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FREE • THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021
VOLUME 6, NO. 139
. YO UR NEWS PAP ER . ROUNDUP: COMMISH
BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS LAUNCH TWO NEW PROJECTS Alterations to street resurfacing were approved in last week’s city commission meeting, as were new renovations for Fire Station Two.
BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Several new streets have been approved to be paved after commissioners had to rework some street resurfacing funds. The 2019 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Streets Resurfacing Project
originally included improvements to West Alsobrook Street between Waller and South Tyler streets However, the improvements were “deferred due to limited right-of-way and other prohibitive issues at the 30% design stage,” according to the city.
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DEAN’S RIDE SHATTERS TURNOUT, FUNDRAISING RECORDS JUSTIN KLINE
SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The ninth annual ride to benefit the Plant City Family YMCA’s LiveSTRONG program was the biggest and best yet.
SEE PAGE 6
NEWS BRIEFS
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THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021
State to further expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility Monday
Starting April 5, a much greater number of Florida residents will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The Florida Department of Health announced all residents “shall be eligible to receive any COVID-19 vaccine as prescribed by the Food and Drug Administration,” noting the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people age 16 and older and both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for people age 18 and up. The announcement came at the same time the state also expanded vaccine eligibility to all people age 40 and up, a policy that took effect on Monday. If you are at least 40 years old or meet other criteria — which you can check for online — you can get more info at floridahealthcovid19.gov or HCFLGov.net/vaccine. The official online registration portal is patientportalfl.com. File photo
MLK festivities return this weekend The 35th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. festivities are officially back on for this weekend after COVID-19 forced the Improvement League of Plant City to postpone them back in January. This Saturday will have plenty for people of all ages to see and do. It will likely be the
biggest day of events as the parade, drumlines and street festival will be ongoing all day. The parade is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. and will travel downtown along East Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard. The festivities will pick up at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center, 1601 E. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd., after the parade. April 3 is also the day before Dr. King’s assassination in 1968, so the new date for 2021 still bears significance being so close to one of the most impactful, tragic moments of the civil rights movement. The annual Plant City MLK Leadership Breakfast is up next at 7:30 a.m. April 11 at the Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College, 1206 N. Park Road. After that, the celebration will conclude on May 20 with a Florida Emancipation Day celebration at the Bing Rooming House AfricanAmerican Museum, 205 S. Allen St.
SFBH gets ‘A’ Leapfrog safety grade South Florida Baptist Hospital announced Tuesday it received high marks from the Leapfrog Group following a fall 2020 review for its Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade program. The Plant City hospital received an “A” grade, the highest on Leapfrog’s metric, for its “achievements in protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care,” per a press release. Leapfrog’s program uses as many as 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to review and grade more than 2,600 acute-care hospitals around the United States twice a year. The grading scale runs from “A” through “F” and further details for SFBH and other hospitals are available online at hospitalsafetygrade.org. “This analytic from Leapfrog shows our priority with medical attention-to-detail and safety,” Karen Kerr, South Florida Baptist Hospital president, said in a press release. “Teams at every level of our hospital played a part in this recognition. We have strong internal systems that I believe are shown out by this distinction.”
Courtesy of South Florida Baptist Hospital
City Easter Egg Hunt this weekend The Plant City Parks and Recreation Department is ready for the city’s 32nd annual Easter Egg Hunt, which is scheduled for this Saturday morning. The free event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., will be held at the Otis M. Andrews Sports Complex, 2602 E. Cherry
St. Children age 3-11 can hunt for 10,000 candy-filled eggs and special “golden eggs” with additional prizes. There will also be photo ops with the Easter Bunny, trackless trains, balloon art, Razzmatazz Entertainment and more on site. All youth will get a free hot dog and a drink. The event is sponsored by Global Sports Alliance. Those participating in the egg hunt are asked to bring their own baskets and adhere to social distancing guidelines. For more information, call 813-6594255. File photo
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LOCAL FARM WORKERS VACCINATED AT SADYE GIBBS MARTIN COMMUNITY CENTER The parking lot at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center was full all day Saturday as hundreds of local agricultural workers came to the pop-up vaccination site.
BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Hundreds of local agricultural workers were able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 Saturday thanks to the efforts of Walgreens and the nonprofit group Colectivo Arbol. Walgreens and Colectivo Arbol set up shop at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center Saturday morning and prepared for the onslaught of arrivals. It was a whirlwind process. Isaret Jeffers, vice president of Colectivo Arbol, said the group has worked with Walgreens multiple times over the years to help bring flu shots to local farm workers. She reached out several months ago to express their need for the vaccine in that community, but there weren’t enough available to make it work. “Last Friday, that night they called and said they had 400 vaccines for us,” Jeffers said. “It all happened so fast. They said they had them, but they had to use them sometime in the next week. It was perfect. But we had to get this all figured out so quickly. So we started to reach out to the people we know at local farms, to the rancheros and owners of the farms. We were able to get the word spread pretty quickly
and the people here at the community center, well, they offered this perfect location for us. It’s just been a great experience and we are so thankful to Julie (Garretson) with the community center and Walgreens and my team.” Though they had a short window, Jeffers was right in thinking the word quickly spread throughout the farming community. Colectivo Arbol’s great reputation with local farmers helped appease many of the fears and hesitations some had regarding the vaccine. They’ve been in the community for years bringing food, accessories, education and lawyers to help with a variety of needs that have risen as time has passed. Since the pandemic started, the group has implemented a variety of clinics and offered counseling for those in need. Jeffers and her team are not only wellknown, they’re trusted. And when they said Walgreens was offering this great opportunity, most simply asked “What time should we come?” The majority of the workers and their families arrived in waves. There was an early morning rush and approximately 150 people came by noon to get their vaccine.
