FREE • THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2024
VOLUME 11, NO. 50
COMMISSION SETTING DIRECTION FOR PLANT CITY COMMUNITY DISCUSSION AND MOVING FORWARD DAVE HOOVER STAFF WRITER
At 7:30 p.m. on May 28, Mayor Nate Kilton called the meeting to order. City Commissioners Jason Jones and William Dodson, City Attorney Kenneth Buchman, and City Manager Bill McDaniel were present. Vice Mayor Mary Mathis and Kerri Miller, City Clerk were unable to attend
due to illness. Jessie Navarro, Executive Assistant for the City Manager, functioned in the City Clerk role for the meeting. Brian Stowe, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Plant City prayed for wisdom, direction, and clarity in their decisions for the City Commission to keep Plant City a good and safe place to live. The assembly then stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.
the Western Conference and regional championships. This team also placed third in the national competition. The proclamation lauded the team’s talent, exceptional teamwork, countless hours of practice, and assured the students and coaches Plant City is proud of their spirit and dedication.
The City Commission offered two proclamations of recognition. The first proclamation commended the Plant City High School cheerleaders, who won the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 2A Medium, Non-Tumbling Division Competitive Cheerleading State Championship on February 2. On the way to the championship, the cheerleaders won
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LINDA’S CRAB SHACK CLOSES
Customers Say They Are Disappointed
Linda’s Crab Shack was busy at all times of the day.
DAVE HOOVER STAFF WRITER
Oh no! Linda’s Crab Shack, a Plant City landmark, satisfied its last customer on May 11. For 31 years Ramon and Linda Garza have served Plant City their family recipes for seafood from the location on the corner of Palmer and Reynolds Streets. On the day the news came out, Walter Richards sat on the outside portico in front of Linda’s waiting for 20 people coming on a bus from Lighthouse Baptist Church in Seffner. “As far as Linda‘s Crab Shack closing, it needs to stay open,” Walter said. “We don’t have enough good seafood restaurants. They have an excellent deviled crab—one of the best around, and if they close it will be very difficult to find any place like this at a reasonable price.”
The tables were usually full inside Linda’s.
“We hate to close, but we can’t continue,” said Linda. Ramon and Linda met in Florida farm fields. Later Ramon began working at a dairy in Brandon. As a testimony to his ambition, he became the manager, then he bought the dairy. Later, Ramon owned and operated an additional dairy in the area. During this time Ramon’s brothers ran a food business that had clients like Tropicana Field. When they sold the business, they did not sell the family recipe for deviled crab. Ramon had been working seven days and seven nights for 26 years at the dairies, So, in 1993 he and Linda took this opportunity to close that chapter of their lives, and use this family recipe and others to make the featured dishes to open Linda’s Crab Shack. Fish tacos, shrimp, clams, and grouper entrees have filled out the menu. Based on customers’ enthusiasm about Linda’s Crab Shack, these recipes have always been great successes.
To serve their customers the deviled crab that everyone agrees is delicious, Ramon kept to a demanding schedule. At 4:30 every morning, he would bring the crab to the restaurant to prepare and hand roll each serving of deviled crab according to the recipe. He would also ready the restaurant for the day’s business. Their son, Steve, then came in to cook and run the restaurant. “It’s very sad that it’s closing,” said Pam Pippin. “My sister and my husband are going to be very, very sad to see it go.” “Us from Linda‘s crab shack would like to thank Plant City for supporting us for 31 years,” said Linda. “It has been a success for 31 years. We have known some of our customers for three generations. We have had a good ride, but we have decided to sell the property. We are ready to retire and want to do some traveling, some cruises. As some of you may know, my health has not been very good for three years, so we are going to enjoy what we have left. Thank you. I love you so much and bless
you all. We love you all—The Garza family, Ramon, Linda, Steve, Ray Junior, Vince, Brad, Diane, Jasmine, Abby and, of course, Doris Nipper. Thank you and God bless you all.” The first thing on Ramon and Linda’s retirement agenda is either a cruise or traveling to Key West. They still didn’t sell the family recipe for deviled crab.
The sign confirming the bad news for lovers of deviled crab.