Sunday morning.

Robert turned on the TV in the hospital to watch Mass, because they couldn’t attend in person. When he was 8, he served as an altar boy at St. Clement Catholic Church, at which he has worshipped in his entire life.

St. Clement, which runs its famous strawberry shortcake booth for the Florida Strawberry Festival, was like a second family to him. The congregation rallied around the family after Robert Emery passed in 2007.

“This is just the goodness he’s seen all his life,” Robin Emery said. “This community is filled with grace. We’re here to help each other and help each other in our humanity.”

Because he has been so involved with St. Clement and Plant City over the years, his mother calls him the “Priest that Strawberry Shortcake Built.”

And even though he had a strong religious heritage, he didn’t necessarily want to become a priest,. In his teen years, he thought about having a family and children. But when the time of high school graduation grew nearer, he felt a tug in the direction of priesthood — or at least seminary.

“In church, I had always felt a sense of peace I didn’t get anywhere else,” Jona-

Plant City Seventh-day Adventist Church will welcome its new pastor at 11 a.m. May 10, at the church, 2203 Strawberry Drive.

The Rev. James Johnson and his family come to the church from Carrollwood Seventh-day Adventist Church, in Tampa (where he will continue to work while he begins his ministry in Plant City). Previously, he served as associate pastor at East Pasco Seventhday Adventist Church, in Zephyrhills.

Johnson received his bachelor’s degree in theology from Southern Adventist University, and his master’s of divinity, with an emphasis in youth ministry, from Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, at Andrews University, in Michigan.

For more, call (813) 7524694. than Emery said.

So three years into seminary, Jonathan Emery decided to go continue his studies to priesthood. That meant no family. But, it also meant so much more. “(Because) I won’t have a family, there is a certain amount of love and devotion I can give that others can’t,” Jonathan Emery said. “I’m looking forward to being able to provide the sacrament and being able to celebrate Mass and confession.

“Through confession, you truly do witness the healing power of Christ,” Jonathan Emery said. “They walk away with a burden lifted and you know you can help someone.”

SUPPER AND SLEUTHING by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

by Michael Eng | Editor

Mystery dinner theater returns to Plant City Dr. Hal Brewer loved hosting the mystery dinner theater in Plant City. To honor his memory, Dodie White and the Friends of the Bruton Memorial Library are bringing its back.

Market-goers enjoyed perusing all sorts of crafts, furniture and more.

TREASURE TROVE Bargain-shoppers found heaven on Earth during Fancy Flea’s Plant City stay April 25 and 26, at the Florida Strawberry Festival. Crafters, an-

tiques dealers and more showcased their best wares during the flea market’s two day stay in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.

The Fancy Flea featured hundreds of custom-made pieces for the home.

Stephen Pagliaro and Diane Heth, As always, the Fancy Flea showcased of Plant City’s own Dot’s Sunbeam many unique pieces of artwork.

Laundry Cream, hosted a booth.

NEWSBRIEFS + Resident hospitalized following house fire One Plant City resident was hospitalized following a house fire in Plant City.

Multiple Hillsborough County Fire Rescue units responded at about 3 p.m. April 27, to the home at 3610 Boot Bay Loop. Upon arrival, firefighters found smoke and flames coming from the structure.

Water shuttle operations were established due to lack of hydrants

in the area. The crews were able to contain and extinguish the fire.

The American Red Cross assisted with the displaced residents.

+ Seminary plans fundraising gala Evangelical University and Seminary will host its Seventh Anniversary Banquet and Fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Plant City’s First Baptist Church, 503 N. Palmer St. This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Greg Morris, author, executive and founder of Leadership Dynamics, in Lakeland. Money raised will help

A small, brand-new cruise ship sets off on its maiden voyage for what should be a relaxing getaway for its passengers. But, the ship ends up in the wrong port, at the wrong island. It is completely deserted.

Or, is it?

This is the kind of scenario Dr. Hal Brewer loved directing for Plant City’s mystery dinner theater. Now, in memory of the doctor, the Friends of the Bruton Memorial Library are bringing these shows back to the community.

“When Gail (Lyons) approached me about directing it, I said, ‘Well, on one condition: that we do it in memory of Dr. Brewer,’” Dodie White said.

“He loved them as much as I do, and I thought it would be fitting if we honored him by doing by another show.”

Then, because the group had so much fun with the idea, this turned into two shows: back-to-back events on Friday, June 6, and Saturday, June 7.

Many of the show’s actors are prominent Plant City names, such as Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis, Florida Strawberry Festival General Manager Paul Davis and former Florida Strawberry Festival Queen Erica Der. “We always use local celebrities,” White says. “We’ve found over the years that, the more they mess up, the funnier it is. They have a good time with it, and I have a good time working with them.”

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Bruton Memorial Library. But, even if there wasn’t the added benefit of

IF YOU GO WHERE: HCC John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road WHEN: Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7. Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the show begins at 7:30 p.m.

TICKETS: $45 per person and can be purchased at the following locations: Sunshine State Federal Savings & Loan, 112 E. Baker St.; Regions Bank, 2303 Thonotosassa Road; and Holiday Inn Express, 2102 N. Park Road. the fundraiser, finding actors is a cinch.

“It’s not difficult at all,” White says. “I guess this was our 15th show, so people know it’s fun and they’ll have a great time with it. We don’t really have to twist arms too hard.”

The cruise-ship story package the group will present this year has never been performed in Plant City. These packages are purchased based on the number of shows that will be performed, so each night will have a different ending.

Although the group purchased just one show package for that weekend, don’t assume that that will be the end of the Plant City mystery dinner theater revival. White said there is a possibility of these events becoming an annual occurrence again.

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

EUS offer scholarships to its students. For more, visit euspcfl.org.

+ Fresh market moves to depot Just one month after it opened, the Plant City GET FRESH Market has a new home.

Beginning this week, Plant City’s weekly farmers market will plant its roots at the Union Station Depot, in Historic Downtown Plant City. Market hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays.

“The city is excited to sponsor this event and looks forward to great success in the new location,” said Plant City’s Deanna Hurley.

Justin Kline

Guests at the mystery dinner theater will get to solve the mystery of a cruise ship and an island that may — or may not — be deserted.

ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP IN OTHER NEWS • Following the elections of directors Sharon Philbin and Terry Murphy to the WLCA board and the reelection of Heather Updike, the board also has appointed new officers. Jim Chancey will serve as president, Bob Hunter as treasurer, and Updike as secretary. Because of Director Ray Page’s absence, the WLCA was split on its new vice president. Both Director Rich Glorioso and Philbin were nominated for the position.

• The WLCA approved spending $2,485.50 to repair the community entrance sign at Trapnell Road. It also will spend $1,586.82 to repair all four signs in Walden Place.

• The board approved a contract with Sarasotabased Hoover Pressure Cleaning to maintain the signs at the community four main entrances. The service will cost $500 for the initial cleaning, followed by a quarterly $300 charge.

• Installation for information signs at the Mud Lake and Turkey Creek entrances should be completed this week. The cost for the signs is $4,232.92.

• On-site Manager Lee Weiss and his crew completed maintenance on the community’s gate arms, which had been malfunctioning.

• Visions Golf LLC Managing Partner Steve Mercer signed a hold harmless agreement that will allow the WLCA to perform maintenance on the two bridges it co-owns with Visions.

• The next WLCA meeting will take place at 7 p.m.

Monday, May 12, at the Community Building, 3035 Griffin Blvd., Plant City.

WLCA / PAGE 1 willing to work with the owner/developer to develop a plan acceptable to the entire community and the WLCA. “I didn’t want to tie them down yet,” Hunter said. “I want to say, ‘We object right now to what they’re showing us,’ and put a line in the sand.

But, we’re willing to work with you.”

Hunter’s original motion (see sidebar) included more details regarding the board’s position and its reasoning, but ultimately, the board decided those specifics shouldn’t be included in the official motion.

It included suggested changes to the redevelopment proposal, including a more compact, concentrated residential development situated near the clubhouse, pool and driving range. He also proposed keeping the front nine of The Hills course as golf and redeveloping all currently closed fairways as redeveloped golf course, training course or open space.

“The front nine of The Hills — I abhor what they are proposing to do there, because of what that does to this community and the views of this community,” Hunter said.

“We want them to develop up by the clubhouse, as long as they can give us a good golf course and not affect the people’s houses that are on The Hills,” Director Rich Glorioso said. “If there are areas they can develop and make this work — and still have a good golf course not affecting people’s views — isn’t that what we’re trying to do? ...

You have to be willing to talk about compromise.”

Most importantly, Hunter believes the WLCA should seek “written legal instruments that ensure and guarantee that the owner/developer/various builders will

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proceed according to ‘agreed to,’ signed documents and plans — reflecting details, footprints, timing, amenities, etc., with the lack of performance providing transferable equity of property (and perhaps performance bonding) to the WLCA and/or city or other mutually agreed upon joint entity.”

Hunter said Visions’ rezoning application is only for the residential component of the project and that there are no guarantees that any of the promises of a renovated golf course amenity would be fulfilled.