Then the buses arrived. Walgreens had approximately 400 vaccines available on a first-come, first-serve basis. All of the doses were distributed by 3:30 p.m. Colectivo Arbol is now in talks with Walgreens to see if they can set up a second round of doses in the near future. The shots were the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which only needs one dose rather than the two shots the other major vaccines require. A line formed outside the community center’s doors approximately an hour before they officially opened Saturday morning and wrapped down the sidewalk during the lunchtime rush as people patiently waited for their chance at receiving the vaccine. The vaccinations were only available to farm and industry workers and their immediate families. “Farmers are hard workers,” Jeffers said. “It’s something that is so important, especially in this community, and they often get overlooked. But think about everything they do for this community. Without them we would not have food on our tables. And when you think about the issues they are facing, it really makes you realize how
important this is. People can sign up and go other places to get their vaccines, but for many of these workers that isn’t an option. So they’re in a tough place. Walgreens has helped remove that issue for them and the commitment they’ve made to these workers is not something any of us are going to forget.”
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THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021
COPS CORNER
PLANT CITY
Observer
This week on Cops Corner: Plant City Police investigated a sleeping DUI, a stolen tag,
Publisher / Karen Berry KBerry@PlantCityObserver.com
a wrong way driver, stolen mail and more.
MARCH 19 IT WASN’T ME 1 Police Place Fraud: This complainant stated someone used his personal information to obtain a $1,200 loan on Dec. 7, 2020. SOCCER SHENANIGANS 1700 block of North Park Road Criminal mischief: An officer met with park officials, who stated three juveniles broke a soccer goal and caused less than $1,000 in damage. All three juvenile subjects met JAAP criteria, completed it and were released to their parents.
MARCH 20 PORCH PIRATE 1500 block of Plantation Grove Court Petit theft: This complainant stated someone stole two pack-
Photo: iStock
ages from her property between 6:35 and 9:30 p.m. March 19. NAPTIME
MARCH 22
TAG TROUBLE
CASHING OUT
600 block of South Alexander Street Stolen tag: This complainant stated an unknown suspect removed his tag from his vehicle.
2400 block of James L. Redman Parkway DUI: Officers made contact with a male subject who was asleep in his vehicle and arrested him for DUI.
2900 block of Hammock Drive Fraud: This complainant stated she discovered four unauthorized ATM withdrawals from her bank account in February, totaling $1,200.
MARCH 21
HOT ON THE TRAIL(ER)
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER
1100 block of Valencia Road Multiple charges: An officer responded to a call of a vehicle driving recklessly with an attached enclosed trailer, cutting through residential yards. The driver was stopped and arrested on charges of DUI and resisting arrest without violence.
330 block of Park Spring Circle Warrants: An officer met with a juvenile subject who took his mother’s vehicle without her permission and learned he had two active warrants out of Hillsborough County for giving a false name to police and battery, both in violation of probation. He was arrested and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center without incident.
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2600 block of James L. Redman Parkway Petit theft: This complainant stated someone stole his bicycle off of Walmart’s bike rack while he was shopping inside the store.
MARCH 24 SUSPICION CONFIRMED Alexander Street/ Timberlane Drive Drug paraphernalia: Officers responded to a report of a suspicious person seen lying on a sidewalk for several hours. They made contact with the male subject and arrested him for possession of paraphernalia. He was given a court date and released.
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Reynolds Street/Collins Street Multiple charges: Officers conducted a traffic stop on an SUV seen driving the wrong way down Reynolds Street. The driver was arrested for DUI and driving without a valid license.
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COMMISSION ROUNDUP:
TWO NEW CITY PROJECTS SET TO LAUNCH
City commissioners approved street resurfacing alterations and new Fire Station Two renovations last week. FROM PAGE 1 BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
To make sure those grant funds were being put to good use, the city came up with an alternate project that would hit a handful of other local streets. Commissioners were asked to authorize City Manager Bill McDaniel to execute a contract with Hubbard Construction Company, in the amount of $138,297.74, for the CDBG Streets Resurfacing Project. The $138,297.74 would be used to mill and resurface East Young Street, North Center Street, North Wills Street, Powell Street, Ramsey Street, Ray Street and Frances Avenue. The Procurement Division published an Invitation for Bid and four companies responded on March 4. Hubbard Construction Company was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. McDaniel said that the city was working on the CDBG Streets Resurfacing Project in mid-2020 and once the pandemic hit — along with all the issues related to the original street — they decided it would be faster and more beneficial to put West Alsobrook Street on pause to focus on getting a new set of streets milled and paved. “One thing I don’t want to do is lose the funding because of delays in the project,” McDaniel said. “This should be a quick turnaround once they get going. They are residential streets and relatively simple in the grand scheme of things. However, I think that it’s going to make a big impact on our residents who live along those streets. These are locations we’ve had our eye on for a while now and I’m excited to see them get repaved so quickly.” The seven streets total 1.11 miles of roadway. Commissioners also adjusted the budget last week to approve some renovations at Fire Station Two. The Capital Improvement Budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year and the next four years was tweaked
to add funding to the reno project, which will be used at Fire Station Two to replace the two front overhead doors and install new signage. The city is funding the project by moving $42,713 from a closed Replace EMS Equipment project into the Fire Station Two Renovation project. In 2019, the budget allocated approximately $400,000 to renovate and upgrade the station and commissioners agreed in 2020 to authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with D-Mar General Contracting & Development, LLC for $328,588 to put everything into motion. Fire Station Two has been undergoing renovations for the past several years. It was approved to get a new roof in 2018 as it was still using the original roof from 1990. Small renovations had been done over the years but nothing major was tackled until last year. In 2020, commissioners agreed to focus on renovating the 5,100 square feet of living space in the station including its kitchen, bathrooms, offices, dayroom, dorms, fitness area and apparatus bay. The latest approval is just one more step toward renovating the entire building, which houses approximately a third of PCPD’s firefighting force.
