01.23.15 Plant City Times & Observer

Plant City Times&

Observer

OUR TOWN

INDEX

,

3&

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

Vol.2,No.27 | Onesection

3ODQW&LW\2EVHUYHUFRP

A PARTNERSHIP WITH

This weeks winner is

Chris Black

See his photo on

PAGE 15.

Calendar.......................2 Crossword...................15 Obituaries...................11 Sports.........................13 Weather......................15

FREE FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015

+ Happy

anniversary

Herman and Leslie

Stewart celebrated 50

years together Jan. 22.

+ Blueberry

Pageant sign ups

The Blueberry Festival

Pageant sign ups will be

from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31, and

Saturday, Feb. 21, at Keel

and Curley Winery, 5210

Thonotosassa Road.

Girls 2 to 19 and boys 2

to 6 can register. Each age

division will have only 20

contestants so dont delay

with sign ups.

Paperwork is available at

KeelAndCurleyWinery.com.

Mail a $40 check or money

order to Julie Hasting,

4309 Stanley Rd. Plant

City, Florida 33565. All

mailed paperwork must be

postdated Feb. 21.

Everyone gets a crown.

The pageant will be March

21 at the winery.

+ Church to host

Kirkin O Tartan

The 17th Annual Kirkin

O the Tartan will be held

during the 10:45 a.m. wor-

ship service Sunday, Jan.

25, at First Presbyterian

Church, 404 W. Reynolds

St. This service celebrates

the churchs Scottish heri-

tage.

The St. Andrews Pipes &

Drums of Tampa Bay will

perform a concert on the

front lawn after the service,

followed by a luncheon in

the churchs Fellowship

Hall.

The history of the

Kirkin dates back to the

days when the Scottish

Highlander Presbyterians,

wore colorful plaids repre-

senting clans. English rule

in 1745 made wearing the

Tartan forbidden.But the

royal Scots would bring

a small swatch of tartan

cloth into worship. Then, at

a secret time during wor-

ship, the minister would

offer the blessing while

the Scots hid their tartans.

tribute

by Amber Jurgensen |ManagingEditor

HONORROLL

by Catherine Sinclair |StaffWriter

SPORTS

Dolphins

squadroars for

Cheer-Offwin.

PAGE 13

REALESTATE

AsouthP.C.home

toppedDecember

transactions.

PAGE 8

MLKPARADE

AnnualMartinLuther

KingJr.Dayparade

wasasuccess.

PAGE 3

Stacks and stacks of certi-

cates are pulled from a box of

Roosevelt Bobby Millers be-

longings: Completion of Crime

Scene Technician Course,

Crime Scene Photography,

Missing Children Information

Clearing. His family proudly

holds onto them, unclipping

each one and passing them

around the room. Mr. Miller

was the rst black detective

with the Plant City Police De-

partment. And with all of his

credentials, there wasnt a

better person that could have

been.

Mr. Miller, 81, died Dec. 31,

after a battle with throat can-

cer. His memorial service was

held Jan. 10, and he was bur-

ied at Garden of Peace in Plant

City.

I was so proud to have

him, daughter Capathia

Sampson said.

She holds up a black and

white picture of him in his

uniform.

He was my everything. I am

proud to call him my dad. He

ruled with a stern hand and

loving heart.

Mr. Millers children have

many memories of him as po-

lice ofcer. He helped launch

the Plant City Police Depart-

ment into the future by learn-

ing to process crime scenes,

ngerprinting, and to take

and develop his own pictures

of evidence. He started at the

department in 1964, and was

promoted to detective in 1975.

He retired in 1998.

But his legacy still lives on.

Because of his work, a 30-year-

old cold case was recently

solved. In 1979, Charolette

Kelley was found strangled

in her home. He was among

the detectives that took DNA

samples from the bedding

and sealed them into evidence

at the station. The evidence

had remained there in a time

freeze, until technology could

help solve the case. That came

in 2012, when they reopened

it.

Time spent with him was

knowledgeable, son Todd

City remembers first blackdetective

Two talented, award-

winning horses of the same

bloodline were reunited at

Black Dog Farm in Plant

City last Sunday, and one

of their riders has a shot

at competing in the Olym-

pics.

Forrest Flame, known as

Forrest, is a purebred New

Forest Pony. Jill Hardt, own-

er of Tristan Oaks Dressage

in Plant City, is Forrests

rider.

Forrest has been gelded,

but frozen breeding doses

are available. In 2004, he

sired a mare named Forrest

Nymph.

Forrest Nymph, known as

Farrah, is the only purebred

NFP to ever have competed

at the CCI** level in event-

ing, a sport that combines

a variety of tests such as t-

ness and jumping.

Farrahs current rider is

Sinead Halpin, an interna-

tional rider who has ridden

her top-level horse at the

World Equestrian Games in

Normandy, France and will

be considered for the sum-

mer 2016 Olympics. Halpin

is a 4*-level rider, which is

the highest level in event-

ing, but she rides Farrah at

the 2* level.

Halpin spends most of

the year in New Jersey, but

winters in Ocala and brings

her competition horses

with her. To raise money for

Farrahs future internation-

al competitions, Beth Da-

vidson, Farrahs owner and

director of Black Dog Farm,

invited Hardt and Halpin to

conduct a clinic and dem-

onstrations at Black Dog

Farm Sunday, Jan. 18.

Forrest Flame

Forrest is 15 years old,

but Hardt said he rides as

though hes about 8.

Hes always a clown,

Hardt said.

Whats unique about

Forrest is that he has so

much fun with his body,

Hardt said.

He overcomes his size to

conquer even the toughest

obstacles.

Hardt has ridden Forrest

through Prix St. Georges,

a level of dressage for the

Federation Equestre Inter-

nationale.

Roosevelt Bobby Miller was instrumental in leading the

Plant City Police Department into the next wave of forensics.

SEE MILLER / PAGE 4

When Stanley Glover, Bri-

anna Trout, Madian Maqui-

var and Raul Andrade walked

through the doors of the

schools where they teach the

morning of Friday, Jan. 9, they

had no idea that a congratu-

latory committee would be

coming to visit them later that

day.

Each of these educators was

surprised when representa-

PRIZE-WINNING PONIES

Sinead Halpin is the only 4*-level eventing rider to ever have taught in Plant City.

Four local

teachers

chosen as

finalists

This school year has been

full of rsts for Taylor Mew, a

2012 graduate of Durant High

School and current junior at

Florida State University. It was

her rst year doing color guard

in the universitys marching

band and the rst time she was

Durant grad

marches in

Rose Bowl

parade

Taylor Mew never

expected to participate

in one of the nations

most famous parades.

ROSEBOWL


SEE TEACHERS / PAGE 4

SEE MEW / PAGE 4

Courtesy photo

Taylor Mew, Hannah Esquenazi

and the rest of FSUs marching

band watched their team com-

pete in the Rose Bowl.

Jill Hardt rode Forrest Flame for a demonstration Jan. 18, at Black Dog Farm.