“They’re going to develop the residential first, then they will take the capital and invest it in the golf course,” he said. “They can walk away after they develop the residential.

“I would hope that people would hear us that we are against the rezoning. They’re going to have someone proceed with drawings ... and they’re going to show it to us and say, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’” Hunter said.

“I want to get in before they start doing that.”

Glorioso said this motion is a strong statement of the WLCA’s position.

“I went back and talked to them (Crenshaw and Wright), and I (asked), ‘What would prevent you from building out the homes and abandoning the golf course?’” Glorioso said. “(The) answer was, ‘Trust.’ Well, that’s not a good answer. The answer has to be a hell of a lot more than trust.

It has to be written down in a guarantee.

“We (WLCA board members) all agree that none of us agree with what Visions Golf has put on the table at this time,” Glorioso said. “We all agree that we disagree. ... It’s not compatible with our lifestyle.”

Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.

MOTION TO RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE GOLF COURSE REZONING APPLICATION BY VISIONS GOLF LLC We have heard over the last several years that Visions Golf was going to develop the golf course.

Last year, Visions Golf closed their 18-hole Hills golf course and allowed it to become overgrown and damage adjacent property values.

In February 2014, Visions Golf filed for with the city of Plant City, a rezoning of 4 large parcels in the middle of Walden Lake for: 1. Unit 60 - Maximum of 120 units for Assisted Care Facility, multi story 2. Unit 61 - Maximum of 210 units for multi-family, up to 3 stories high 3. Unit 62 - Maximum of 110 units for multi-family, up to 3 stories high 4. Unit 63 - Maximum of 187 units of single family, up to 2 stories high TOTAL: 627 HOUSING UNITS, mostly multi-family At the annual meeting of the WLCA Board of Directors and residents of April 10, and at our invitation to present their rezoning application, Visions Golf told us that they had sold the property; the two 18-hole golf courses — The Hills (closed) and The Lakes (currently open) — clubhouse, pool, driving range and adjacent properties, to a “developer” group that wants to build a single private 18-hole “five-star” golf course, training short course, executive golf course, clubhouse, etc., and 627 housing units on the four rezoned parcels for a variety of housing, mostly multifamily units.

Board: If the current rezoning request/application is approved by the Plant City Commission, we and the residents (and the city) have absolutely no guarantees that anything will happen, except that up to 627 housing units, mostly multi-family units will get built on the four large parcels.

All we have from the developer are words, pictures and verbal promises — nothing else. They could even close the currently

SHOOTING / PAGE 1 Brown led police on a foot chase that ultimately involved not only officers and deputies from Plant City police and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office but also but also from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Brown was apprehended by Polk County deputies near the Hillsborough/Polk line.

Brown’s most recent arrest records from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office list a Plant City address in the 1500 block of Alabama Street. He was arrested in July 2013 for domestic violence battery and obstruction.

Towles said two other men were taken into custody; one has been released. The second was identified as Stefan Jackson, the man suspected of shooting a Plant City

THIS WEEK’S CROSSWORD ANSWERS

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open 18-hole Lakes golf course at any time.

Therefore, I make the following motion: For the WLCA Board of Directors to object to and recommend denial of the rezoning application of Visions Golf, LLC to the Plant City Commission.

We make this recommendation because the rezoning: 1. Is not compatible with our community of mostly owner-occupied, single family residential; 2. Deteriorates our quality of life within Walden Lake of open space, lakes, scenic views and vistas; 3. Destroys the property values, current scenic views of 168 single family residential homes; 4. Increases significantly, traffic and congestion onto Timberlane Drive, Griffin Boulevard and Clubhouse Drive; 5. Destroys the quality of life, scenic views, vistas and property values of more than 200 homes on the back nine of the currently abandoned, overgrown and unkept Hills golf course; 6. Substantially reduces the pervious, open space surfaces to developed impervious surfaces, increasing storm water runoff and drainage; and 7. Utilizes our green, pristine, premier community and rightsof-way that we have funded and maintained for more than 30 years for their development efforts — with no guaranteed return on our investments.

However, the WLCA Board of Directors, in its objection/rejection of the current rezoning application, is willing to work with the owner/developer to develop a plan acceptable to the entire community and WLCA. Our interest is: 1. A continued current lifestyle and quality of life of a homogeneous community with livable neighborhoods, open space, lakes, scenic views and vistas; 2. A premier, destination golf course available to residents;

father and son during a series of crimes in October 2013.

The store is located less than one-half mile from both Lincoln Magnet Elementary and Marshall Middle schools. Both campuses were placed on immediate lock down.

Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis, who also serves as assistant principal at Marshall, said she was proud of the police work.

“I want to say to ... our interim Police Chief John Borders and to our police staff: Thank you for the integrity and the professionalism that I’m hearing from all citizens around,” she said. “Because that could have been very delicate, because we had a victim that was there for five or six hours before the medical examiner could come, and the family was about a block away.

That was somebody’s son, someone’s

3. The front nine of the currently closed Hills golf course not be developed for residential and redeveloped as the golf course or executive course or training course and maintained with golf cart paths and pedestrian access to the clubhouse; 4. Any fairways that are currently closed be utilized for the redeveloped golf course and/or training course and/or maintained open space with golf cart and pedestrian pathways to the clubhouse; 5. The rezoning application be revised reflecting more specific, compact and concentrated development around the clubhouse, pool, driving range, maintenance area, etc. — perhaps with the clubhouse rebuilt integrated with higher density multi-family housing; and 6. Written legal instruments that ensure and guarantee that the owner/developer/various builders will proceed according to “agreed to,” signed documents and plans-reflecting details, footprints, timing, amenities, etc. with the lack of performance providing transferable equity of property (and perhaps performance bonding) to WLCA and/ or city or other mutually agreed upon joint entity.

This motion is made in good faith to reflect the concern of the WLCA Board of Directors about the rezoning of four large pristine parcels for more housing (mostly multi-family) inserted into our community; however, reflecting an awareness and willingness of the WLCA Board of Directors to work with the owner/developer/builders and the entire community of Walden Lake to result in a mutually beneficial premier golf course development which enhances all 2,241 homes in Walden Lake, positively impacting our property values, views, open space, vistas, pedestrian/cart paths, revenues to the city and adding to the lifestyle choices.

— WLCA Treasurer Bob Hunter

brother, someone’s grandson. And all I’ve heard was the professionalism of our police department.”

Mathis also said Assistant City Manager Bill McDaniel helped reroute school busses to keep local children away from the crime scene.

This is the second homicide in April, in Plant City. On April 10, 36 year-old Wesley Tanner Reece, of Plant City, died of upperbody trauma at 702 N. Woodrow Wilson St. Officers found Reece while conducting a welfare check at the home.

Towles said the most recent homicide is unrelated to the Reece case, which has been turned over to the State Attorney’s office for review.

Associate Editor Amber Jurgensen contributed to this report. Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.

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AVA / PAGE 1

every day after treatments. Now, she can’t stand soup.

“The last chemo treatment was the sweetest,” her great aunt, Janet Rickland, says. “She was sick in bed and just wanted her brother. He went in with his tablet and stayed with her.”

The two blond-haired, blue-eyed siblings seem to be inseparable, working in cahoots to convince their parents to get a sno-cone at the festival. They chatted at the table, trying to top each other’s stories.

“I got poked in the eye by the pointy edge of a box,” Andrew says.

“Well, I fought something even bigger,” Ava says, declaratively. “Cancer.”

enjoy their Sunday. After all, they had plenty for which to rejoice: Ava had just been cleared of her cancer four days before. The energetic wannabe Tinkerbell never stopped buzzing around the table.

“She’s been the one with the best attitude the whole time,” her father, Stan, says. “Even after her surgery, she bounced right back. She wanted to get out of bed right away.”

And although she loves imitating her favorite feminine Disney princesses, make no mistake: Ava is all warrior.

A seven-month battle with cancer couldn’t break her spirit.

TEAM AVA

THE DIAGNOSIS

Ava’s enthusiasm and energy likely helped her overcome her illness. But the team at Bailey Elementary was beside her the whole time.

Sandra served on the PTA all through Ava’s battle. Through the meetings, teachers, students and even the principal, got to know Ava. She became the school’s ambassador for their Relay for Life team.

“She showed the kids that cancer could happen to anyone — not just old people,” team captain Aviva Baker says.

The team made shirts in honor of Ava. Her love of Peter Pan was evident in their slogan, “Send cancer to Never Never Land.”

With the help of Ava, Bailey raised $5,850 and were in the top 10 fundraising teams at this year’s Relay. More than 20 students participated — all in support of Ava and the cure.

“She’s just lively, fun and happy, all-around,” Baker says.

“It was amazing, because she doesn’t even go there,” Sandra says, cutting a piece of blueberry shortcake.

With just a couple more questions between her and a sno-cone, Ava put her dad’s baseball cap over her bald head and then slipped her headband over it. The celebration wasn’t ending with lunch. It would continue for the rest of the day. And for the rest of Ava’s life.

“It was big for us,” Sandra says about Ava’s all-clear report. “We think we already knew.

But it was amazing. We like to celebrate everything now.”