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DEAN’S RIDE 9 A MASSIVE SUCCESS FOR PLANT CITY YMCA JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
While the annual Dean’s Ride fundraising event has always been both popular and successful, the Plant City Family YMCA’s ninth annual event will be a hard act to follow. Held this past Saturday, Dean’s Ride 9 brought a new venue and new routes into the mix with unexpectedly good results: all-time highs in both participation and money raised. Bruce Curtis, chair of the event’s board, said there were approximately 240 riders this year and an estimated $15,000 raised. That’s the biggest turnout the Y has gotten since the first year or two of the event — also the first time there have been 200 or more riders — and the expected $15,000 raised blew past last year’s record $10,000 net. “If you look back on the prior four years, we average about 150 riders,” Curtis said. “You go from that to 240, that’s a significant increase. I think a lot of that was the appeal of having Keel Farms host the event. I think that drew a lot of people to ride with us this year. The hospitality of Clay Keel and his team was great.” Keel Farms took over event hosting duties this year, after many years spent starting the ride at the Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College. The new venue offered more space, easier access for parking and post-ride festivities on-site. This year’s routes took riders around Plant City’s north side and as far west as Lake Thonotosassa. They were able to stop for a break and a snack at East Thonotosassa Baptist Church, which Curtis
said was “a big hit” with the riders. The Florida chapter of the U.S. Spyder Ryders Can-Am and motorcycle club provided the riders’ escort this year. Curtis said the feedback has been “very positive,” so there’s a good chance the 10th annual Dean’s Ride will borrow much from this event. “It’s the best we’ve ever had,” Curtis said. All of the money raised will benefit the Plant City Y’s LiveSTRONG program, which pays for fitness programs and YMCA memberships for people who have battled cancer themselves or who have been directly affected by someone’s battle with cancer.
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KATHE MOORE
PlantCityObserver.com
NAMED 2021 PLANT CITY FAMILY YMCA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Moore, who has volunteered at the Y for five years, was honored last week during the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA’s virtual Community Impact Week celebration. “I was honored,” Moore said. “I said to Paul, ‘Wait a minute, isn’t there someone that does more than I do?’ I was surprised. I was honored. I was delighted.” Moore joined the Advisory Board five years ago and has served as its chair for the last two years. She’s heavily involved in the annual Strong Leader Award event planning — she and Natalie Sweet co-chair it — as well as Dean’s Ride, Florida Strawberry Festival parking and “really everything the Y does,” Conley said. Moore herself strongly supports family-oriented programs as a mom whose children grew up in the Plant City Y starting when it opened in the 1990s. She would especially like to see the bike rodeo for kids return as it was a “great thing to teach kids safety.” “I love the programs they have for the families,” Moore said. “One thing that really excites me is looking at our community and saying ‘What do we need to do to help the community?’ We dig in and find out what we can do. That’s very exciting to me.” Moore and her husband Dave have been Plant City residents since 1989. They moved to Plant City because it was the halfway
JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Volunteers who will take on any task or challenge at a moment’s notice aren’t always easy to come by. That’s why the Plant City Family YMCA loves having Kathe Moore in its network. Moore, who has volunteered with the Y since her retirement five years ago, has built a reputation as that kind of person. When the Y needs someone’s help with a project or an event, the staff knows it can count on her to answer the call and show up. “Kathe serves as our Advisory Board chair and she is just… anytime you ever need anything, she’s there,” Executive Director Paul Conley said. “The best thing about her is her positivity and outlook on everything. She’s incredibly positive and fun to be around. She makes the core meetings, volunteering and working on different projects fun, and she’s always willing to step up and help.” That’s why the Plant City Y decided to recognize her by naming her its 2021 Volunteer of the Year award last week.
point between their two jobs — she worked in Tampa with Hillsborough County Public Schools and he worked in Winter Haven — and joining the Plant City Y when it opened was a no-brainer for the Moore family. “We love Plant City,” Moore said. “Plant City is such a wonderful place to raise a family. The YMCA is like part of our family… It’s a great community and the Y was very much a part of raising our family. it’s a great place.” Moore was honored last week when the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA held its annual Community Impact Week celebration, a four-day virtual event in which the Plant City Y and the nine other branches in that network honored their Volunteer of the Year winners with video presentations. “I am so grateful that I am able to give my time, talents and treasures to our YMCA,” Moore said in a press release. “My Y experiences, whether I’m volunteering or working out, are special to me and truly rewarding to my spirit, mind and body.”