Photos by Catherine Sinclair

International rider Sinead Halpin wowed spectators at

Black Dog Farm in a jumping demonstration with Forrest

Nymph.

SEE HORSES / PAGE 4

Roosevelt Bobby Miller

EQUESTRIAN



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COMMUNITYCALENDAR

FRIDAY, JAN. 23

Acoustic Happy Hour live

music takes place from 5:30 to

8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at

OBriens Irish Pub and Family

Restaurant, 1701 S. Alexander

St. (813) 764-8818.

Christian Contemporary Music

takes place from 6:33 to


Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden

Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220.

Danny Brantley Band

takes place from 9 p.m. to

1 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at



St. (813) 764-8818.

Uncork Your Friday! live

music takes place from 6 to

10 p.m. Friday Jan. 23, at

Keel and Curley Winery, 5210

Thonotosassa Road. (813) 752-

9100.

SATURDAY, JAN. 24

Ace Jackson and the Jump

Kings takes place from 9

p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan.

24, at OBriens Irish Pub and

Family Restaurant, 1701 S.

Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

Los Dos Live! takes place

from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday,

Jan. 24, at Keel and Curley

Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa

Road. (813) 752-9100.

Young Adult Nite takes

place from 7:33 to 10:33 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 17, at Krazy Kup,

101 E. J. Arden Mays Blvd.

Enjoy live music from local art-

ists. (813) 752-1220.

SUNDAY, JAN. 25

17th Annual Kirkin O the

Tartan takes place begin-

ning at 10:45 a.m. at First

Presbyterian Church, 404 W.

Reynolds St. The St. Andrews

Pipes & Drums of Tampa Bay

will be a part of the celebra-

tion that dates back to Scottish

Highlanders. A concert will be

performed on the lawn. (813)

752-4211.

MONDAY, JAN. 26

Reading Time takes place

from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday, Jan.

26, at Bruton Memorial Library,

302 McLendon St. Childrens

literature is read by the children

and librarians. (813) 757-9215.

TUESDAY, JAN. 27

Cholesterol Screenings takes

place from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday,

Jan. 27, at the Community

Resource Center of South

Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N.

Alexander St. No appointment

necessary. $30. (813) 644-

6720.

Back and Neck Pain Relief

takes place from 6 to 8

p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the

Community Conference Room at

South Florida Baptist Hospital,

301 N. Alexander St. Learn how

minimally invasive spine sur-

gery can help relieve back and

neck pain. The class is free, but

registration is required. (813)

644-6720.

GriefShare takes place begin-

ning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan.

27, at Hope Lutheran Baptist

Church, 2001 N. Park Road.

Following the death of a loved

one you may have found that

there are not many people who

understand the deep hurt you

may feel. Those feelings of hurt

and emptiness seem to make

it harder and harder for you

to face each new day. Each

GriefShare session includes a

video seminar and group discus-

sion. (813) 752-4622.

The Recovery for Life takes

place from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 20, at the Lorena

Jaeb Rainbow House, 504

N. Palm Drive. It is a 12-step

Bible-based program to help

free individuals from all forms

of addiction. Debbie Ray, (813)

763-1562.

Teen Book Club: The Hobbit


5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at

Bruton Memorial Library, 302

McLendon St. Join the discus-

sion and help select future

books for the group to read.

Copies of the book are avail-

able at the library for check out.

(813) 757-9215.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28

Fresh Market takes place

from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday,

Jan. 28, at McCall Park, in

Historic Downtown.

Open Mic Night takes place

beginning at 8 p.m. Wednesday,

Jan. 28, at OBriens Irish Pub

and Family Restaurant, 1701 S.

Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

Wells Memorial Informational

Seminar takes place begin-

ning at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday,

Jan. 28, at the Living Center,

405 E. Damon St. Lunch pro-

vided. (813) 752-1111.

The Wine Down takes place

from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday,

Jan. 28, at Keel and Curley

Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa

Road. The special is $4 glasses

of wine from any open bottle.

(813) 752-9100.

THURSDAY, JAN. 29

33rd Annual Chairmans

Banquet takes place begin-

ning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday,

Jan. 29, at the John R. Trinkle

Center, 2206 E. Cherry St. The

Greater Plant City Chamber of

Commerce will install its new-

est Chairman during a reception

and dinner. RSVP by Jan. 23.

(813) 754-3707.

Babytime takes place begin-

ning at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan.

29, at Bruton Memorial Library,

302 McLendon St. Early literacy

begins at birth. Bond with your

baby through stories, rhymes

and songs in this 20-minute

lap-sit program. For babies who

arent walking and their caregiv-

ers. (813) 757-9215.

Memories in Granite and Marble:

The History, Preservation and

Care of Historic Cemeteries and

Human Burial Sites takes

place from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 29, at 1914 Plant

City High School Community

Center, 605 N. Collins St. The

workshop will take interested

attendees onsite to Oaklawn and

Shiloh cemeteries. Persons who

have an interest in historic cem-

eteries, their care and preserva-

tion are encouraged to register by

Jan. 26 for the limited seating

event. For information and reg-

istration, please contact EHHS

at (813) 757-9226 or email

[email protected] or qcenter@

tampabay.rr.com.

FRIDAY, JAN. 30

Acoustic Happy Hour live

music takes place from 5:30 to




St. (813) 764-8818.

Christian Contemporary Music



Krazy Kup, 101 E. J. Arden

Mays Blvd. (813) 752-1220.

Daniel Sprouse Band Live!


10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, at



9100.

Knife Show takes place from

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan.

30; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday,

Jan. 31; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Lakeland

Center, 701 West Lime Street,

Lakeland. There will be an auc-

tion Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Admission is $5 for a one-day

pass. Custom handmade knives,

raffles and free parking. Hosted

by the Gator Cutlery Club. (813)

754-3908.

The Peacemakers takes place

from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday,

Jan. 30, at OBriens Irish Pub

and Family Restaurant, 1701 S.

Alexander St. (813) 764-8818.

SATURDAY, JAN. 31

Car Show Benefit takes

place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31, at Krystal

Burger, 2615 James L. Redman

Parkway. Brianna Massey found

out her senior year of high

school that she didnt have

any functioning kidneys. Now

a 20-year-old college student,

Massey will be receiving a

kidney. The benefit will raise

money to help support the

donor and her family along with

other expenses. There will be a

50/50, deejay, corn hole tourna-

ment, bake sale and more.

Dale and AB live music

takes place from 9 p.m. to

1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at



St. (813) 764-8818.

Heart Health Screening takes

place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31, at the main

lobby of South Florida Baptist

Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St.

Connect to good heart health

with a heart-healthy screening

that includes blood pressure,

blood sugar/glucose, body

mass index and cholesterol.

There also will be a nurse and

nutrition specialist on hand

to answer your questions. The

event is free, but registration is

required. (813) 644-6720.

Florida Strawberry Festival

Queens Competition takes

place beginning at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Grimes

Family Agricultural Center,

2208 W. Oak Ave. The annual

tradition will have pageant con-

testants vying for the crown. The

Queen and her court reign over

the festival and related events

for one year. Tickets can be

purchased at the door for $15.