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@ plantcityobserver.com.

It was just a normal day when the Raabs went to the doctor to get Ava her flu shot. Sandra decided to get the preschooler’s five-year check up, as well, because she would be attending Bailey Elementary next year.

Then, they received the news that changed their lives.

The doctor detected a tumor on Ava’s kidney.

That was on a Monday. Just four days later, she was in an operating room for surgery.

“It just takes the wind out of you,” Sandra said. “She wasn’t sick or anything. No vomiting.”

Sandra told Ava and her brother, Andrew, that they could do whatever they wanted that day. They went for ice cream.

Ava had Wilms’ tumor, a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children. Also known as nephroblastoma, Wilms’ tumor is the most common cancer of the kidneys in children and most often affects children ages 3 to 4 and becomes much less common after age 5.

Sandra was understandably upset. But the doctor told her to focus on two words — cancer and cure.

“I had no idea why she was crying,” Andrew, a second-grader, says. “Like I thought someone died that she really liked.”

After Ava’s tumor and kidney were removed, she underwent a 28-week, 20-round chemotherapy treatment.

“It was fine,” Ava says. “My favorite part was playing on the iPad.” The family went to Panera Bead Company

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

MARCH 28

BAD BEHAVIOR

4500 block of Ethan Way. Grand Theft from Motor Vehicle. The complainant reported that her son stole $4,000 in $100 bills from inside her vehicle. The son was located and arrested for theft and drug possession. The cash that the son had not yet spent as recovered returned to the victim.

PLANT CITY

CORNER

MARCH 30

STICKY SITUATION

210 block of West Alexander Street. Information.

A brown Dodge truck was parked, unattended, in a parking lot in the 210 block of West Alexander Street. At about 3 p.m. March 30, a plastic container

in the bed of the truck with a clear gel adhesive exploded after being heated by the sun. The clear, very sticky adhesive covered the surrounding cars, causing damage to the paint (unknown damage). The owners of the vehicles were located and notified of the incident.

MISSING MOTOR

700 block of East Young Street.

Burglary/Grand Theft. The complainant stated that unknown person(s) entered his garage and removed a Minn Kota Edge trolling motor from the front of his boat. The motor was valued at $400.

Wheeler streets. Drug Possession. The officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle. The officer obtained consent to search and discovered crystal methamphetamine. The driver was arrested.

MARCH 29

MARCH 31

MUST HAVE BEEN A CHEVY FAN

310 block of Park Springs Circle. Criminal Mischief to a Vehicle. The victim reported unknown person(s) broke a window of her 2005 red Ford Focus.

CATCH AND RELEASE

2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Shoplifting/Petit Theft.

The officer arrested the suspect for shoplifting and resisting a merchant. The suspect was released on her own recognizance.

MARCH 30

HOW DID THAT GET IN THERE?

Intersection of West Baker and

CART CRIMINAL

100 block of Dorado Court. Residential Burglary. Sometime overnight, unknown person(s) stole a tan1992 EZ-Go golf cart from the victim’s garage. Along with stealing the golf cart, the suspect(s) stole about $2,500 worth of tools and a DVD recorder. The golf cart was entered into FCIC/NCIC as stolen.

TACKLE TAKEN

2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway. Retail Theft. Officers responded to this store in reference to two adults entering the store and stealing two fishing reel, valued at $79 each. The suspects opened the reels and concealed them

when leaving the store.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA

1410 block of South Evers Street. Petit Theft. While the victim was working out, he changed machines and left his wallet. A security video shows a suspect conceal the wallet and leave.

TWO-WHEELER TAKEN

900 block of West Reynolds Street. Bicycle Theft. Sometime overnight, unknown person(s) stole a 26-inch blue men’s Mongoose bike from the home.

The bike is valued at $100.

DRINKING PROBLEM

510 block of South Maryland Avenue. Beverage Violation.

The officer observed the suspect drinking a can of beer from a brown bag within 500 feet of the store. He made contact with the suspect, observed there to a posted city ordinance sign and subsequently placed him under arrest.

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FAR AND WIDE by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Commission selects firm for city manager search At the recommendation of Interim City Manager David Sollenberger, city commissioners approved a bid from The Mercer Group Inc. Plant City commissioners approved April 28, a proposal to hire The Mercer Group Inc. to lead the search for the community’s next city manager.

The company came to Plant City through a search led by Interim City Manager David Sollenberger. Sollenberger reprised his role at City Hall after former City Manager Greg Horwedel was hired as Hillsborough County’s deputy county administrator.

Sollenberger recommended the Georgia-based Mercer Group over two other finalists — Slavin Management Consultants and Bob Murray & Associates.

“The only defining difference I can see was on price,” Sollenberger said.

“And I think we listed up the price differential, and certainly the Mercer firm was the most advantageous for the city’s budget, and that’s why I made that recommendation.”

The Mercer Group already is handling the search for Plant City’s police chief. Because of that, the city received a 15% discount for multiple searches — from $14,750 to $12,500.

Slavin Management Consultants’s bid was for $21,429, and Bob Murray & Associates quoted about $25,000.

The commission also has scheduled a May 8 meeting with Mercer Group Senior Vice President W.D. Higginbotham Jr., who will be overseeing the search. The meeting, called a position

Plant City Times & Observer

analysis, will allow commissioners to discuss in a group setting what they seek in a candidate.

“We will spend a considerable amount of time at the beginning of the process with the mayor and City Commission (and others as desired) to determine the level of experience and training as needed,” the proposal stated. “Based on those meetings, we will prepare a draft position profile and review it with the mayor and City Commission to arrive at a general agreement regarding the specifications for the position.”

The draft position profile will be brought to the commission at its May 12 meeting. The official brochure will be completed around May 19. From there, The Mercer Group will begin the recruitment process, looking in its database for suitable candidates already on file and also networking to connect with candidates nationwide.

After collecting a sample of candidates, The Mercer Group will review résumés and then complete a candidate screening, which will be conducted by Higginbotham.

“Once the initial screening is completed, we will select the prospective candidates who most closely match the criteria established by the mayor and City Commission,” the bid stated.

After the screenings, candidates will undergo background checks, before

moving on to the interview process. A written summary of each finalist will include their present position, total years of experience, salary requirements, education, previous positions held, notable projects, management style, skills and abilities, interests and professional goals.

The Mercer Group also is available to assist with salary and benefit negotiations. The final candidate selection is estimated to take place at the end of July.

“Sollenberger is doing a phenomenal job,” Mayor Mary Mathis said. “I’m glad to move forward with the search.”

The Mercer Group, founded by James L. Mercer, is an independent management consulting firm. After starting his own firm in 1981, Mercer merged in 1984, with another consulting firm, Wolfe & Associates Inc. Two years later, Mercer acquired the Human Resource and Organizational Consulting Practice of Wolfe & Associates, forming the basis for Mercer, Slavin & Nevin, Inc. He sold his interest in 1990 and founded The Mercer Group.

Through December 2013, The Mercer Group has conducted 480 searches for city and county administrators throughout the country. Of those, 84 were in Florida.

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.

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CONTACT US The Plant City Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. It provides free home delivery to several neighborhoods in Plant City.

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Amber Jurgensen

City Clerk Kerri Miller received recognition from Mayor Mary Mathis.

IN OTHER NEWS • Mayor Mary Thomas Mathis proclaimed the week of May 4 to 10, as Municipal Clerk’s Week in Plant City. She presented the proclamation to City Clerk Kerri Miller.

• The City Commission will hold a public hearing May 12, to consider an ordinance regulating the placement of shipping and cargo containers. If approved, the ordinance will exclude containers from the historic districts, downtown core, Midtown and

residential lots, and include other regulations.

• The commission will hold a public hearing May 12, for an ordinance regarding public nuisances. The proposed ordinance would amend the language regarding issues, such as overgrown grass and weeds exceeding 10 inches within 200 feet of any building, recreational area or street. This ordinance would provide for stricter guidelines in areas such as Walden Lake Golf & Country Club and its two golf courses.

Plant City Times &

Observer

General Manager/Editorial / Michael Eng, meng@PlantCityObserver.com

General Manager/Advertising / Tony Del Castillo, tdelcastillo@tampabay.com Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, jeng@PlantCityObserver.com Associate Editor / (Community) Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@PlantCityObserver.com Staff Writer / Justin Kline, jkline@PlantCityObserver.com Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, vprostko@PlantCityObserver.com; Joanna Verga, jverga@tampabay.com Circulation/Office Manager / Linda Lancaster, llancaster@PlantCityObserver.com

“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

Neighborhood R E A L E S TAT E | P L A N T C I T Y L I F E | O B I T U A R I E S | G A M E S | FA I T H | S P O RT S

PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014

CLUB HUBBUB If your club would like to post announcements, email them to Associate Editor Amber Jurgensen, ajur gensen@plantcityobserver. com.

+ Plant City Garden Club Bess Treadwell was presented with the Crystal Award from the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs for her floral design “ Hats off for the Army.”

The inspiration for Treadwell’s design was her husband’s 30 years in the U.S. Army and serves as a tribute to him. The design featured an Army infantry officer’s hat, a West Point cadet hat and the maroon beret worn by Army paratroopers. Each hat was worn by Treadwell’s husband.