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Photos courtesy of the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA
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STINGRAY CHEVROLET RAFFLE WINNER DRIVES OFF IN NEW RIDE The winner of the annual Stingray Chevrolet/Unity in the Community Corvette raffle was given the keys to his new ride Wednesday afternoon. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Jason Thimesch drove off with the car of his dreams Wednesday afternoon after winning the annual Stingray Chevrolet/Unity in the Community raffle. Every year, Stingray owner and Unity vicechairperson Steve Hurley donates a brand new Corvette to Unity in the Community, a Plant City nonprofit that works year-round to support those in need. This year’s raffle tickets were sold at the Florida Strawberry Festival, at Stingray Chevrolet and online. On March 11, the last evening of the festival, a large crowd gathered around the platform to see whose ticket would be drawn to claim the brand new 2021 Chevrolet C8 Corvette 1LT with a 6.2 V8 engine pushing 490 horsepower, a “torch red” paint job, eight-speed dual clutch transmission, a 10-speaker Bose Premium audio system, Bluetooth technology and anti-lock brakes. Hurley announced this year’s winner was purchased online and gave Jason Thimesch a call. He and his wife Christina Thimesch were presented with the car on Wednesday during a special ceremony at Stingray. The Thimesches are from Seminole and Hurley said while it isn’t required, it’s always a pleasant surprise when the winner is local. Thimesch bought $100 worth of tickets online and said he was shocked when they got the call. “I’m just blown away,” Jason Thimesch said. “Never in a million years did I think
that I would end up winning a Corvette. I heard the advertisement on the radio a few years ago and remember thinking, ‘How cool would it be to win that?’” Christina Thimesch said they’ve supported the annual raffle for five years and when they found out they won, they were completely caught off guard. They told their family and many laughed, thinking it was a scam. When they pull into their drive in their new “torch red” C8 Corvette, they’ll prove once and for all the raffle is more than a pipe dream. Hurley joked that the duo, who are parents to six children including a set of 15-year-old triplets, never owned a sports car before since it didn’t really fit the needs of their family. The car was pulled off the floor and into the parking lot, where they posed for one final photo before driving off. Hurley also presents plaques and trophies to influential community members whom he said help make the event possible every year. Unity in the Community presented Hurley and his wife Susan with an award as a thank you for all their years of commitment to Unity. This year’s raffle raised $334,000 for Unity and the check was presented by the Hurleys and Commissioner Mike Sparkman to the Unity in the Community Board at the event. Every penny goes back into the community via Unity. Hurley also announced that as of this year, Stingray has been able to give back to Unity with a total of $2.167 million from the 12 raffles it has held.
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DRINK ’N’ DOODLE OFF TO RIVETING START MAKE Plant City’s new monthly event offers local creatives a unique and relaxing evening at Keel & Curley Winery.
BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
MAKE Plant City kicked off a new monthly event last weekend that invites local creatives to flex their artistic muscle. The group created an event called Drink ’n’ Doodle, which is held each month at Keel & Curley Winery at Keel Farms, 5202 Thonotosassa Road. MAKE Plant City brings stacks of coloring sheets designed by local artists, water color paper, hordes of colored pencils and gel pens — provided by the Arts Council of Plant City — to the winery. From there, anyone is welcome to stop by and “leave your cares behind with other local creatives.” Artists are invited to bring their own supplies as well if they want to work on a unique project. MAKE members Vicky Saunders and Jessie Frier lead the event by walking attendees through a brief “art workout” at the start of the evening. For the inaugural event, they had everyone draw a letter of the alphabet and then asked them to
transform their letters into monsters. The results led to hilarious and often absurd creations that had the entire group in stitches. After the workout, attendees were free to do whatever they wished. Each month’s Drink ’n’ Doodle will have a featured theme — for example, this month’s theme was “Grow” — but the artists don’t have to stick to that if they feel inspired to do something else. Many colored the provided pictures while they sipped on their wine and beer. Others sketched and a few even leaned into watercolors, which they brought along in honor of the event. The event is held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at the winery. The next event will be April 22. It’s free to attend and you’re welcome to come, order dinner and drinks from Keel & Curley and get your creative juices flowing.
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CUTEST CRITTER
Do you want Plant City to see how cute your favorite pets are? Send your pictures to Staff Writer Breanne Williams at bwilliams@plantcityobserver. com to be featured.
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FINNEGAN: This perfect goldendoodle puppy lives with mom Tricia and dad Brian in the Cork neighborhood of Plant City. Finnegan and his brother Banzai love spending time together and playing with their parents.
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SPORTS
SEMINOLE EDGES DURANT IN OVERTIME OF SAHOF STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Despite the Cougars’ late rally, the Sharks had the upper hand on the ice and got a 3-2 win in Wesley Chapel in last week’s title match. The loss brought a close to what became Durant’s best season yet.
Quick Hits File photo
Todd Comunale/Facebook
JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
VICIAN NAMED TO FACA ALLSTATE SOCCER TEAMS Strawberry Crest forward Kali Vician has earned 2021 All-State and Academic All-State honors from the Florida Athletic Coaches Association. Vician, a senior, was the only player from the Plant City area to make any of the boys and girls teams. She finished the 2020-21 season with 14 goals and a team-high 16 assists for 44 points, ended her career with a school-record 100 total points and signed with Montreat College in February.
In a much-anticipated rematch of February’s Lightning High School Hockey League championship game, Durant and Seminole gave the crowd at AdventHealth Center Ice one heck of a show last Wednesday. The Cougars and Sharks went head-tohead for the rights to claim yet another championship trophy — this time, it was the SAHOF Tier II state championship. Unfortunately for Durant, Seminole came out on top once again and snagged a 3-2 win in one period of overtime. Seminole got on the board first with Cooper Kappeler’s goal in the first period, but Durant’s Jordan Putnam tied the game at 1-1 4:53 into the second period on a goal assisted by Ethan Carstens and Colin Smargon. Sebastian Middleton put the Sharks back in control with a goal less than two minutes later, but Durant’s Robby Noble answered with an unas-
sisted goal at 5:47 in the third period to tie the game at 2-2. In overtime, Seminole’s Maxim Thellab scored the golden goal with an assist from Middleton to give the Sharks the Tier II championship. This game was about as even as it gets: each team put 25 shots on goal, finished with six penalty minutes on three infractions and went three-for-three on the penalty kill. Durant had an outstanding tournament run, winning four out of five games in regulation and outscoring opponents 61-9. The team’s 61 goals for was the highest in the field and only Seminole allowed fewer goals (five). Putnam was the most productive player in the entire Tier II field with a final total of 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) and Carstens was right behind him with 19 points (11 goals, eight assists), good for second among all Tier II skaters. Two more Cougars rounded out the top 10 in tournament point totals: Josh McKeen (14 points; 10 goals, four
assists) and Dante Denney (13 points; four goals, nine assists). The Cougars’ 2020-21 season comes to a close with the team posting a programbest 25-5-1 record and 188 goals scored between LHSHL and SAHOF play. The team also achieved all of the goals it set for itself to start the season: winning the Modin Division in LHSHL play, making the Lightning Cup championship game and making the SAHOF Tier II championship game. On Monday, head coach Todd Comunale announced the club would retire Putnam’s jersey number 86. Putnam, the team’s captain, was named LHSHL Rookie of the Year in the 2017-18 season and continued to live up to the hype. He finished his four-year career with 92 goals and 58 assists (150 points) in 72 games of regular-season play and a total of 16 goals and 29 assists (45 points) in 16 postseason games played.