FlStrawberryFestival.com.

Mark Barrios Band Live!

takes place from 6:30 to 10

p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at



9100.

Paul Daily Horse Whisperer

takes place beginning at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31, at Lebanon

Baptist Church, 110 N. Forbes

Road. Paul will give sermon

while breaking a horse, demon-

strating the relationship people

have with God and the devil.

(813) 752-2006.

Walk with a Doc takes place

beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday,

Jan. 31, at the Walden Lake

entrance Oracle Home Health

Office, 1602 W. Timberlane

Drive. The guest speaker

will be Barbara Roberts with

the Florida Department of

Heath Fitness & Nutrition in

the Aging. The event is free.

WalkWithADoc.org.

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: [email protected]. Photos

are welcome. Deadline is noon Thursday.

BEST BET

Ninth Annual Every Buddy is Beautiful Fashion Show takes

place beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Plant City High

Schools auditorium, 1 Raider Place. Skills USA Cosmetology

students host a fashion/talent show as a benefit for the Raider

Buddies (formerly Best Buddies). General students pair with

their exceptional friends and share their talents. It gives the

buddies a chance to have time in the limelight. Prior to the

show, experiences like this were reserved for regular students.

For many of the students, this experience is the night of their

lives. Tickets are $3 at the door. 100% of the profit goes to the

PCHS Raider Buddies Chapter. (813) 757-9370.


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After voting to switch man-

agement companies, the

Walden Lake Community

Association went through a

transitional period without a

permanent property manager.

Now, the board of directors

has chosen Linda Fernandez

from Greenacre Properties, as

their manager.

I think what were seeing

from Linda is, weve got a re-

ally good manager, Rich Glo-

rioso, president of the board,

said.

Within weeks of Fernandezs

rst day, the board has begun

to move forward with her

ideas for solving some of the

communitys most infamous

problems.

For at least eight years,

some Walden Lake residents

have been ghting to get the

board to enact a towing policy

for non-resident cars that are

parked at the lake. A board

committee has been working

on the issue, but they have not

found a practical and afford-

able solution. Fernandez has

come to the rescue.

In different communities

Ive managed in the past, the

area for towing is really con-

ned, so weve used the boot

system, Fernandez said.

If a resident notices a car

parked at the lake without a

resident decal, he or she will

contact the ofce. Fernandez

or another employee will go

out to the lake and take down

important information about

the car, and then call the boot-

ing company. An employee of

the booting company will ar-

rive and put a boot around the

cars tire.

The owner of the vehicle will

have to pay the booting com-

pany $70 to have the boot re-

moved.With this system, there

is less opportunity for any ve-

hicle in the lot to be damaged

than there might be with a

tow truck coming in. Also, the

owner of the car is able to re-

trieve important items that

might have been left in the car,

such as a cell phone or wallet.

After she suggested this to

the directors, they approved

the idea.

Over the next month, Fer-

nandez will be checking rele-

vant ordinances of the city and

county, and gathering quotes

from booting companies. The

board will vote on a company

at the February meeting. Glo-

rioso expects the policy to be

in place and active by April.

There also are numerous

issues related to landscap-

ing in the community, such

as patches of yellow or dead

grass, low-hanging moss and

diseased plants.

In general, the community

doesnt look its best, Jan Grif-

n, leader of the landscap-

ing committee, said. Im not

pleased at all.

One of the most costly prob-

lems has been inefcient irri-

gation. In November 2014, the

community went over its city-

dictated limits of water for ir-

rigation and did not realize it

until the end of December.

Almost every day when you

drive by and see the sprin-

klers on, at least one of them

is shooting straight up in the

air, Glorioso said.

Board secretary Heather

Updike said she has seen the

sprinklers running on numer-

ous rainy days.

Fernandez has commit-

ted to working closely with

Walden Lakes current land-

scaping contractor, Complete

Landcare, to address the is-

sues. But she also will be invit-

ing a representative of OLM

Inc., a landscaping company

that manages six of Greena-

cres communities, to meet

with the board.

Contact Catherine Sinclair

at csinclair@plantcityobserver.

com.

Frankie Wilson, a member

of St. Peters Episcopal Church

in Plant City, refused to spend

her retirement in just

comfort and rest.

Thats why she has

embarked upon a

9,000-mile journey,

to serve the people of

Madagascar.

In Madagascar,

there are approxi-

mately three hospital

beds for every 10,000

people, and about

3,000 doctors to serve

the population of 22 million. So

with a Bible and stethoscope

in hand, Wilson, 72, a retired

nurse, will put forth her best

to do Gods will in a country

where medical care is inacces-

sible for most local inhabitants.

Eager Volunteer

A few years ago, Wilsons

mother and husband both died

within a six-month period.

Soon after, Wilson retired. But

she didnt want to remain idle.

Wilsons daughter told her

about an organization

she had read about

called Mercy Ships.

Wilson also saw a seg-

ment about the orga-

nization on 60 Min-

utes.

I studied what it

was all about, and I

thought, thats some-

thing Id like to do

but not now, Wilson

said.

Mercy Ships is a Christian

nonprot, founded in 1978,

that works internationally to

provide surgeries in some of the

worlds poorest areas. Though

Mercy Ships used to manage a

eet of three ships, there is just

one operational ship now, the

Africa Mercy.

This vessel was deployed

in 2007 and can accomplish

far more than the three previ-

ous ships put together, due to

the size of the ship and its on-

board hospital, Russ Holmes,

a spokesman for Mercy Ships,

said.

When the Africa Mercy ar-

rives at a port, it docks for

months to provide free medi-

cal care to the locals, includ-

ing treatment of burn wounds,

cleft palates and tumors.

In 2013, Wilson began the

application process to become

a volunteer. She submitted rec-

ommendation letters and had

to get every vaccination you

can imagine, she said.

In June 2014, nearly a year af-

ter she had applied, Wilson was

notied that she had been ac-

cepted. She was called to begin

serving in August at a port in

West Africa, but the ebola epi-

demic changed the plans.

Wilson raised more than

$5,000 to cover the travel and

living expenses of her service.

Members of her church, St. Pe-

ters Episcopal, were some of

the most generous donors.

In November, the Africa Mer-

cy arrived in Madagascar, and

Wilson was invited to board

Jan. 24. She accepted the call,

and will return to Plant City

May 30.

Life On Board

Wilson is a registered nurse

and certied catastrophic case

manager.

This is where my experience

will be really helpful in evaluat-

ing the patients on the ship,

she said.

With the help of an inter-

preter, she will be one of the

last people each patient speaks

with before going in to surgery.

Ill be there to hold their

hand and give them a little bit

of comfort, Wilson said.

Wilson will share a cabin and

bathroom with ve other wom-

en. Volunteers are limited to

two-minute showers and one

duffel bag.

Youre lonely at times, youre

tired, but you just keep going

on ... because its all about do-

ing Gods work, Wilson said.

Volunteers have weekends

free for excursions and visits to

local church services.