The design is featured inside cover of the Florida Federation of Garden Club’s 2015 Calendar.

Christy Linke also won the Table Artistry Award at the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs’ State Convention, in St. Petersburg.

The club won the Flower Show Award for “The Pirates Adventures.”

By Saturday afternoon, Keel and Curley’s blueberry bushes were picked clean.

Blueberry Festival Queen Shelby St. Amant and Amari Jackson

+ Plant City Community Chorale The Plant City Community Choir has changed its name to The Plant City Community Chorale.

After the election of a new board of directors and the installation of its new artistic director, the membership selected a name that signaled its secular origins and perspectives, without altering radically the community’s perception of the organization.

For more information about PCCC, visit pccommunitychorale.com or call Dianne Silliman, PCCC secretary, at (813)781-9674.

Aubree Forsythe loved her face painting.

Keel and Curley Winery’s new playground was a hit with kids.

+ Walden Lake Community Assoc.

The Walden Lake Community Association is looking to fill a part-time position for a webmaster.

The webmaster will manage the site and update it as needed. Interested applicants should contact the WLCA at (813) 7548999.

Candace Harrell, Amy Giorkas and Elizabeth Sturgill

+ Plant City Relay for Life The wrap-up party for all teams will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, May 5, at Plant City’s First Baptist Church, 503 N. Palmer St. Arrive at 5 p.m. to help set up if you are able.

Bring your favorite dessert to share.

The committee wrap-up party will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, May 12, at Fred’s Southern Kitchen, 1401 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd.

Ava and Austyn Spearin wore matching outfits to this year’s festival.

The U-Pick was fun for families.

+ Plant City Daybreak Rotary The Plant City Daybreak Rotary Club inducted U.S. Army Col. Dan Orrico as its newest member during its April 14 meeting.

The club also launched its new Facebook page.

To keep up with all the Daybreak Rotary Club’s happenings, Like the club at facebook.com/ PCDaybreakRotary.

Heather Linn, Amanda Pellam, Erin Harrison and Kristi Wilson Right: Faces South Band was one of several local acts at this year’s festival.

Rhythm &!KTDR Blueberry fans from as far away as Gainesville and Sarasota flocked to Plant City for the Seventh Annual Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival April 25 to 27, at Keel and Curley Winery.

The weather warmed and the rain stayed away

for the three-day celebration, which featured a blueberry U-pick and plenty of live music.

Guests also enjoyed a kids zone, vendors selling various wares, food trucks and, of course, wine and beer tastings.

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taking the stage by Michael Eng | Editor

Durant students draw laughs with comic-inspired production Durant High School’s Drama Department and the Durant Thespian Troupe 5444 presented Tim Kelly’s “Captain Fantastic”

Marissa Lewis

April 24 to 26, at the high school.

The production chronicled the hysterics that ensued after high school

newspaper editor Waldo Puppybreath wrote an editorial suggesting that proposed site of a new high school was a swamp.

Student Director Gabi Alfonso asked the audience to make donations to Durant’s Broadway Cares campaign.

Rebecca Sebastian and Justin Wilbur

Jack Griggs had the audience in stitches in his role as Conroy the custodian.

Jennifer Landau and Trenton Davidson Left: Ricky Johnn played Waldo Puppybreath, aka Captain Fantastic.

unplugged by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Haley Jill Sumner portrayed the bubbly Abby.

STORE AROUND THE CORNER by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Custom Canned Anything If it’s small enough, James Blocker will fit it into a can. His latest endeavor, producing canned survival kits, is gaining some traction.

The Cotton-Eyed Does were joined on-stage by Cheri Hornsby, of Little Girl and the Dreadful Snakes.

Bluegrass fest blooms at Boone’s Nursery Anyone near Boone’s Nursery April 25 and 26 heard the music, and those who went to check it out were rewarded with quality bluegrass.

The nursery, in conjunction

with the Central Florida Bluegrass Association, hosted a two-day camping event on its grounds. Friday was a day for camping and jamming, and several bands played through-

Charlie Hamrick plucked out a tune on the banjo.

out Saturday. The lineup included J.R. Cecil and Friends, the Cotton-Eyed Does, Little Girl and the Dreadful Snakes, the Florida State Bluegrass Band, and The Roys.

Ernie Evans and the Florida State Bluegrass Band were popular at this event.

Picture this: You’ve just been in a car accident and are stranded in the woods. Your seatbelt is stuck, and you might be confined to your car for a while.

That’s the kind of situation James Blocker, and his Custom Canned Anything co-workers, can help anyone avoid with their canned survival kits.

“We can put anything in a can — as long as it fits,” Blocker says.

So, in this particular situation, how about a pocket knife, tucked in a can in the glove box?

Blocker got the idea from his brother-in-law, Plant City native John Hoover, who had spent some time stationed in Afghanistan — where, he said, “Everything comes in a can.”

ABlocker says people also were asking him if he knew where to get any survival kits. So, between the two siblings, the idea formed.

The survival kit comes with everything anyone could need to make it through a few days in the wilderness: a fire starter, a knife, a mylar sleeping blanket, water purification tablets and a compass.

“The idea came up this past August, but we got it going in October and slowly started doing it,” Blocker says.

Since then, they’ve expanded. You can sometimes find Blocker and his wife, Karen

Justin Kline

The cans include several essential devices — to be used in case of emergency.

Hoover, selling the cans at events around town — such as the recent Crafting for a Cure event, where Custom Canned Anything also sold special cans full of promotional items for breast cancer awareness.

They also rolled out a website recently and are attempting to expand into local retail and feed stores. According to Blocker, the feed stores around town would be ideal for something of this nature.

“I was at a feed store in Antioch, talking to some lady up there,” Blocker says. “She told me, ‘I wish my sister-in-law had one of those cans in her car.’”

The woman in question was

BASICS CUSTOM CANNED ANYTHING PRICE POINT: $20 PHONE: James Blocker, (813) 416-5766.

WEBSITE: customcanned. weebly.com driving through North Carolina, when she hit a deer, causing her car to veer off the road and land in a creek bed. The accident left her with a broken leg, and she had no way to get out of her seatbelt.

“It was almost two days before somebody found her,” Blocker says.

Custom Canned Anything has a few different packaging options for these canned kits.

There’s the basic survival kit design, a “Go-Can” that’s made for the car, and “Zombie Survival Kit” packaging with eight tips for surviving the zombie apocalypse. The latter was inspired by the hit 2009 movie, “Zombieland.”

Unique can designs and contents also are available for fundraisers and special events.

“Everybody picks them up,” Blocker says. “They enjoy them. They can’t believe that everything is in the can.”

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

O

PlantCityObserver.com

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IT’S READ EVERYWHERE! Lately, our faithful readers have taken the Plant City Times & Observer farther and farther away from the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.

We’re constantly amazed at how

far — and two what lengths — our readers go with our newspaper. This week, we celebrate some of our most recent international submissions.

As you make your plans for summer vacation, make sure you take

us with you! Snap a photo of you with the paper at your destination of choice and email it to Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver.com.

Make sure you include your full name and where the photo was taken.

57 $ 3

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/ ICELAND AND AMSTERDAM. Doris and Bob Roderick took the Plant City Times & Observer on a recent trip to Iceland and Amsterdam.

BAHAMAS. Annisa Peterson took two very special editions with her on a trip to the Bahams. “I take this copy of the Observer everywhere I go,” she says. “It’s my Hometown Hero — my son, Kyle Hargroves. The other paper is of another Hometown Hero, Justin Galeno.

“I love to show off all of the wonderful people our little small town has,” Peterson says. “My great friend (on the right) is Kimberly McLendon.

She was happy to show the off the paper, too!”

INDIA AND NEPAL. Neal and Dale Carbaugh took their favorite newspaper on a recent two-week trip to India and Nepal. “We carried the Observer and took a couple of pictures in front of the Taj Mahal,” Neal says. “It’s worth noting that taking anything through the gates was prohibited. So, I took only the cover page, which I folded up and stuffed in my pocket. We then went off to one side and when nobody was watching, we quickly took (this picture).”

education by Amber Jurgensen | Associate Editor

Walden Lake teacher uploads new summer camp Paul Coletti will lead the community’s first Camp Invention, which places an emphasis on science and technology.

From rebuilding old electronics to team-building exercises, Plant City students this summer will be given an opportunity to explore science and math during Camp Invention.

It is the first time the camp will be held in Plant City.

“It’s all about hands-on team-building science and technology that goes into it,” camp counselor and teacher Paul Coletti says. “They’re wearing goggles; they’re using tools; they’re learning the engineering.”

Coletti, who teaches at Walden Lake Elementary, has been interested in bringing the educational program locally for six years. He ran Camp Invention for 12 years at his former school in Gainesville and knows his Plant City students will love the program.

Camp Invention’s new curriculum for 2014, called Morphed!, immerses students in hands-on activities, such as building original prototypes, creating a personalized motor-powered vehicle and disassembling electronics to

build an insect-themed pinball machine. Local programs are facilitated and taught by educators who reside and teach in those communities.

