Valrico
5
May 2024
MAY 24 - AUG.4
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Volume 21, Issue 5
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CELEBRATING 22 YE ARS OF PUBLISHING POSITIVE COMMUNITY NEWS
‘SKELLY’ OF VALRICO DISPLAY DELIGHTS TRAVELERS ON BELL SHOALS ROAD
By Jane Owen
Osprey Observer 2109 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Valrico, FL 33596
LOCAL DURANT GRADUATE SOARS TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH PRESTIGIOUS AIR FORCE SCHOLARSHIP
By Kelly Wise Valdes
Soon-to-be Ducation, a medical rant High School exam and a writgraduate Amaten test, I was lia Montes was ecstatic when I one of only 100 found out I had AFJROTC cadets been selected for in the nation to the program.” be selected for Montes’ core the prestigious values are integJ-100 Characrity first, service ter-in-Leadership before self and Scholarship. The excellence in evselected cadets erything. The earned an averJ-100 Scholarage GPA of 3.85, Amalia Montes, a soon-to-be Durant High School ship is a full-ride graduate, with her AFJROTC instructors. an average ACT scholarship to a score of 28, and an average SAT score of college or university of Montes’ choice 1320. For the first time in the scholarship with a housing and book stipend and a program’s history, applicants were ad- monthly spending allowance. Last sumministered the Air Force Physical Fitness mer, Montes completed flight academy Assessment. and earned her pilot’s license at UND However, what distinguishes the J-100 Aerospace Phoenix Flight Training Center program is the board interview process in Arizona through another JROTC scholthat focuses on the applicant’s character, arship. Montes will attend Southeastern leadership and citizenship. During the in- University in Lakeland this fall, majoring terview, applicants are asked to discuss in aviation. Upon graduation from unitheir views on multiple topics, such as versity, she will be commissioned as a core values, how they approach prob- U.S. Air Force officer. Montes dreams of lem-solving, what life obstacles they have flying commercially after serving in the overcome and how they resolve conflict. military. With more than 80,000 AFJROTC caMontes also wanted to extend a huge dets currently enrolled at more than 800 thank you to Col. Anthony Hingle and programs worldwide, these 100 cadets Chief Andrew Johnson, her two AFJROTC truly represent the best-of-the-best. The instructors. selected cadets come from AFJROTC pro“They have been there helping me every grams in 31 different U.S. states and ter- step of the way,” said Montes. “Especially ritories and six countries. thank you to Col. Hingle, who helped me Montes has been interested in flying with the mountains of paperwork that for as long as she can remember. was involved in both the application for “It started when I would fly to visit my flight academy and the J-100 Scholargrandparents in Pennsylvania,” said Mon- ship. Both colonel and chief are retiring tes. “I always loved watching the plane this year. They are leaving a legacy of an takeoff and land.” excellently run AFJROTC program at DuWhen Montes entered ninth grade, she rant High School.” joined AFJROTC at Durant High School and learned of the AFJROTC eight-week flight academy opportunity. Only one NEW PLANT CITY HOSPITAL......PG 3 person from Durant High School had ever DAVE MISHKIN BOOK.....................PG 5 been accepted. “I determined then I was going to ap- DOVER ENERGY PARK.....................PG 7 ply for that scholarship as soon as I was LAVISH LOOS .......................... ..........PG 25 old enough,” said Montes. “After comEYE ON BUSINESS.................PGS 26-27 pleting a physical fitness test, an appli-
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Make no bones about for all of the holidays it, Bell Shoals Road is now,” Leisure said. more pleasant to travel “Literally what everyafter the construction body says is: Thanks that widened the road for making us smile.” from two to four lanes. Commuters, walkWhile it used to be a ers and runners often 3-mile stretch made stop to see Pepper. of traffic nightmares, Two of his favorite commuters now revel friends, Olivia and in the ease of the drive Siena, left a letter and smile at a 12-foot expressing how much skeleton named Pepthey enjoy seeing him per. on their way to St. Pepper, also known Andrew’s Preschool. as Skelly of Valrico, They also explained first greeted travelers that they decided to on Bell Shoals Road in call him Pepper (‘PepOctober of 2022. Legpa the Pig’ is a girl, so end has it that the road Pepper celebrating Keagan Leisure’s gradu- naturally he should be was so frightening at ation. Pictured (left to right) are Blooming- called Pepper). Skelthat time that he didn’t dale seniors Willow Gibson, Mirando ly and the Leisures stay. When Halloween Mayaudon, Makenna Mach, Keagan, loved the name. The rolled around again, Jonny Shilling and Lazaro Fernandez. endearing letter was however, he could not the first of many letresist coming back to ters that the Leisures see the family that have enjoyed. hosted him on his first “I get great joy visit. from the outpourThe Leisure family of ing of love. You don’t seven loves the joy that know how many Pepper brings. Carrie times I have heard, ‘I Leisure, his ‘mom,’ has drive by your house always loved decoratevery day on my way ing for the holidays and to work and I always said their location has look forward to seegiven her a unique oping Pepper,’” Carrie portunity to share with said. the community. When Pepper is on the they moved to the north side of Bell house off Bell Shoals Shoals (5112 Bells Road, Carrie was excitShoals Rd.). He ed to be on a main road changes clothes often where she could share but only when there’s her decorations with little traffic. To keep Olivia, Siena and Pepper when the girls up with his wardrobe passersby. were heading back to school. “The reason that the changes, visit @skelly. skeleton is out there is because he stuck of.valrico on Facebook and @skelly_of_ with the community. He is my decoration valrico on Instagram.
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29 Years in Brandon! If you’d like to learn more about Cow Creek Farm or take a tour of the farm, you can visit its website at https://cowcreekfarm.com/ or call 813-545-7362. The farm is located at 6802 Five Acre Rd. in Plant City. See full story on Page 4.