Ill be seeing things Ive nev-

er seen before, Wilson said. I

know that I will get far more out

of this experience than I will

give, but Im just going to give it

the best that I have and hope to

make a difference.

Local Roots

Wilson is serving with Mercy

Ships in honor of her mother,

who raised four children alone.

She was always teaching us

to take the high road, Wilson

said.

The family has prominent

ties to Plant City. Two of Wil-

sons granddaughters were

Strawberry Queens (Ashley

Watkins Jordan in 2005, and

Victoria Watkins in 2011), and

another was rst maid on the

Strawberry Court (Alexandra

Watkins in 2007).

Wilson said she will sad to

miss the Florida Strawberry

Festival this year. Is is the rst

time since 1965.

Last year, Wilson moved out

of Plant City to a retirement

community in Tampa. But she

is still involved at St. Peters, as a

member of the Altar Guild.

The church honored Wilson

last weekend, to send her off to

Africa with prayers.

I felt like I was being dedi-

cated to God all over again,

she said.



com.

A team of Plant Citys civic

leaders met Tuesday, Jan. 6,

and selected the 2015 Citizen

of the Year. But the winners

identity will be kept a secret

until it is revealed at the award

ceremony next month.

The team of voters com-

prises certain members of

Plant City Kiwanis Club, and

presidents of other local civic

clubs.

At the election night, each

club who submits their nomi-

nee, and later votes, are sworn

to secrecy, Ken Gibbs, one

of the event organizers, said.

The winner is only known to

a handful of people who coor-

dinate the event.

Year after year, the winner

is lured to the luncheon and

surprised with the award.

Although the luncheon isnt

until Feb. 11, tickets must be

bought by Thursday, Feb. 5.

Tickets are $25. To RSVP con-

tact Ken Gibbs at (813) 752-

6171.

The rst Citizen of the Year

was Arthur Boring in 1960.

This years winner will be the

56th to be honored. Michael

Cameron, the 2014 Citizen

of the Year, will present this

years award.

The Red Rose Inn used to

host the ceremony, but since it

closed in May 2012, the Straw-

berry Festival Grounds have

been the new venue.

Many of (the festivals) di-

rectors and associates are past

recipients, and they have a

long history for supporting

this event, Gibbs said.

The award ceremony will

start with a buffet lunch. Ki-

wanis Club leaders will wel-

come and thank the other

participating clubs, and then

there will be recognition and

awards for Outstanding Youth

of Plant City.

The surprise on the face of

the recipients is always a plea-

sure to see, Gibbs said.



com.

ANSWER THE CALL

About 1,200 volunteers

serve with Mercy Ships

each year, and not all of

them have backgrounds in

medical care. Applications

are available for teachers,

cooks, electricians and

more. The ship is staffed

by about 400 volunteers.

Holmes said volunteers

should have a heart to

serve.

For more information

visit mercyships.org.

Retired Plant City nurse sets sail for mission to Africa

IF YOU GO

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 11

Time: 11:30 a.m.

Location: Florida

Strawberry Festival Expo

Hall, 2301 W. Oak Ave.

Tickets: $25

RSVP by Feb. 5 to Ken

Gibbs, (813) 752-6171,

[email protected]

Make checks payable to

Kiwanis Club of Plant City,

P.O. Box 1179

VACANCY

The board has been

short a ninth member since

former WLCA President

Jim Chancey resigned in

November. The ninth mem-

ber is necessary for avoid-

ing split votes. In multiple

votes on two applicants who

hoped to fill the vacancy,

there was a tie. Since the

directors would not change

his or her vote, they have

decided to leave the posi-

tion unfilled until their

annual election in August.

WLCAselects newmanager

The manager has new ideas to solve recurring problems in the community.

WALDENLAKE


Citizen of

the year to

be named

next month

The winner will be

revealed at the

annual awards lunch

Wednesday, Feb. 11.

LAUDANDHONOR

byCatherineSinclair |StaffWriter

One Plant City woman will spend the next four months on

a ship in Madagascar, providing medical care to the poor.

FLEETOFFAITH


DREAMSCAPE

The life and ac-

complishments of Dr.

Martin Luther King

Jr. were honored Sat-

urday morning in the

MLK Freedom Parade.

Traveling through

Historic Downtown

and ending at the MLK

Rec Center, a slew

of marching bands,

church groups, Cor-

vettes and more enter-

tained the crowds with

their big sounds and

small souvenirs.

The Improvement League had one of several traditional floats on display for the parade.

Marching bands from area high

schools and some middle schools

performed along the route.

The only thing louder than the Corvettes were the motorcycles.

Members of the Plant City High

Class of 1980 were all smiles.

The Marshall Middle School

Gentlemans Quest club chanted

and marched.

City Commissioner Mary Thomas Mathiss golf cart was

near the front of the procession.

The Tampa Bay Posse Corvette Club loves the

cameras almost as much as the parade.

Myla Lawrence, Maverick Lawrence

and Kayla Henck

HISTORY

by Justin Kline |StaffWriter

Frankie Wilson


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Springeld said. Even for the

people he arrested he would

have a word of knowledge for

them and would come back

to mentor them.

Mr. Miller would keep

in contact with youths he

picked up on the street, mak-

ing sure they didnt retreat

back into a life of crime. If a

warrant was out for their ar-

rest, it wasnt uncommon for

the person sought to call Mr.

Miller to come pick them up.

He made everyone feel

special, whether they were a

criminal or not, Springeld

said. He never had to chase

no one. He was an icon. If you

had a problem, you could call

him.

But it wasnt all good feel-

ings for the police ofcer.

During lunch with his family,

he often had to race out on a

call. His children loved rid-

ing along. One time, a grave

was robbed. Springeld came

with him and was tasked to

light up the grave with the

ashlight.

He told me, Hold the

light, Springeld said. I

said, Hold the light? I got to

go. I didnt have the stomach

for it. But for him, it was nor-

mal work. For him, it was his

job to get to the bottom of it.

Sampson also remembers

riding along with her father to

an accident where a train col-

lided with a car. It was some-

thing she didnt want to see.

But she has a fonder memory

of riding along with her fa-

ther Known as his baby girl,

together they led the Straw-

berry Festival Parade in his

police car.

I felt like the luckiest girl in

the world, Sampson said.

Mr. Miller was often pro-

cessing crime scenes and de-

veloping pictures long after

his shift was over. Now assis-

tant city manager of public

safety and formerly the Plant

City Police Departments po-

lice chief, Bill McDaniel was

just a rookie at the depart-

ment when he rst met Mr.

Miller.

I wondered if he ever went

home, McDaniel said. He

was a good ofcer, very hard-

working. Hes one of the peo-

ple you meet in life that just

had a quality about them.

Just one week into the job,

Mr. Miller had approached

McDaniel and offered to

show him the works.

He was just one of those

guys that reached out to you,

McDaniel said. He was very

helping, very sharing with all

of his knowledge.

Mr. Miller was so much

more than a police ofcer,

however. He was known as

a mentor, dad and uncle,

the singing policeman, Ma-

rine, Toys for Tots organizer,

guardian of a secret crab

recipe, Mt. Olive AME Church

trustee and a kung-fu master.