At the end of the camp, the students will have an Inventors Showcase open to parents and the public. There, they will be able to display their new inventions and camp projects.

Coletti first got involved with the program at Hidden Oak Elementary, in Gainesville. When he saw his principal walking on campus with one of his old friends from college, he took a little time to catch up with them.

Later, his principal said they were there to encourage the school to host a Camp Inven-

SPOTLIGHT by Michael Eng | Editor

The Ardrey family has five daughters. From left: Amanda, Heather, Sarah, mother Angela, Kristyn and Jessica Welch.

Google’s artist contest leads search engine to Plant City Representatives from Google navigated their way to the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World to recognize Plant City homeschool student Kristyn Ardrey as the search engine’s Florida winner in the 2014 Doodle 4 Google art contest.

Dozens of friends and family members celebrated with Kristyn during the party, held April 29, at Wishing Well Barn.

Google will determine the winner of each of the contest’s five categories by popular vote.

You can vote for Kristyn online through 8 p.m. May 9, at google. com/doodle4google/vote. html. Kristyn’s piece is in the 1012 category; each voter can vote once per device.

The five National Finalists will be announced at an awards ceremony May 21, at Google Headquarters, in California. The winner will receive a $30,000 college scholarship and

Kristyn Ardrey, with Art Lounge Gallery’s Punk and LouAnn Watson Right: Landon Graham, 7, worked on a doodle of his own. a $50,000 Google for Education grant, and his or her drawing will be featured on the U.S. Google homepage on June 9.

VOTE ONCE PER DEVICE: GOOGLE.COM/DOODLE4GOOGLE/VOTE.HTML

tion. The principal asked if Coletti was interested in leading the effort.

In Plant City, Coletti will host the camp at Plant City’s First Baptist Church.

As it grows, it may move to a larger venue.

“I know once we have the first one, it will spread like wildfire,” Coletti said. “That’s how it was in Gainesville. We

started at 38 campers and now have 110.”

The goal is to have at least 35 campers signed up by the end of May. Parents can save $15 on registration before May 16.

Camp Invention was founded by Inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Programming is developed through partnerships with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and inspired by Inductees of the Hall of Fame and finalists of the Collegiate Inventors Competition. It is the only nationally recognized summer program focused on creativity, innovation, real-world prob-

CAMP INVENTION WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 23 to 27 WHERE: Plant City’s First Baptist Church, 503 N. Palmer St. COST: $220; $205 before May 16 AGES: Rising first- through sixth-graders REGISTRATION: campinvention.org lem-solving and the spirit of invention.

Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver. com.

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WEEKEND OF WORSHIP by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Hopewell Baptist Church plans 144th Homecoming So far, 2014 has been a year of growth for Hopewell Baptist Church. This weekend, the congregation will celebrate 144 years in ministry.

Perhaps the most accurate way to describe Hopewell Baptist Church’s 144th Homecoming plans is this phrase: “Hallelujah Homecoming Hoedown.”

That’s what Dr. Daniel Middlebrooks, Hopewell’s senior pastor, is calling it. This two-day celebration will be held at the church this weekend and will highlight the church’s recent growth.

“The church continues to grow,” Middlebrooks says. “It’s not anything I’ve done — it’s just that God is doing a lot for the lives of everyone around here, and I’m just trying to make sure I don’t mess it up and get in His way.”

The centerpiece of Hopewell’s growth is the new children’s building, which now is much closer to the sanctuary. The portables were renovated to move the youth classes, for older kids, out of that building.

The adjacent playground also received a renovation, making that section of Hopewell, bigger, safer and more fun. It should get plenty of use over the weekend.

Saturday’s main attraction is a performance by the Weaver Believer Survival Revival band, a family ministry that travels the country to play their blend of Southern Gospel and Bluegrass music. The Weavers, a family of 10 with kids as old as 21 and as young as 9, all sing and play an instrument.

“Each one of those kids are tremendously gifted,” Middlebrooks says. “I would get them as close to the

Von Trapp family as I possibly could, but the Von Trapps just sang — these kids sing and play instruments.”

The church believes it will have enough chairs to accommodate everyone but encourages people to bring light snacks with them.

On Sunday, there will be more traditional worship. There will be plenty of preaching and music, and food that Middlebrooks says would “put a five-star hotel to shame.”

“They used to call them, ‘Dinner on the Grounds,’” Middlebrooks says. “These are not just ladies cooking — it’s a cook-off. And, a lot of these people bring some of their best dishes. It’s better to fast before you come to Homecoming.”

Although Middlebrooks and the church are focused on making this weekend’s event a good experience, they already are thinking about next year — the church’s 145th anniversary. He wouldn’t reveal exactly what plans were set, but did offer this tease: “Next year, at 145 years, it’s going to be a yearlong celebration with exciting announcements,” Middlebrooks says. “Probably the best way to look at it is that it will change the landscape of Hopewell Baptist Church.

When we start that — when God says, ‘Go,’ we’re not going to be standing still or walking backwards. We’re going to be running forward.”

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.

IF YOU GO WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 3; 10 a.m.

Sunday, May 4 WHERE: Hopewell Baptist Church, 6001 S. C.R. 39 INFORMATION: hopewellbaptistfl. org or (813) 7373053

OBSERVEROBITUARIES Edna Carlo

Edna Carlo, 89, of Plant City, died April 15, 2014.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dominic Carlo.

She is survived by son, John Carlo (Renee); granddaughters, Brittany Carlo and Amber Carlo; and siblings, Lucille Faircloth, Evans Brock, Illmae Phillips (Ben) and Jerry Brock (Sue).

A Celebration of Life was held April 18, at Hopewell Funeral Home.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

Neville Clayton Davis Sr.

Neville “Clayton” Davis, Sr., 81, of Plant City, died April 16, 2014.

He was a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. He was a wonderful and caring husband, father, grandfather and brother. He was loved by all who knew him and will be greatly missed.

He was preceded in death by his wife, RayNell Simmons Davis.

He is survived by his son, “Neville” Clayton Davis Jr. (Melisa Diann); grandchildren, Kristina Diann Davis and Kaitland Ashley Davis; brother, Charles Davis (Mary); and many loving nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life was held April 19, at Hopewell Funeral Home, Plant City. The family appreciates the care and concern shown by Dr. Greg Gutowski.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

Ralph W. Donnell

Ralph W. Donnell, 68, of Plant City, died April 18, 2014.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Gayle; daughters, Angel Silas (Lee) and Rachel Olvera (Jose); and grandchildren, Jason, Haleigh, Sierra, Stephen, Hadden and Ramon.

The family received April 24, at Hopewell Funeral Home, Plant City.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

Maria Santos Godines

Courtesy photo

Hopewell Baptist Church opened recently its new children’s building.

Maria Santos Godines, 73, of Plant City, died April 24, 2014.

Born June 20, 1940, she was the daughter of the late Geraldo Santos and the late Maria Olivarri Santos.

She was the wife of the late Heliberto Godines.

Survivors include sons, Eliberto

(Rosario) Godinez, Jr. and Eddie (Aurora) Godinez Sr.; daughters, Cyndi (Michael) Hare, Lynda (Richard) Ysasi, Mary (Ruben) Garcia, Rosemary (Steven) Soto and Debbie (Pablo) Bazaldua; sisters, Juanita Aguiñaga, Aurora Salazar and Erminia Tijerina; 19 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Mass was held April 29, at St. Clement Catholic Church.

Online condolences may be made at haughtfuneralhome.com.

Max R. Henderson

Max R. Henderson, 84, of Plant City, died April 18, 2014.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Amagene; children, Johnnie Henderson (Candy) and Lisa Surrency (Jeff); six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren; and many loving family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by son, Dennis M. Henderson.

The family received April 23, at Hopewell Funeral Home, Plant City.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

Dorothy Ann “Dottie” Lightsey

Dorothy Ann “Dottie” Lightsey, 68, of Plant City died April 25, 2014.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Plant City, where she served as the “choir mom,” and the Plant City Lions Club, for which she published a cookbook.

She was a retired registered nurse.

She is survived by her husband, Jerry C. Lightsey; daughters, Lisa Vivero (Francis) and Maria McCoy (Dean); grandchildren, Jordan Vivero and Annabella Vivero; sisters, Cynthia Conuel and Irene Wolcott; close family, Carol Yarbrough (Tom), Mark Yarbrough and Matthew Yarbrough; and beloved dogs, Tebow and Annabelle.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 5, at Hopewell Funeral Home, 6005 C.R. 39 S., Plant City, where the family will receive friends beginning at 10 a.m. Interment to follow at Hopewell Memorial Gardens, Plant City.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

Yvonne Loyed

Yvonne Loyed, 68, of Plant City, died April 14, 2014.

She is survived by son, Kelley

Loyed; grandson, Torre Loyed; and brother, Doug Lindsey (Beryle).

She was preceded in death by her husband, James David Loyed; son, Kendall Lindsey; and brother, William Lindsey.

A Celebration of Life was held April 24, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Plant City.

Online condolences may be made to the family at wecare.io.