SCOREBOARD
BASEBALL
FLAG FOOTBALL
MAR. 25 Durant 9, Robinson 1
MAR. 25 Durant 28, Sumner 0 Armwood 19, Strawberry Crest 0
APR. 8 Riverview at Durant, 7 p.m. Plant City at Strawberry Crest, 7 p.m.
APR. 8 Durant at Plant City, 7 p.m. Chamberlain at Strawberry Crest, 7 p.m.
APR. 5 Spoto at Durant, 7:30 p.m. Bloomingdale at Plant City, 7:30 p.m.
MAR. 29 Plant City 20, Strawberry Crest 0
APR. 9 Plant at Plant City, 7 p.m.
UPCOMING GAMES
APR. 13 Newsome at Durant, 7 p.m. Armwood at Plant City, 7 p.m. Strawberry Crest at Tampa Bay Tech, 7 p.m.
APR. 9 Strawberry Crest at Gaither, 7 p.m.
APR. 6 Strawberry Crest at Riverview, 7:30 p.m.
APR. 12 Strawberry Crest at Durant, 7 p.m.
APR. 8 Strawberry Crest at Lennard, 7:30 p.m.
SOFTBALL
APR. 13 Newsome at Durant, 7 p.m. Armwood at Plant City, 7 p.m.
APR. 12 Middleton at Strawberry Crest, 7:30 p.m.
APR. 1 Plant at Strawberry Crest, 7 p.m.
FLAG FOOTBALL
APR. 6 Durant at Bloomingdale, 7 p.m. Leto at Strawberry Crest, 7 p.m.
APR. 1 Durant at Bloomingdale, 7:30 p.m.
APR. 15 Newsome at Durant, 7:30 p.m. Plant City at East Bay, 7 p.m.
MAR. 26 Leto 4, Strawberry Crest 3 MAR. 29 Plant City 10, Tampa Bay Tech 0 MAR. 30 Durant 7, Strawberry Crest 5
SOFTBALL MAR. 25 Robinson 16, Durant 6 MAR. 26 Durant 3, Plant 1 Strawberry Crest 12, Plant City 1 MAR. 30 Durant 8, Strawberry Crest 0
BASEBALL APR. 1 Durant at Lennard, 7 p.m. Plant at Strawberry Crest, 7 p.m. APR. 6 Durant at Bloomingdale, 7 p.m. Leto at Plant City, 7 p.m. Strawberry Crest at Armwood, 7 p.m.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021
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DURANT OUTLASTS CREST IN ROLLER-COASTER GAME The Cougars and Chargers needed 10 innings to get through Tuesday’s baseball game in Dover, and it was Durant who came out on top with a 7-5 win.
JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The latest chapter in DurantStrawberry Crest matchup history was one of the most thrilling yet. A battle between two 11-win teams had everyone on both sides at Crest’s baseball field biting their nails for more than three hours as the Cougars and Chargers put together an offense-heavy classic. This one was Durant’s to win, 7-5, in 10 innings. Crest got the party started in the third inning by scoring on two passed balls in three plate appearances. After a double by starting pitcher Colby Fanning, Lance Highsmith scored from third on a passed ball with Arjun Nimmala at bat to end the scoring drought. After Nimmala was struck out by Durant’s Sean Hermann, Fanning scored the second run of the game on a passed ball with Ethan Pues in the batter’s box. After two innings and four total players reaching base, Durant shifted the momentum in its favor in the top of the sixth. Facing two outs, Austin Sewell ripped a pitch
into left field to get on base and Javy Quintana’s single then put him on second. Dylan LaPointe smacked a double that scored both Cougars and tied the game at 2-2. Luke Richardson then came in to relieve Fanning. Courtesy runner Sean Pikulski reached third on a wild pitch during Carlos Morales’ at-bat — which ended with a walk — and Nick AprilGath gave Durant the 3-2 lead with an RBI single to score Pikulski. Both Morales and April-Gath advanced on an error during Aidan Welsh’s at-bat and Welsh gave the Cougars some more insurance with a two-run double of his own. But the Chargers weren’t ready to give up. In the bottom of the sixth, Crest immediately loaded the bases with Pues’ walk, Zach Redner getting hit by a pitch and Alex Mussenden hitting a single. Pues scored on a wild pitch with no outs and Ray Allen Vasquez at bat, and a fielding error after Vasquez got a hit led to Redner pulling the Chargers within one run of the tie. Mussenden got Crest there by scoring on a wild pitch with Cristian Bolt batting. Redner came in to pitch in the top of the seventh inning and
struck out two of the five Cougars he faced. The Chargers did manage to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh with one out, but Hermann got Mussenden to strike out looking and reliever Zander Fisk got Vasquez to go down swinging to keep the Cougars alive. The most either offense could do in the eighth and ninth innings was Fanning reaching base on an error, then stealing second base with two outs. But the 10th inning was just what Durant needed. Things got dicey for the Cougars when Sewell struck out to start the inning and Quintana, who drew a walk, was caught trying to steal third base. LaPointe drew a walk and the Durant bats suddenly got hot again. Brett Martin regained the lead for the Cougars with an RBI double and the final score was set at 7-5 with a fielding error that gave Martin enough time to run home. Fisk induced three consecutive outs in the bottom of the 10th to put the game away. Durant improved to 12-3 (2-1 district) with the win and is now on a three-game win streak with at least seven runs scored per out-
ing. The Cougars are on the road again tonight at Lennard (4-5; 0-1 district as of press time) for a 7 p.m. district game. Durant has already faced the Longhorns twice this season and won both games: first was a 3-1 win at Durant on Feb. 5, then a 5-3 score on March 15 during the Saladino Tournament. After coming out on the losing end of a wild 21-11 box score against Sickles at the end of the Saladino Tournament, the Longhorns picked up a pair of big wins against Sumner (12-1) and East Bay (4-0) on March 23 and 26. They also hosted Riverview on Wednesday night, but results from that game were not available at press time.