He was a black belt in ka-

rate and judo. On the bottom

of a picture of him striking a

karate pose is written Think

twice and say nothing.

Even McDaniel remem-

bered a medallion Mr. Miller

wore on his uniform that des-

ignated his karate skills.

And perhaps one of his

greatest roles was being a fa-

ther to his children.

We never had to ght for

his love, Springeld said.

He loved us in his own way.

The advice he gave me was

different than my sisters or

brother.

Mr. Miller was predeceased

by his son, Roosevelt Miller

Jr. He is survived by his sons,

Todd Springeld and Todd

Miller; and daughters, Ce-

lustine Chase and Capathia

Sampson.

Contact Amber Jurgensen

at ajurgensen@plantcityob-

server.com.

MILLER / PAGE 1

seen marching on national

television.

Because FSUs football team

competed in the Rose Bowl

this year, the marching band

was invited to perform in the

Rose Parade Thursday, Jan. 1,

in Pasadena, California.

It was probably the cool-

est thing Ive ever done,

Mew said. There were so

many cameras and so many

people along the way. Id al-

ways watched (the parade)

and been interested in all the

oats, but never dreamed of

doing it.

At more than ve miles, it

also was the longest parade

she had ever performed in.

FSU defeated Georgia Tech,

37-35, in the ACC Football

Championship Game on Sat-

urday, Dec. 6. As they were

on their way home from the

championship, Mew and oth-

er members of FSUs march-

ing band turned on the bus

TV and found out at the same

time as the rest of the nation

that FSU would be playing in

the Rose Bowl this year. Many

students had expected FSU to

be sent to the Sugar Bowl, in-

stead.

Everyone was so excited

and surprised, Mew said.

The marching band nor-

mally practices every day for

two hours, and practices in-

tensied as the band prepared

for the Rose Bowl. One of the

most difcult parts to prepare

for was a spot in the parade

route where all 420 members

of the marching band had to

coordinate a right-hand turn.

When Mew was a member

of color guard at Durant, the

marching band comprised

about 120 students. The in-

crease in size at FSU was not

the only adjustment between

her experiences in high school

and college.

We were very competitive

at Durant, so practices and

the general atmosphere were

much more serious, whereas

at FSU, we are performing

solely for the entertainment of

the crowd, Mew said. So it is

a little more laid-back.

Also while she was in high

school, Mew was a member

of Tampa Bay Thunder, an in-

dependent drum corps with

which she toured the north-

east United States and per-

formed at a championship

event in Rochester, New York.

Mew chose to attend FSU

because the campus was

beautiful and welcoming, and

there were a wide variety of

academic programs, she said.

On my rst visit to the

campus, I knew immediately

that Tallahassee would be my

home for the next four years,

Mew said.

She is studying family and

child science and hopes to at-

tend graduate school for ac-

celerated nursing.


at csinclair@plantcityobserv-

er.com.

Prix St. Georges is a high

level of dressage competition

for horses like ballet on

horseback, no jumping, and

one of the Olympic equestrian

disciplines, Davidson said.

Very few ponies compete at

the highest level in dressage,

which makes Forrest and Jill

unique.

Forrest Nymph

Before Farrah was even born,

Lynn Simpson of Thonotosas-

sa had purchased her, and the

horse arrived in Florida from

Pennsylvania when she was 8

months old.

In the midst of family trag-

edy, Simpson sent Farrah, then

3 years old, to Hardt.

Farrah hated dressage and

got into lots of trouble at Jills

barn, Davidson said. When

Farrah was 5, Jill and Lynn de-

cided Farrah should try a dif-

ferent career.

Farrah was relocated to Black

Dog Farm, because Davidson

raises Connemara ponies like

her. Davidson began jumping

with Farrah, as well as trail rid-

ing. She worked Farrah up to

even bigger challenges.

I ended up trying a sport

called three-day eventing, like

triathlon on horses. You do a

dressage phase, a cross coun-

try jumping phase and a stadi-

um jumping phase, Davidson

said.

Cross country is a tness

test of 5,000 or more meters,

marked by obstacles, water

and drops. The stadium phase

comprises numerous jumps in

an arena setting.

I was told by many Olym-

pic-level trainers that Farrah

was talented to compete at

the upper levels, but my skill

doesnt allow me to try that,

Davidson said. So I partnered

with Sinead Halpin one year

ago to compete Farrah at the

upper levels of eventing.

Since Halpin has been rid-

ing Farrah, the pair has placed

fth in Preliminary at the New

Jersey Horse Park Trials (June

2014), 10th in Intermediate at

the Virginia Horse Trials (May

2014), seventh in their rst

outing at the Intermediate

level at the MCTA Horse Trials

in Maryland (May 2014), and

done well at several additional

prestigious events around the

country.

Despite her clean jumps and

powerful hind legs, the horse

does have her quirks.

Shes happy to jump into

water, shes happy to jump

out of water, but it has to have

something to do with a jump

otherwise, she hates pud-

dles, Halpin said.

Farrah also has a mind of her

own.

I gured out pretty quickly,

we have to do things on Far-

rahs terms, Halpin said.



com.

LOCAL FINALISTS

STANLEY GLOVER

School:

Marshall

Middle School

Position: Math/

ESE teacher

Years at

Marshall: 16

Tip for Success: Be inspir-

ing, be enthusiastic, be

motivating, be encourag-

ing.

BRIANNA TROUT

School:

Simmons

Career Center

Position:

Assistant

teacher

Years at

Simmons: 10

Tip for Success: You may

trip along the way, but dont

let that hold you back from

getting up and trying again

to pursue your dreams.

MADIAN MAQUIVAR

School: Dover

Elementary

School

Position:

Bilingual para-

professional

Years at Dover

Elementary: Two

Tip for Success: Learning

is an adventure. Make it fun

and never give up.

RAUL ANDRADE

School: Tomlin

Middle School

Position:

Bilingual aid

Years at

Tomlin: Three

Tip for

Success: Always set goals

and stay positive.

tives of the Hillsborough Edu-

cation Foundation showed up

looking for them, with an of-

fering of balloons and owers,

to congratulate them on be-

ing selected as nalists for the

2015 Excellence in Education

Awards.

I never even imagined be-

ing a nalist for the district,

Brianna Trout, an assistant

teacher at Simmons Career

Center, said. There are a lot of

dedicated educators. Im just a

small example of going into a

school and to help students. I

truly feel honored.

Trout, Maquivar and An-

drade are nalists for the In-

structional Support Employee

of the Year award. Maquivar is

a bilingual paraprofessional at

Dover Elementary School, and

Andrade is a bilingual aid at

Tomlin Middle School. There

were ve total nalists in this

category, chosen from 249

nominees.

Ive always liked helping

and teaching kids, Maquivar

said. It gives me a sense of ac-

complishment, knowing that

I have changed a students life

by teaching them new, fun and

exciting things.