Doris Faye Ruddy

Doris Faye Ruddy, 73, died April 21, 2014.

She found beauty in everything — even in her garden weeds that became wildflowers under her loving care.

She said that when she was surrounded by things she loved, she was surrounded by beauty. That’s how we will always remember her — beautiful.

She is survived by her brother, Doug Merchant, of Crownsvillle, Md.; friend, Archie Saunders; children, Nora Battey Huffman, Dori Bailey King, Debra Ruddy Iglesias and Paul Ruddy; grandchildren, Mark Huffman, Heather Candela, Christina Pineault, Santana Lee Iglesias, Crystal Howard, Joshua Ruddy, Erik Miller, Michael Ruddy, Brittney Ruddy and Robert Ruddy; great-grandsons, Joseph Candela and Noah, Caleb and Luke Pineault.

The family will hold a private service, and its wish is that all who knew her will always remember her.

Cynthia Carla Taylor

Cynthia Carla Taylor, 47, of Thonotosassa, died April 23, 2014.

Born May 29, 1966, she was the daughter of the late Carl Clayton McQuinn. She was a member of the East Thonotosassa Baptist Church and had worked at Health Integrated, in Tampa.

Survivors include her mother Glenda (Julius) Rountree; husband.

Jerry P. Taylor; a son, Zachary Carlisle Taylor; and step-brothers, Glenn (Ginger) Rountree and Jeff (Dorinda) Rountree.

If so desired contributions may be made to The American Diabetes Association, 1511 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa, FL. 33607.

Online condolences may be made at haughtfuneralhome.com.

Sports

YOUTH | HIGH SCHOOL | GOLF | COMMUNITY

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Luke Heyer helps secure Durant’s district title. 12 SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM

PLANTCITYOBSERVER.COM

SIDELINES BASEBALL

+ Durant repeats as district champs Any speculation about Durant’s district title chances at the beginning of the season was quashed April 25.

The Cougars proved they didn’t need former star Tyler Danish to win a district title, squeezing out a 1-0 win over Brandon.

But, it wasn’t easy.

A pitchers’ duel between Durant’s Bryce Gainer and Brandon’s Drayden Williams kept the game scoreless until the sixth inning, when a bases-loaded walk put the Cougars on the board.

Gainer got into trouble in the seventh when Brandon’s Troy Linderman singled, and then made his way to third base. He was subbed out for Luke Heyer after two outs, and Linderman was quickly thrown out.

Durant hosted Sickles yesterday in the first round of the playoffs, but results were not available for press time.

FOOTBALL

+ JV Dolphins win FSYFL championship

golf by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

Plant City set to tee off with Smart Start program The Plant City Recreation & Parks Department uses the Start Smart program to help parents teach their children the fundamentals of golf.

Remember those days of throwing a football or baseball around in the yard, or shooting hoops in the driveway? That’s how many young athletes were introduced to those sports, because it’s fun and easy to do at home.

Golf, on the other hand, is not so easy to teach at home. Fortunately for Plant City-area parents and their

children, that’s where the Recreation and Parks Department comes in with its Start Smart Golf program.

It’s now that time of year, right between spring and summer, when Planteen Recreation Center Supervisor Jason Hargrove breaks out the SNAG equipment and sets up about a dozen learning areas by the depart-

ment’s administration building. His goal is to help the kids ages 5 to 7 learn the basic fundamentals of golf in a fun, friendly atmosphere.

“Teaching techniques to younger kids in that age level where they want to get involved in sports,” Hargrove

SEE GOLF / PAGE 14

marathon man by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

GOING THE

DISTANCE

The JV Turkey Creek Trojans worked hard all season to win the Superbowl, and now, they are getting some hardware.

An undefeated regular season led to a Superbowl win over the Brandon Bears in November, locking up the team’s second title — and undefeated season — in as many years.

The team will be presented with their official rings at 5:30 p.m. May 2, at the Turkey Creek Trojan Field, 5937 Connell Road.

+ Durant remains perfect in season MarathonFoto

Craig Shimkus, a Durant High School social studies teacher and cross-country coach, competed in the 2014 Boston Marathon.

Athletes picky about favorite sports movie

SEE SHIMKUS / PAGE 14

SEE KLINE / PAGE 14

CLOSE CALL

FLAG FOOTBALL

WHAT’S ON KLINE’S MIND?

The sights and sounds at the end of the 2013 Boston Marathon were unforgettable in the worst way imaginable: a coordinated bombing attack at the finish line killed three people and injured many others.

Having qualified for the event, Shimkus could have been there — in fact, many people were worried that he was.

“I was on conference, and I watched the end of the race,” Shimkus says. “I watched the elites come through, and then I turned off my computer and went about my business. My phone started sort of blowing up later in the day — people texting me, ‘Are you in Boston?’ They knew that I’d run it

When Craig Shimkus came home from Boston last week, he was exhausted. His legs, worn out by the rigorous Boston Marathon, needed some convincing to do what he wanted them to. And, on top of that, he developed a cold.

But Shimkus isn’t complaining.

Monday, April 21, marked the second time that the Durant High School social studies teacher ran in the famous marathon, his first attempt since 2011. With 2013 now in the rearview mirror, he and his fellow runners all seemed to flock to the city with the same mindset.

“After the events of last year, I think a lot of the runners that went back felt that it was making a statement,” Shimkus says. “We support the marathon, we support the city, and we’re not going to be counted out because of an act of terrorism.”

An act of terrorism he nearly witnessed for himself.

+ JV Trojans to receive rings

Courtesy photo

With a little outside help, Start Smart Golf gets parents working directly with their children.

One thing I sometimes like to do when I talk to high school baseball players is ask about their favorite baseball movie.

The only other sport with a high volume of quality movies is football, so many people tend to latch onto a movie and defend it to the death.

I want to see where today’s highschoolers stand, though. In my opinion, neither sport has seen a great movie since 2004 (“Friday Night Lights”). And, for baseball, 1999 (“For the Love of the Game”).

So, when someone seven or eight years my junior tells me that the “The Sandlot” is their favorite baseball movie, I rejoice. I love that movie, and I was only 3 years old when it came out. And, it JUSTIN also means that everyone KLINE is forgetting that “Benchwarmers” ever was made.

When I talked to Athlete of the Week Luke Heyer this week, he went with “For the Love of the Game” — the first time in a little while that someone hasn’t said “The Sandlot.” That made me think: What would I say, if I were in the athlete’s position during this interview?

Football: “Varsity Blues” (1998). There are better football movies out there — “Any Given Sunday” and “Rudy” come to mind — but I will never not watch this movie when it’s on TV. It’s got every late-90s sports movie trope to its name: rebellious teens played by actors in their mid-20s, girl trouble and completely implausible situations involving house parties and police officers. It also has a great scenery-chewing cast, with names like Jon Voight, James Van Der Beek (whose Texas accent is, well, questionable) and the late Paul Walker. It’s not the ultimate popcorn movie, but I’ve never regretted watching it.

Baseball: “The Sandlot” (1993). I always have trouble choosing between this movie and Robert Redford’s “The Natural,” because both touch upon my favorite plot devices for sports movies.

One could almost call “The Natural” a superhero movie, because Roy Hobbs (Redford) is essentially given Superman’s backstory and Mike Trout’s talents — at an advanced age. But “The Sandlot” hits on how much fun it is/was to be a kid and play sports, and it does it better than any kid-oriented sports movie. Lighthearted enough for young audiences, quotable

Durant High School teacher Craig Shimkus returned home recently from the 2014 Boston Marathon. It was his second time competing, and he says the two experiences couldn’t be more different.

There was plenty of youth football action in Tarpon Springs last weekend, and the Plant City Dolphins were in on it.

Specifically, they came out on top of it. The JV squad competed in the Florida State Youth Football League 8-on-8 championship game on Saturday, where they took on the Treasure Coast Spartans and won, 18-12.

So far, this has been a historic year for the Lady Cougars.

They completed an undefeated regular season — the first in program history — April 24, with a 29-0 shutout of Hillsborough.

The district playoffs haven’t been as easy for them, but they still have found success. Coming out of a first-round bye, they beat Newsome, 19-13, in the semifinal.

Durant faced Bloomingdale last night for the district title, but results were not available for press time.

All statistical information was gathered from MaxPreps.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2014

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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY COURTNEY PAAT | STATE FARM

LUKE HEYER It was the bottom of the seventh inning, and Durant needed to get one out to win the district title. Starter Bryce Gainer had only given up three hits, but one man was on third. Luke Heyer took the mound, recognized Brandon’s squeeze play and helped get the final out, giving the Cougars their second district title in as many years.

Friday night, they put you on the mound to get the final out and you delivered. How did that feel?

It felt great knowing that I could seal a victory for my team, especially as a senior. We wanted to come back with some hardware, a district championship, because nothing’s for sure after that. Bing able to say I won districts as a senior felt pretty awesome.

Were you expecting to get subbed in there?

Yeah, I knew I was going to close. They were going to let (Bryce) Gainer go until he got into trouble and, when I saw Coach (Butch Valdes) walk up, I knew I was going in to hopefully seal the game.