The Chargers fell to 11-4 (4-1 district) overall and have lost four of their last five games. They’ll look to turn things around with another 7 p.m. home game tonight, this time against Plant (6-10; 2-4 district). The Panthers followed up a rocky 1-8 start by winning five of their seven games since March 15, but they took a 5-4 loss at Alonso on Tuesday night — ending a two-game win streak — and already have history with Crest in the form of a 6-1 Chargers win in Tampa on March 5.
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We asked Facebook:
Two new businesses on Evers Street are opening their doors today. Crumbles & Cream Kaffeehaus will hold a soft opening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and then be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The Tipsy Bookworm will open at 3 p.m., right after the new bakery’s soft opening. Three Hands Mead Company is getting closer to announcing its own opening date. With so many new businesses opening on Evers Street this year, what else would you like to see come to that corner of downtown Plant City? “Supplement shop” — Ruben Cardenas “Maybe another clothing store or specialty gift shop” — Nikki Murphy “Mini bowling and arcade!” — Gina Clark
“Glad to see new shops but hard to pick new ones for there. It’s not the right location for chain foods or other chain shops. Must be unique.” — Meg Scott “A maker space co-op.” — Will Hudson
“A local burger place!” — Paul Gibbs
“Steak n Shake somewhere in PC would be great” — Tammy Langdale
“Best Buy, Red Lobster restaurant, Target, Boston Market, International Market” — Fritzie Manalo
“Chick-fil-A” — Mary Lunetta Salcido
PLANT CITY OBSERVER
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Maria Galvan Morton, 53, of Plant City, born on April 17, 1967 in Rockport, Texas, entered into eternal rest on March 19, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
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Corey Cason Corey Cason, 42, of Lithia, born in Tampa on October 15, 1978, entered into eternal rest on March 19, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Charles Allen Moss, Jr.
Carolyn Shank
Charles Allen Moss, Jr., 48, of Brandon, born on March 5, 1973 in Tampa, entered into eternal rest on March 22, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Carolyn Shank, 75, of Thonotosassa, born on November 26, 1945 in Plant City, entered into her Heavenly home on March 26, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
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Guy Michael McGraw
Dorothy J. Taylor
Guy Michael McGraw, 82, of Plant City, born in Flint, Michigan on January 13, 1939, entered into eternal rest on March 24, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
Dorothy J. Taylor, 82, of Plant City, born in Tampa on July 7, 1938, entered into eternal rest on March 26, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
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Geneva B. ‘Sally’ Combs Geneva B. “Sally” Combs, 90, of St. Petersburg, born on May 9, 1930 in Decatur, Georgia, entered into eternal rest on March 22, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
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Kirk Alan Stevens Kirk Alan Stevens, 60, of St. Petersburg, born in Plant City on September 22, 1960, entered into eternal rest on March 24, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
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Laura DeMontmollin Laura DeMontmollin, 69, of Mulberry, born in Plant City on February 3, 1952, entered into eternal rest on March 28, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
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Harry H. Stewart
Harry H. Stewart entered into the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Harry was born January 20th, 1931 in Chester, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Chester High School. Harry served in the United States Navy during the Korean War. He married the former Jeanette Moore of Chester, Pennsylvania in 1952. They celebrated their 68th anniversary in September. Harry worked for Sun Oil Company for 32 years as a lab tester in Refinery Operations. Upon retirement, he and Jeanette moved to Florida where they became members of Turkey Creek First Baptist Church. He served as a Deacon for many years. Recently he had the honor of becoming a Deacon Emeritus.
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He served in the prison ministry with Gideons in the Plant City South Camp. Harry also served as Chaplain for the Strawberry Ridge Veteran’s Club for 14 years. Harry loved his Lord, his family, his country and his church family. He will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him. Harry was preceded in death by his father and mother, Harry Stewart Sr. and Ellen Burke Stewart, and four sisters. He is survived by his wife Jeanette Stewart; son Wayne Stewart (Linda) of Claymont, Delaware and daughter Linda Stewart of Kenosha, Wisconsin; three granddaughters; and seven great-grandchildren. A funeral service will be held Thursday, April 1st at Turkey Creek First Baptist Church, 4915 W. Trapnell Road, Plant City, FL 33566, with visitation at 3:00pm and service following at 4:00pm. Committal with Military Honors to follow at Turkey Creek Cemetery, Plant City. Per family request, masks are required. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
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Geneva Flowers Geneva Flowers, 76, of Plant City, born on August 11, 1944 in Kinard, entered into eternal rest on March 23, 2021. Expressions of condolence at HopewellFuneral.com.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021
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OBITUARIES
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THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2021
Benito Degollado Rodriguez Benito Degollado Rodriguez, 88, of Tampa, passed away on March 24, 2021. Services were held March 29, 2021 at Haught Funeral Home, 708 W. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd., Plant City, FL 33563. A graveside service will be held later in the week. Online condolences may be left for the family at haught.care.