It is very gratifying to build

positive relationships with stu-

dents and have an impact on

their lives in a positive way

to help them achieve success

not only in the classroom, but

in life, Andrade said.

Glover was selected out of

218 nominees as one of ve

nalists for the Ida S. Baker

Diversity Educator of the Year

award. He is a math teacher at

Marshall Middle School.

As an educator, I under-

stand in order to create a per-

fect world, every student must

be able to pursue and achieve

their dreams, Glover said.



com.

TEACHERS / PAGE 1

MARCHING

CHIEFS HISTORY

FSUs marching band,

known as the Marching

Chiefs, first formed in the

1930s, and color guard

was added in 1970. In

1982, Sports Illustrated

ran an eight-page spread

that said, Florida State

occasionally may lose a

football game, but never

a halftime show. The

tagline stuck, and the

Marching Chiefs are still

unofficially known as the

band that never lost a

halftime.

MEW / PAGE 1

HORSES / PAGE 1

Puttin on the Ritz

The roaring 20s was this

years theme for the Strawberry

Ball held Saturday, Jan. 17, on

the Strawberry Festival grouds.

Guests listened to the sounds

of jazz, provided by DeLeon

Entertainment, and mingled

around the large hall draped

with shimmering decor and

tables adorned with vases of

tall feathers. Before dinner was

served, many guests dressed

up in boas and hats for a pho-

tobooth keepsake.

The ball was one of the last events that 2014 Strawberry Queen Jessi Rae

Varnum and her court will reign over.

Zo and Sheila DeLeon, members of DeLeon

Entertainment, sported their best flapper attire

to go with the nights theme.

With champagne in hand, women were escort-

ed by the Strawberry Festival Red Coats.

STRAWBERRYBALL



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General Manager/Executive Editor / Michael Eng, [email protected]

General Manager/Advertising / Stacey Hudson, [email protected]

Managing Editor / Amber Jurgensen, [email protected]

Assistant Managing Editor / Jess Eng, [email protected]

Staff Writers / Justin Kline, [email protected]; Catherine Sinclair,

[email protected]

Advertising Executives / Veronica Prostko, [email protected];

Joanna Verga, [email protected]

Circulation/Ofce Manager / Linda Lancaster, [email protected]

110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100-A

Plant City, FL 33563

(813) 704-6850

www.PlantCityObserver.com

Plant City

Times & Observer

Locally Owned by Ed Verner,

Nate Kilton and Felix Haynes

The Plant City Times & Observer is published by

Plant City Media LLC, a joint-venture of the Tampa

Bay Times and Plant City Observer LLC.

&RS\ULJKW 3ODQW &LW\ 0HGLD //&

$OO 5LJKWV 5HVHUYHG

Plant City Times&

Observer

TO ADVERTISE

Call Veronica Prostko,

(813) 716-0007, or

Joanna Verga, (813) 451-6489.

SEND US

YOUR NEWS

We want to hear from you. Let

us know about your events,

celebrations and achievements.

To contact us, send your information via:

Email: Amber Jurgensen, ajurgensen@

PlantCityObserver.com.

Mail: The Plant City Observer, 110 E. Reynolds

St., Suite 100-A, Plant City, FL 33563

CONTACT US

The Plant City Times &

Observer is published

once weekly, on Fridays.

It provides free home delivery to

several neighborhoods in Plant City.

The Plant City Times & Observer also

can be found in many commercial

locations throughout Plant City and at

our ofce, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite

100-A.

If you wish to discontinue home

delivery or if you wish to suspend

home delivery temporarily, call Linda

Lancaster at 704-6850.

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

+ Tribute

The candle light vigil for

Maitlin Haynes was a night

to remember. The com-

munity came out and gave

great support to the Haynes

family. Around 250 neigh-

bors, family and friends

spoke that night. We created

a circle of life and let anyone

who wanted to speak of our

dear Maitlin come into the

circle. Plant City seniors did a

fabulous cheer to her, which

showed just how much our

community cared.

We lost a young girl to an

accident, and her life was cut

short much too soon. We have

all learned to live each day

with more love and laughter.

Thank you for putting the

vigil in the paper, and also we

would like to thank Plant City

High School for all their sup-

port and a big thank you to all

of the citizens who came out

to support a family in their

time of grief.

The Orrico Family

+ Pay Your Respects

When was the last time you

left on a trip and when you

returned, you were greeted

with the smiles, hugs, and

the laughter of family and

friends? As a retired military

veteran who has experienced

numerous deployments, the

sight and sounds of a Wel-

come Home crowd was more

than just music to my ears, it

was a healing salve to my soul.

There are many, however,

who never get a chance to

hear the music, see the ags

ying or feel the warmth of

loving arms around them

soldiers that make one nal

trip home because they have

paid the ultimate price of

freedom with their life. There

are families that never have

a chance to say goodbye as

their loved ones fall under a

military category of MIA.

Beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31, at Hopewell

Baptist Church, the Shirley

family will have the long

awaited silence broken as

the remains of World War

II pilot James Frank Gatlin

Jr. are brought home from

overseas, and the memory

of his service and sacrice

will be celebrated in a special

memorial service. The family

wishes to extend an invita-

tion to all veterans of the VFW

and American Legion to join

with them as they welcome

home a lost hero and bring to

closure the story of his service

and sacrice.

For more information call

Hopewell Baptist Church,

6001 County Road 39, at (813)

737-3053.

Dr. Dan Middlebrooks

After getting curious about

the progress of Midtown de-

velopment, I asked City Man-

ager Mike Herr what kind of

businesses he thought would

spring up in the buildings

soon to be constructed in

Midtown. His ofce respond-

ed by sending a Midtown

Vision statement by email. I

started asking myself

what kind of shops,

stores and restau-

rants I want to visit

in that area in the

coming years.

I enjoy a variety of

foods, thus, addi-

tional restaurants in

our city makes the

top of my priority

list. Driving the short

distance to Midtown

to nd dessert shops and

a variety of eateries would

add to the convenience of

living in Plant City. The citys

Midtown Vision yer pictures

places with outdoor seating,

giving people a choice to eat

inside or enjoy the fresh air.

Plant Citys population is

expected to increase every

year, and this means more

people to see strolling around

Midtown.

Because I am an admitted

bibliophile, I am looking for a

small bookstore. People living

in Plant City need to leave

town just to reach bookstores.

Seeing print on paper never

lost its appeal for me.

It may be asking too much

to see a good mens store in

Midtown, but I do want to

see one do business there.

I remember a place called

Earls Mens Wear that sold

clothes in downtown Plant

City along Reynolds Street.

Making a purchase or two in

a store like that could supple-

ment all that online shop-

ping I am tempted to

do.

Though I hesitate

to endorse any brand

names, having a shop

that caters to all of our

cyber, wireless inven-

tions might prosper in

Midtown. Another trip

to Brandon, Tampa

or Lakeland would no

longer be necessary.

The Midtown Vision

also includes space for manu-

facturing centers. Attracting

companies would provide

work for more people who

live here. This increases the

quality of life for everyone

and enhances the opportu-

nities for people to live here

long-term.