It looked like you read their squeeze play correctly.

Our coach kept saying there was potential for that.

I didn’t know quite well if that was happening, and our catcher, he thought that would have been strike three. So, he wasn’t really paying attention — he thought that the kid struck out, but the umpire never called him out. I saw the kid running, and I told him, I screamed at him to get that last out.

Luckily, he did.

Before Friday, a lot of people thought that losing Tyler Danish meant that the Cougars weren’t so likely to win again.

Now, here you are.

It makes us feel awesome, knowing we can do it without him. It felt great, winning it with him, but knowing that we could prove those people wrong that said that it was all because of him, it proves we are a true team.

Any college prospects lined up?

I’ve been talking

to some schools, but nothing’s for sure yet. I’m hoping to find somewhere to go in the near future.

What are some of your hobbies outside of baseball?

We’ve been getting into some pingpong. We play Kan-Jam — a frisbee game — and we all play Clash of Clans.

We’re all in a pretty big clan, and we play that all the time. With ping-pong, it’s mainly in our last couple of periods. Me, Garrett (Wright), Tyler Long and Paxton (Sims), we all play. It gets pretty intense.

What’s your favorite food?

Candy. I eat a lot of candy.

Skittles and Mike & Ikes — I like sweet, tangy stuff. I don’t like chocolate much.

Who’s your favorite athlete?

Albert Pujols. I just love the way he swings.

What’s your favorite baseball movie?

“For the Love of the Game.”

Really great movie.

If you could play for any MLB team, which one?

Probably the Rays; it’s my hometown team. And, I could stay close to my friends and stuff.

Who on this team has the weirdest superstition?

As a team, when we get in the outfield, we talk about Carrie Underwood. She used to sing our national anthem, so we always talk about her when we hear the national anthem.

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ª 3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP SHIMKUS / PAGE 11 before. I got home and turned the TV on, I didn’t know what was going on, and that was a shock.”

Fortunately for Shimkus, some family plans came up and he had to stay in Florida. The events of that Boston Marathon had a profound effect on the running community, changing both procedure and culture.

“I think this whole year has been an adjustment, even in terms of running circles,” Shimkus says. “You go to races, there’s more security. But, nothing prepared me for when we got back to Boston.”

THE HEALING PROCESS

No matter what else could have happened in the 365 days between the 2013 and 2014 Boston Marathons, only one thing could finally give all of the runners — and the city itself — a sense of relief: a successful event.

Part of that, obviously, came from stricter security. According to Shimkus, Boston substantially beefed up its security staff this time around — he says he never felt unsafe.

“It was important for my son to see that you can go back to a place that was hit by terrorism and feel safe, feel secure,” he says.

Another part came from the Boston community itself. Although the marathon is always a big draw, Shimkus says that this year’s event couldn’t have been more different than the one he ran in 2011.

“The crowds were — I think they said there were over a million people on the course — supporting the runners this year,” Shimkus says. “It looked like triple the amount of people that were there the first time I ran it. It was really an amazing thing to see.”

There was a memorial run on Saturday morning, honoring the bombing victims and first responders, and even that drew a big crowd. Businesses shut down that morning, so that workers could come out and watch the run, and they did.’

The Old South Church, located at the Boston Marathon finish line, committed to making scarves for the runners as a church project. But, when word of that spread, it went everywhere: More than 10,000 people from around the country knitted scarves for the runners.

They weren’t all the same shape or size, but they were all blue and gold — official marathon colors — and they all had a brief origin story.

“Each one has a little thing that tells you where they came from — mine came from Duxbury, Mass.,” Shimkus says. “A woman named Lori made mine.

I think I’m going to have it framed, just as a remembrance.”

It wasn’t long before every runner in Boston was sporting one. With strong security measures in place, and an extremely supportive community, there was only one thing left to do: start running.

JUST LIKE ALWAYS

The marathon route remains unchanged. And, with so much security around, the runners didn’t have to fear for their safety. All that any of them had to worry about was their run, and runners such as Shimkus took comfort in knowing that.

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TRAINING MODE

There’s really only one way to properly train for a marathon: run as far as you can.

Thanks to a supportive Durant High School administration staff, as well as his family, Craig Shimkus is able to train as he sees fit and travel to events such as the Boston Marathon. It was his 11th marathon and, although he didn’t record his fastest time ever, he left satisfied.

To prepare, Shimkus starts by running at least 40 miles per week.

Whether he has to get up early, stay up late or even sneak a few miles in before church on Sundays, it takes a big commitment — especially three or four weeks before the race, when he goes up to 80 or 90 miles.

The week before a race, he drops to about 30 miles. He says the schedule helps improve his times, but he knows he could do better.

“I love food so much,” he says.

“That’s one of the reasons I run, because I like to eat and I’m a junkfood junkie.”

Mental comfort, that is. Physical comfort is not something for which the Boston Marathon is known, and it can be especially tough on Florida-based runners.

“The big thing with Boston is, because of the hills — particularly the downhills — that’s where the stress is,” Shimkus says.

Unless they’re making the trek to south Lakeland or perhaps Dade City, there’s not a whole lot for Floridian runners to do to train for Boston’s hills.

“The Boston course is unique,” Shimkus says. “One, because it’s point-topoint. The other is, the first 13 miles of the course are downhill — the latter half, between mile 16 and mile 21, is where you have all the big hills. Running downhill, most people don’t train for that, so it really affects your quads.

And then, trying to go up the hills in the back end, your legs are just shot.”

Shimkus will run anywhere from 30 to 90 miles per week, depending on what stage of his training schedule he’s in, but his quadriceps muscles are used to flat land. When he returned from Boston, it took a few days before the pain in his legs subsided.

Another aspect runners have to worry about is dehydration, which may the the most common ailment. That, plus the warm, 60-degree weather, affected Shimkus himself and may have contributed to the cold that he brought home.

However, Shimkus did go home happy with his time. He finished in 3:07, a huge improvement over his 2011 time of 3:22. He hopes to go back one day and try to do better but not before he runs a few other major marathons first.

That could be five years from now, when he moves into another age bracket. But, he’s in no rush — this year’s marathon was a rousing success, and he got to see a city come together to heal.

“It was neat to see that there was that much support for the city,” he says, “and for the marathon, from the surrounding communities.”

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.

goal! by Justin Kline | Staff Writer

KLINE / PAGE 11

Justin Kline

Trophy winners who were present after the competition: (Back row) Lidia Leon, Sergio Castillo, Daniel Diaz; (Front row) Cordy Wise, Neese Shannon, Isaiah Wilson.

Kids show off soccer skills The Optimist Club hosted its 17th annual Tri-Star Soccer Skills Competition April 26, at Otis M. Andrews Park.

Dozens of kids came before or after their soccer games to test their skills, and the top three fin-

GOLF / PAGE 11 says. “Then, they know what they’re getting into, and they further their education on that sport.”

Although the children are all there to learn the game for the first time, the parents in attendance also will soak up some knowledge.

“What’s unique is, we not only teach children basic fundamentals, but we get the parents involved,” Hargrove says. “We demonstrate techniques, and the parents learn, and then they teach their kids. It’s an activity that they do together.”

Through step-by-step demonstrations, Hargrove teaches putting, driving and pitching, and also gives tips for improving one’s swing — hitting the ball for both distance and accuracy. All of the game’s basic fundamentals are covered in these hour-long classes, and the parents get to work with their children when it’s time to put what they’ve learned to test.

Many people may only have one question for Hargrove: how does one teach golf without taking everybody to Walden Lake? The answer is simple: These kids don’t need a big golf course to use their equipment.

Start Smart Golf uses equipment from SNAG Golf — short for “Starting New at Golf.” While one can use SNAG equipment on a real course, for the experience, it’s not necessary.

“We hold it at the admin building, where the stadium’s outfield used to be,” Hargrove says. “We basically spread out our stations and go from one station to the next. Putting, to pitching, to driving and, toward the end of the program, we simulate three holes.”

The SNAG equipment is designed

ishers in each age group received big trophies to take home.

Drills included dribbling around a series of flags, threading passes through several marked zones, and shooting the ball at a series of targets pinned to the net.

REGISTRATION Although the Recreation & Parks Department originally made April 25 the deadline to register, it’s not too late —according to Jason Hargrove, parents have until May 2.

Each parent-child duo will cost $35 and can be registered with Hargrove at the Planteen Recreation Center, 301 Dort St. Classes will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursdays through June 5.

For more information, call Hargrove at (813) 659-4256, or email him at jhargrove@plantcitygov.com. for kids to be able to use anywhere.

Perhaps its most useful asset is that the clubs make some kind of noise when swung properly: a snap or a whistle lets the golfer, the parent and Hargrove know that things are going well.

“It helps parents and kids pick up on things,” Hargrove says. “If the kids aren’t grasping it, we’ll step in and help them out.”

The first five classes lead up to that three-hole simulation, which Hargrove says is the highlight of the program. That’s where he designs a mock golf course with the space that he has, and asks the kids to go out there and give it a shot — without any competition or fear of failure.

“Seeing them go out there and drive, pitch and putt is fun,” he says.