Frank Romano
YOUR CALENDAR
PLANT CITY OBSERVER
OBITUARIES
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BEST BET SATURDAY, APRIL 3 35TH ANNUAL PLANT CITY MLK PARADE ‘LET FREEDOM RING’
1 to 4 p.m. The 35th Annual Plant City Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will kick off the rescheduled MLK Celebration with a flotilla of marching bands, floats, civic groups, clubs and local businesses through downtown Plant City. The parade starts at the corner of Wheeler and MLK Blvd and ends at the Plant City MLK Recreation Complex. Vendors and live music will be ongoing from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the parking lot of the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center.
Frank Romano, 87, passed peacefully at his home surrounded by his Gary Wayne Allen loving family on March 27, 2021. Gary Wayne Allen, 55, of Valrico, passed away on He was the son of the late Nicolo March 24, 2021. Services will be held privately. and Rosa (LaRussa) Romano. Online condolences may be left for the family at Survivors include his wife, Maria I. haught.care. (Piazza) Romano; children: Nicolo (Liz) Romano, Rosanna RomanoDiaz, Silvia (Mark) Harrison, Mary HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM Frances (Marc) Lastres; siblings: Lucy Piazza, Angela (Bob) Smith; Janie Evelyn Evanicky 11 grandchildren and one greatgrandson. Frank was born in Sicily Janie Evelyn Evanicky, 63, of Lakeland, passed and in 1959, he moved with his away on March 26, 2021. Funeral services will family to Dover, Fla. He eventutake place Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 11:00 AM at ally moved and raised his family Haught Funeral Home, 708 W. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd., in Thonotosassa. Frank was also Plant City, FL 33563. a member of the United States Online condolences may be left for the family Army. at haught.care. Frank was a proud owner and worked as a barber at his own barber shop; Frank's Barber Shop HAUGHTFUNERALHOME.COM on 7th Avenue in Ybor City. Frank was an active member of Saint Ethel Ruth Williford Keels Clement’s Catholic ChurchWin we’re dedicated to helping families create a E ’RPlant E P R OU D TO SE RV E our community unique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate care since 1896. City since 1959, where he was Ethel Ruth Williford 90, of Dover, passed celebratesKeels, the life it represents. As youraDignity Memorial professionals, member of both the Men's Club > 100% Service away on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Ruth was Guarantee > National Plan Transferability Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® and the Knights of Columbus. > Bereavement born April 16, 1930 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The family will receive friends Fond memories R and expressions of sympathy Monday, April 5, 2021 at Haught may be shared at www.WellsMemorial.com for the Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival. Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. to Keels family. 8:00 p.m. 708 West Dr MLK Jr Boulevard Plant City, FL 33563. A Funeral Mass will take place on WELLSMEMORIAL.COM Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Wells MeMorial & Schindler event Center Amanda at St. Clement’s Catholic Church. PlanT CiTy Burial services to immediately Amanda Schindler, loving 813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com wife and mother of follow at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park eight, passed away on Sunday, March 21, 2021, Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donaat the age of 43. Amanda was born on February tions can be made to the Wounded 18th, 1978 in Vandenberg AFB (Lompoc), Califorwe’re be dedicated helping families create a service W E ’R E P R OU D TO SE RV E our community Warrior Project. nia. Visitation will 10 toam and funeral unique and meaningful memorial that truly with personal, compassionate care since 1896. Online condolences may Asbe left 11 professionals, am on Friday,celebrates Aprilthe2,life2021 at Plant City United it represents. your Dignity Memorial at haught.care. > 100% Service Guarantee > Church. National Plan Transferability Pentecostal > Bereavement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline® Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared Rat www.WellsMemorial.com for Proudly supporting the Plantfamily. City Strawberry Festival. the Schindler
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SATURDAY, APRIL 3
PLANT CITY TOASTMASTERS
TRUNK OR TREASTER
7:30 to 9 a.m. Join the Plant City Toastmasters for breakfast, laughs, and fun; there’s no better way to start your Thursday mornings. Bring a chair and a mask. The Toastmasters also offer Zoom meetings for those who can’t make it in person. Visit the Facebook page, facebook.com/ PlantCityToastmasters/, for meeting locations and information.
BATON TWIRLING CLASSES
Plant City Recreation presents Baton Twirling Classes at the Planteen Recreation Center, 301 Dort St. Classes are held every Thursday. Beginner classes are from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Intermediate classes are from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Your first class will be free. If you have any questions or would like more information, contact Barbara Patrick at 813-626-4554.
FRIDAY, APRIL 2
10/27/15 10:42 AM
®
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THURSDAY, APRIL 1
HANDCRAFTS: D’EGG-COR
Join Kelly with this virtual tutorial, hosted by Bruton Memorial Library, to learn how you can bring artistry to your eggs this spring.
WELLSMEMORIAL.COM PlanT CiTy
813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com M2313_4832_Wells_PNT_Comm_7-25x9-75_C.indd 1
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at GraceWay Church, 3106 S. Wiggins Road. Bring your family for a day of fun with trunks decorated in Easter themes with games, candy and door prizes, and you can get photo bombed by the Easter Bunny. It’s all free. Bring an Easter basket to collect your candy. Need more info? Check out GraceWay365.com.
PLANT CITY SOCIAL DANCE
6 to 9:30 p.m. at Strawberry Square Dance Center, 4401 Promenade Blvd. Plant City Social Dance will have dances every Saturday night in the month of April at the Strawberry Square Dance Center. From 6 to 6:30 p.m., there will be ballroom music for ballroom dancers. The regular dance goes from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The cost to dance is $7 per person and attendance is limited to 50 people with reservations. Call DJ Ken Miller at 863409-7714 to reserve your spot and visit djkenmiller. com to look at sample playlists and get more information.
Mays Blvd., and jam, clap hands, stomp feet and enjoy. They have their Bluegrass Jam the first Saturday of every month.