This is just my wish list for

Midtown.

The Midtown fountain has

started owing with water. It

seems we are watering Plant

Citys grounds for the kind of

healthy, prosperous future it

deserves.

Scott Toler is a lifelong

resident of Plant City. He can

be reached at etoler25@tam-

pabay.rr.com.

Midtown Wish List

LETTERS

TO THE

EDITOR

SCOTT

TOLER

MY VIEW

THISWEEKSCROSSWORDANSWERS

THIS WEEKS CRYPTOGRAM ANSWERS

1. After prospecting for gold and minerals for a while, a miner

was concerned that his career would not pan out.

2. A man went to the doctor, as he had a bad cough. The

doctor laughed at him. When the patient got upset, the

doctor told him that laughter was the best medicine.


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A country home in south

Plant City topped the real-

estate sales in December.

The home at 3111 Sam

Hicks Road sold Dec. 19,

for $345,000. Built in 2006,

it has four bedrooms, three

baths and 2,841 square feet

of living area on one acre.

The price per square foot is

$121.44.

Allens Cove

The home at 7804 Turkey

Creek Road sold Dec. 9, for

$160,000. Built in 1951, it has

three bedrooms, one bath and

1,284 square feet of living area

on two acres. The price per

square foot is $124.61.

Baker

The home at 4960 Slaten

Road sold Dec. 31, for $169,000.

Built in 1985, it has three bed-

rooms, two and one half baths

and 2,435 square feet of living

area on one acre. The price per


Country Hills

The home at 4345 Coun-

try Hills Boulevard sold Dec.

19, for $101,664 (REO/bank

owned). Built in 2005, it has

three bedrooms, two baths and

720 square feet of living area on

one acre. The price per square

foot is $77.31.

The home at 515 Scarlett

Maple Court sold Dec. 5, for

$119,000. Built in 2001, it has

three bedrooms, two baths






$119,000 (REO/bank owned).


rooms, two baths and 1,692

square feet of living area on one

acre. The price per square foot

is $91.96.



$117,000 (short sale). Built in

2007, it has three bedrooms,

two baths and 1,285 square feet

of living area on one acre. The

price per square foot is $91.05.

Eagle Greens

The home at 2640 Eagle

Greens Drive sold Dec. 12, for

$120,000. Built in 2001, it has

two bedrooms, two baths and


on one acre. The price per


Fullenkamp Acres

The home at 6209 Fullen-

kamp Drive sold Dec. 10, for

$104,000. Built in 2001, it has


720 square feet of living area on

one acre. The price per square

foot is $57.49.

Gillespies

The home at 4635 Gillespie

Lane sold Dec. 23, for $199,000.

Built in 2007, it has four bed-




is $103.25.

Gordon Oaks

The home at 1219 Gordon

Oaks Drive sold Dec. 29, for


Built in 2006, it has three

bedrooms, two baths and

720 square feet of living area



Greenleaf

The home at 1105 Old

Mossy Court sold Dec. 22, for

$105,000. Built in 2005, it has





Hillsborough

The home at 5207 Five Acres

Road sold Dec. 18, for $235,000

(short sale). Built in 1986, it has



on two acres. The price per


The home at 6909 Five Acres






is $97.16.

The home at 1611 Marshall

Drive sold Dec. 10, for $90,500.





is $66.69.

The home at 3105 Medulla


Built in 1967, it has six bed-

rooms, three baths and 2,892



is $67.74.

The home at 2024 Pleasant

Acres sold Dec. 30, for $81,750

(REO/bank owned). Built in



of living area on two acres. The


The home at 805 W. Rus-

sell Drive sold Dec. 19, for

$187,500. Built in 1967, it has

four bedrooms, two baths and




The home at 4601 Smith

Ryals Road sold Dec. 19, for


1939, it has four bedrooms,




The home at 731 Swilley

Loop sold Dec. 24, for $208,000



two baths and 2,020 square

feet of living area on one acre.


$102.97.

The home at 3204 E. Trapnell


Built in 1900, it has two bed-

rooms, one bath and 864



is $98.38.

Historic District

The home at 702 N. Collins

St. sold Dec. 19, for $170,000

(short sale). Built in 1901, it

has three bedrooms, two baths




Magnolia Green

The home at 3210 Azalea

Blossom Drive sold Dec. 11, for







The home at 3306 Azalea

Blossom Drive sold Dec. 23, for







Morgan

The home at 6230 Bob Head






is $57.41.

New Hope

The home at 12 Leaning Palm

Court sold Dec. 5, for $113,000.





is $89.12.

Oakview Estates

The home at 2007 Live Oak

Drive sold Dec. 2, for $92,000.


rooms, one bath and 1,332



is $69.07.

The home at 1711 Oak-

wood Estates sold Dec. 17, for






is $84.75.

Park Place

The home at 1405 Johnson

St. sold Dec. 12, for $287,500.


rooms, three and one half baths




The home at 1210 Lavender

Jewel Court sold Dec. 17, for






is $95.56.

Pinedale Meadows

The home at 1507 Pinedale

Meadows Court sold Dec. 24,

for $164,000. Built in 2002, it





The home at 1511 Pinedale

Meadows Court sold Dec. 4,

for $174,000. Built in 2000, it





Shepherd

The home at 2315 Branch

Forbes Road sold Dec. 17, for

$137,000. Built in 1962, it has





Sugar Creek

The home at 4040 Sugar

Creek Drive sold Dec. 10, for

$135,000. Built in 1990, it has

three bedrooms, two and one

half baths and 1,260 square feet



Tomlinson Acres

The home at 5008 Gallagher



rooms, three baths and 2,474

square feet of living area on two

acres. The price per square foot

is $104.08.

Trapnell Ridge

The home at 3415 N. Grove

Blossom Lane sold Dec. 10,

for $137,000. Built in 2006, it





The home at 3602 Trapnell

Ridge Drive sold Dec. 12, for






is $80.19.

Turkey Creek Acres

The home at 4804 Kipp Circle

sold Dec. 15, for $94,000. Built

in 2006, it has three bedrooms,




Walden Lake

The home at 2704 Club-

house Drive sold Dec. 12, for

$250,000. Built in 1994, it has

ve bedrooms, three baths




The home at 4112 Longfellow

Drive sold Dec. 12, for $129,000






The home at 3304 Milton

Place sold Dec. 19, for $229,000.





is $96.71.

The home at 1704 Sagebrush






is $102.20.

The home at 613 Sandal-

wood Drive sold Dec. 1, for








$151,000. Built in 1987, it has












is $57.15.

The home at 3552 Silver-

moon Drive sold Dec. 15, for

$155,000. Built in 1995, it has

four bedrooms, two baths and




The home at 4007 Silver-

spring Drive sold Dec. 12, for


1992, it has four bedrooms,

two baths and 2,033 square

feet of living area on one acre.


$83.62.