“It’s fun when one kid gets really close to a hole-in-one, they get excited, they tap it in and go high-five their parents.”

Contact Justin Kline at jkline@ plantcityobserver.com.

enough for all ages.

Hockey: “Miracle” (2004). Although the movie focuses more on coach Herb Brooks than the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Team, it’s probably better off that way.

Brooks was an interesting, quotable guy (“You’re playing worse and worse every day and, right now, you’re playing like it’s next month.”), and Kurt Russell did a great job in the lead role. Even if you’re not a hockey fan, the ingame action was captured well enough for anyone to follow. The real Herb Brooks never got to see this movie, as he died during its production, but the filmmakers gave him a great shout-out at the end: “He never saw it. He lived it.”

Basketball: “Space Jam” (1996). It’s a shame that basketball, arguably the most exciting of America’s big sports, has been given the cold shoulder by Hollywood. I’d love to say “Hoosiers” is my favorite basketball movie ever, but I can’t write about something I’ve never seen. It’s also telling that (arguably) the second-best basketball movie ever was the critically panned “Space Jam,” starring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes. I don’t know if calling this movie a “guilty pleasure” is accurate, though, because I don’t think that anybody in my generation does not like this movie. I rank this above “He Got Game,” because Jordan was somehow better at acting like a nice person than Ray Allen was at acting ... period.

Golf: “Caddyshack” (1980). A who’s-who of comedy icons (Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield) highlight this one, which may still be the funniest sports movie ever made. A high-schooler (Michael O’Keefe) works at a country club during the summer to raise enough money to pay for college and is eventually caught up in the middle of a bet between Dangerfield’s character and a judge (Ted Knight). Meanwhile, Bill Murray spends all of his time attempting to catch and remove a pesky gopher, eventually turning to drastic measures that affect the entire golf course. No golfer should be unfamiliar with this movie.

If someone were to ask me about my favorite sports movie in general, though, I’m going with “Rocky IV” (1985). Yeah, the first two movies are classics. But, I don’t think there’s a better 1980s popcorn movie out there, which is saying something for a Sylvester Stallone vehicle — the same guy who also starred in “Over the Top,” a movie about truckers and arm wrestling.

“Rocky IV” hits you with a major plot twist early on and serves up a towering, hilariously stereotypical villain, international tension, the greatest training montage in history and a fight of epic proportions to wrap it all up.

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0,!.4ª#)49ª4)-%3ª ª/"3%26%2 4(523$!9 ª-!9ª ª

PLANT CITY

RAIN

(INCHES)

WEATHER

WED.

April 23

0.00

THURS.

TEMPERATURES

April 24

0.00

FRI.

0.00

SAT.

April 26

0.00

SUN.

0.00

MON.

April 28

0.00

TUES.

April 29

0.51

APRIL

TO DATE

.99 (2013: 2.74)

YEAR

TO DATE 5.11 (2013: 6.65)

HIGH 88 82 77 82 88 90 90

Thurs., May 1 Fri., May 2 Sat., May 3 Sun., May 4 Mon., May 5 Tues., May 6 Wed., May 7

April 25

April 27

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHU FRP

SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES Thurs., May 1 Fri., May 2 Sat., May 3 Sun., May 4 Mon., May 5 Tues., May 6 Wed., May 7

SUNRISE 6:49 a.m.

6:48 a.m.

6:47 a.m.

6:47 a.m.

6:46 a.m.

6:45 a.m.

6:44 a.m.

SUNSET 8:02 p.m.

8:03 p.m.

8:04 p.m.

8:04 p.m.

8:05 p.m.

8:05 p.m.

8:06 p.m.

LOW 70 70 66 61 63 65 67

MOON PHASES

May 14

, 3&

May 21

BLUEBERRY PRICES SHIPPING POINT: CENTRAL AND NORTH FLORIDA PACKAGES 12 4.4-ounce cups w/ lids 12 6-ounce cups w/ lids

LOW $18 $21

HIGH $22 $26

Courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture

April 28

May 6

Ten-year-old JerriLynn Rodriguez snapped this beautiful springtime scene. Her great-grandmother, Marian Fears, submitted it on her behalf.

The Plant City Times & Observer, State Farm Insurance agent Tony Lee and The Corner Store have partnered to host the I Love Plant City Photo Contest.

Winners will have their photo featured and receive a $10 gift certificate to The Corner Store! To enter, email your photo, along with a caption, to Editor Michael Eng, meng@plantcityobserver.com; subject line: I Love Plant City.

Winners can pick up their prize at The Corner Store.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

By Dennis E. Mitchell | Edited by Timothy E. Parker ACROSS 1 Baby boxer 4 “My Fair ___” (1964) 8 Tiger with a club 13 Sweetness or bitterness 18 “___ Maria” 19 Beauty-cream additive 20 Diamond makeup 21 Potato growers’ state 22 Turnip relative 24 Nicaraguan president Daniel 25 Like Erik the Red 26 Mission in Texas 27 Burger or dog topper 29 Many a download 30 Cy Young Award stat 31 Italian province or its capital 33 Outer ear 35 Garbo’s countrymen 38 Angler’s item 39 “Cogito, ___ sum” 40 Memorable WWII event 42 Wall St. newbie 43 Nonbelievers 47 Escorted, as from another room 49 Earth’s largest landmass 50 Certain undercover cop 51 Spreadsheet contents 53 Punch bowl accessory 54 Sweater type 55 First-stringers 57 Put into service again 59 Hold in custody 61 Amazing up-and-comer 63 Site of a 1943 Churchill conference 65 Gofer’s chore 68 Rat-a-___ 69 Yo-yo stunt

73 75 77 78 80 83 85 86 89 91 93 94 95 96 98 99 100 104 105 107 109 113 114 115 117 118 120 122 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131

Sailor’s “yes” The end of a rugby game Lager holder More cunning Does a pizzeria chore Salome danced for him George Sand novel Shoulder gesture Slammer University in North Carolina Cotton de-seeders Informal “Welcome!”

Abstainer from animal products Info on a toy package Hawaiian instrument, briefly Benefits Vessel for a florist Fed ending Papal representative Attempting Rehab clientele No longer in the USAF Hawaiian food staple Physical strength Seiji of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Roadside distress signal Come unglued Car distance gauge Foundation for something Capital of Greece “The ___ Ranger” Brain scan letters Map closeup Person, place or ___ Hollywood giants?

1 or 66 (Abbr.)

SUDOKU PACIFIC Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

DOWN 1 100 equal a dinar 2 It hangs in your throat 3 Flower fragment 4 Worked with great difficulty 5 Chicken ___ king 6 Leash attachment 7 Slangy “sure!”

8 Big name in blenders 9 Leftover morsel 10 Sorcery practiced in the West Indies 11 Slowpoke’s swimming style 12 PJ fastener 13 Muscular 14 Be crazy about 15 Garden of Eden 16 Exclamations of surprise 17 Eggs at a sushi bar 20 Use crayons 23 United rival 28 Drink cooler 32 More than want 34 Bubbly beverage 35 ___ Diego, Calif.

36 Grander than grand 37 Prewash cycle 41 Reduced one’s intake 43 Wrong for the situation 44 Hale or Lane 45 “You’re ___ go” (postbail utterance) 46 Chophouse offering 48 “Kookie” Byrnes 49 “ ___ and the King of Siam” 52 Autobahn car 53 Drawn-out 54 Cinema’s Mr. Tibbs 56 Summer yard chore 58 ___-serif (type style)

© 2013 Universal Uclick

60 62 64 66 67 70 71 72 74 76 79 81

“... and pretty maids all in ___” Created Suit to ___ Attach by hammering Hiding the gray, in a way Didn’t hesitate Employ ___ Gay (WWII bomber) Clean a blackboard Antarctic bird Authorize by law Plant of the lily family

82 84 86 87 88 90 92 95 97 99 101 102 103 106

Jamaican music genre Every man for himself Jewish house of prayer Boy Scout activity Lawn greenery “Green” emotion Bookworm Compete Antenna housings Affirm to be true Pointing, as with a gun Irritated moods Easter basket filler Eagle nest

108 Sage of India 110 Handle the food for a party 111 Twitter message 112 Beetle Bailey’s nemesis 114 City map 116 Bagel’s center 118 “Ten Most Wanted” agcy.

119 Computer network acronym 121 Suffix for “Hallow” 123 Lennon’s wife

C RY P T O G R A M S 1 . T S B B F M Y OT Z Y I V D J W J B S H S S V Y E T J J W Y E V F Y BU J W Y D B T F T P F G T E N V J Y F U B D M V J J Y DV P O . T I DVOW J M T G K Y D ’ E T F Z V N Y G T E J B T E E Y D J T N T P V P Y ’ E D V O W J J B S H S S K M B Z Y. 2 . J S I B AV J U I B U A M ? H R H N S R H S Z S T B W H S L L G H S M Z S Z S T F D S G G A D H Z U B . Q O B U B G A AC F G U C H S QU B NA B F B O I C U M W U F B W VA S B - M A D C M A D M S F S Z S T ’ F S L L G H .

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