TUESDAY, APRIL 6 FAMILY BOREDOM BUSTERS WEEK 1: ‘APRIL FOOLS’
Bruton Memorial library will offer take-home activity kits for families to enjoy together. This week’s theme will be “April Fools” and will include puzzles, literacy activities, crafts and more. Kits will be available while supplies last.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 FREE ASSISTANCE FOR MILITARY VETERANS
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Federal, state and local opportunities are constantly changing. If you’ve served any time in the military, retired or non-retention, and would like to review your benefits, please take advantage of free assistance at the Bing House Museum, 205 Allen St., every Wednesday. Walk-ins welcomed or call 813-704-5800 to set a specific time. Masks are required and temperatures will be taken at the door.
BLUEGRASS JAM
6:30 at 8:30 p.m. This is an open invitation for local Bluegrass musicians and fans to come to the Krazy Kup loft, 101 E. J. Arden
REGISTER TODAY!
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PLANT CITY FAMILY YMCA 1507 YMCA Pl., Plant City 813 757 6677 | tampaymca.org
POPPELL INSURANCE 503 West M.L.King Blvd. Over 50 Years Serving the Plant City Area
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Send your photo submissions to Associate Editor Justin Kline at jkline@PlantCityObserver.com or hashtag #iloveplantcity on Instagram for @igersplantcity to feature.
THURSDAY, APRIL 1 High: 74 Low: 46 Chance of rain: 45%
FRIDAY, APRIL 2 High: 68 Low: 44 Chance of rain: 0%
SUNRISE/SUNSET
Sunrise Sunset
Thursday, April 1
7:18a
7:46p
Friday, April 2
7:17a
7:47p
Saturday, April 3
7:16a
7:47p
Sunday, April 4
7:15a
7:48p
Monday, April 5
7:14a
7:48p
Tuesday, April 6
7:13a
7:49p
Wednesday, April 7
7:12a
7:49p
MOON PHASES
SATURDAY, APRIL 3 High: 73 Low: 50 Chance of rain: 3%
SUNDAY, APRIL 4 High: 77 Low: 51 Chance of rain: 5%
MONDAY, APRIL 5 The view from Jeannie Mitchell’s back yard often features a cotton candy-colored sunset. Mitchell shared this picture on Instagram (@jmitchell9372) with the #iloveplantcity hashtag.
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High: 80 Low: 53 Chance of rain: 11%
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Across 1 2019 Pan American Games city 5 Present to an audience 10 Nat’s hat 13 Norse deity 14 Syndicated show, say 15 Smooth-talking 17 “It’s been a while since I shopped till I dropped”? 20 Revise 21 Bud 22 Annually 23 __ Cruces 25 Convent figure 27 Pastoral exhortation to a graffiti artist? 32 Belgian __
33 Special ops acronym 34 Some bank jobs 38 Lack 40 Set down 42 Bender 43 Meddles 45 Pack (down) 47 Mauna __ 48 Bargain hunter’s forte? 51 Moby-Dick, e.g. 53 Vote in favor 54 Many Oscar night attendees 55 Sun, for one 58 Social division 62 Trojan king struck dumb? 65 Sources of cones
66 Dabbling ducks 67 Cable car 68 Fabled beast 69 Ad guy responsible for four long puzzle answers? 70 Roll call call Down 1 Kinks title woman with “a dark brown voice” 2 Word after fallen or false 3 Like new 4 Actress Kinsey of “The Office” 5 Asian honorific 6 Census worker, for one 7 Location 8 Legislation that varies
from state to state 9 Eclectic musician Brian 10 Prepare for print 11 Buenos __ 12 Earnest requests 16 “__ Blues”: Beatles “White Album” song 18 Cafeteria stack 19 Buffalo skater 24 Intervenes 26 Prague’s region 27 Maxims 28 It often undergoes changes 29 First female attorney general 30 Burt’s musical collaborator 31 Send 35 Arias, usually 36 Animation product 37 Unattached 39 Joint Chiefs, for example 41 Joltin’ joe? 44 Refracting polyhedron 46 Intimidate mentally, with “out” 49 “The Last of the Mohicans” author 50 Toast word 51 Heart chambers 52 Hideouts 54 Banana Boat letters 56 Copy room unit 57 One sometimes seen with Boris 59 Withered 60 Romanov title 61 Salinger character who says, “I prefer stories about squalor” 63 “The Racer’s Edge” 64 Gp. that sometimes has an added “Y”
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Apr. 11 New
Apr. 16 First
Apr. 25 Full
Apr. 7 Last
RAINFALL LAST WEEK:
MONTH TO DATE:
0.06 in.
0.60 in.
YEAR TO DATE:
APR. AVERAGE:
05.06 in.
SQUASH Shipping point: Central Florida $4.35-$8.85
Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
2.69 in.
WEATHER
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CHEST PRESSURE
CAUTION NARROWED ARTERIES AHEAD
Chest pressure, a squeezing sensation or chest pain. These feelings may be angina, a symptom of heart disease. Your heart comes with a warning system called angina, which happens when part of the heart doesn’t get enough blood and oxygen. Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), a type of heart disease that occurs when arteries that carry blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked. Although angina often feels like a pinching sensation in the chest, it can also be accompanied by sluggishness, fatigue and chest tightness. If you experience any of these symptoms, the heart experts at BayCare’s South Florida Baptist Hospital can quickly get to the cause and treat it with a procedure that’s right for you. Diagnosing and treating CAD is just one area of our expertise in heart care. Using state-of-the-art technology, our compassionate and multidisciplinary team of experts provides a suite of other advanced heart care services. From treatment options for rhythm disorders like AFib and heart attacks, care for advanced heart failure through our Heart Function Clinic, to helping you recover with cardiac rehab, South Florida Baptist Hospital is here when you and your heart need us. And we have enhanced safety measures to help keep you protected, so you can feel secure getting the care you need. Learn more and get a cardiology referral: SouthFloridaBaptistHeart.org
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