SNAPSHOT

Minimum sale price: $31,000

Maximum sale price: $345,000

Average sale price: $137,003

Median sale price: $129,000

CountryhometopsDecember residential sales

REALESTATETRANSACTIONS

by Amber Jurgensen |ManagingEditor

Amber Jurgensen

This home, which has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,841 square feet of living area on one

acre, sold for $345,000.


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On a chilly, overcast

afternoon, the Plant

City Honor Guard low-

ered the ag from the

pole in front of the re

station. The tune of

America the Beautiful

was heard from a kilted

piper on the lawn, and

the entire Plant City

Fire Rescue staff was

gathered to honor one

of their own: Captain

Nat Hargrove, who had

served with the re de-

partment since 1990

and retired Thursday,

Jan. 15.

Im used to serving

and giving, Hargrove

said. Ive got to learn to

receive, and thats not easy to

do.

After the ag was lowered,

it was removed from the pole

and presented to Hargrove as a

gift. Hargroves colleagues gave

short speeches about why they

will miss him and how they

have appreciated him.

One of the things I respect

most is the fact that he is a re-

ghter at heart, hes a family

man, but hes not afraid to pro-

claim himself as a Christian,

EMS Chief Jim Wilson said.

When someone chooses a

re service career, they agree

to make sacrices. ... Even

more special are those who

make it through the full career

to retirement, Chief Daniel

Azzariti said.

Richard Brown, who had

earlier played bagpipes at

the ceremony, recalled how

Hargrove himself had started

learning bagpipes solely to

play for the enjoyment of the

re department staff.

City Commissioner Mike

Sparkman also was in atten-

dance, and thanked Hargrove

on behalf of the mayor, city

manager and city commis-

sion.

Then, Hargrove approached

the lectern himself, and ad-

dressed his peers and family

with tears in his eyes.

All I ever really wanted to do

was to lead, and to lead well,

Hargrove said.Just pass a little

something on.

He recalled a time years ago,

when he was sent to a house

re with two new reght-

ers. One of the younger men

was eager to start putting out

the re immediately, but Har-

grove said they should nd the

source rst.

Recently, that reghter

who had worked under Har-

groves guidance was sent to a

re, and this time, he was the

one leading a new reghter.

He encouraged the new re-

ghter to use Hargroves strat-

egy of looking for the source

rst, because he had never

forgotten that early day in his

career. Hargrove said this was

among the most rewarding

moments of his career.

Hargrove was destined for

re service from an early age.

When he was 13, his neigh-

bors house caught re, and he

rushed over to help an elderly

woman out of the building.

He rst pursued other ca-

reer paths, dabbling in retail

and construction, but didnt

feel as though he had found

his calling.

There was always a little

more yearning for excite-

ment, Hargrove said.

His brother-in-law was a

reghter in St. Petersburg

and inspired Hargrove to start

a career in the eld. Hargrove,

a resident of Lakeland, started

working at Plant City Fire Res-

cue in August 1990 and knew

he was in the right place.

It was a ne line between

obsession and career, Har-

grove said.

Hargrove has been on over-

seas mission trips throughout

his life, including to Hondu-

ras, Ecuador, Romania and

Austria. In his retirement, he

hopes to dedicate more time

to international evangelism.



com.

Plant City fire department

honors retiring captain

The following information

was gathered from incident

and arrest reports obtained

from the Plant CIty Police De-

partment.

DECEMBER 19, 2014

BIG PHONY

3500 block of West Baker

Street. Counterfeit money. An

ofcer took possession of a fake

$50 bill.

LITTLE PHONY

2300 block of North Park

Road. Counterfeit Money. An

ofcer took possession of a fake

$20 bill.

NOT PICTURE PERFECT

Townsgate Court. Vehicle

burglary. Sometime in the

early evening, a Canon cam-

era, valued at $5,600, was

taken from a vehicle. The 2013

Dodge truck was entered by

breaking out the right, rear

window.

DECEMBER 20, 2014

PICKPOCKET

2600 block of Thonotosas-

sa Road. Theft. A complain-

ant stated a suspect reached

into her purse and grabbed

her wallet. The victims wallet

contained $100 and a cruci-

x charm, valued at $300. No

video of the incident was avail-

able.

PRESSURES ON

1309 Redbud Street. Resi-

dential burglary. A red 2700

PSI pressure washer was taken

from inside a screened porch.

The pressure washer was val-

ued at $320.

COVER UP

2600 block of James L. Red-

man Parkway. Retail Theft. Loss

Prevention advised they de-

tained a suspect trying to steal

a black jacket worth $21.28.

The suspect was arrested was

later released to his father at

the police department.

DOCTORS ORDERS

2700 block of Wilder Trace

Court. Possession of prescrip-

tion drugs. An ofcer arrested

an 18-year-old for possession

of prescription drugs, without

a prescription. He was trans-

ported to Orient Road Jail.

COSTA GONNA COST YA

400 block of North Plant Av-

enue. Business burglary. A bro-

ken window was discovered by

the cleaning crew. Contact was

made with the business owner

who stated a complete display

case containing Costa sun-

glasses was taken.

DECEMBER 22, 2014

SEMI SWIPE

600 block of South Frontage

Road. Grand Theft Auto. Of-

cers responded to this ware-

house in reference to a stolen

1990 International semi trac-

tor and a white 2003 Patterson

brand trailer.

ILLEGAL PASSENGER

2000 block of East Timber-

lane Drive. Drug Investigation.

Ofcer located 49.5 grams of

marijuana in plain view.

DECEMBER 23, 2014

READY TO WORKOUT

400 block of Whitehall

Street. Burglary Vehicle. A 2002

Mitsubishi four-door appeared

to be left unlocked. Missing

from it was a gym bag, miscel-

laneous clothing and iPod, val-

ued at $105.

PLAYER

500 block of South Morgan

Street. Burglary Residence. The

complainant returned home

and found that her residence

was burglarized. Entry was

made through a rear window.

Unknown suspect(s) took a at

screen TV and video games val-

ued at $1,800.

COPS CORNER

W

E

S

T

ORAN

G

E

After 24 years of service, Captain Nat Hargroves last

day with Plant City Fire Rescue was Thursday, Jan. 15.

FAREWELL


Catherine Sinclair

Nat Hargrove was presented with an honorary axe.


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Rubye M. Abbott,

Rubye M. Abbott, 93, died

Jan. 14, 2015, at her home in

Plant City.

Mrs. Abbott was a mem-

ber of Victory Church in

Lakeland. She loved playing

the piano, knitting, crochet-

ing, sewing and gardening.

She is preceded in death

by brothers, RL Daniels,

James Daniels and Ray-

mond Daniels; and sis-

ters, Doris Ellis and Joyce

Hunt. Loving family who

survive are her beloved

husband of 73 years, David

Abbott; son, Marc Abbott

(Tammy); sister, Bess Mor-

ris; and several nieces and

nephews.

A funeral service was

held Tuesday, Jan. 20, at

Wells Memorial, with Pas-

tor Randy Brock ofciat-

ing. Burial at Hillsboro Me-

morial Gardens in Brandon.

Condolences may be made

at WellsMemorial.com.

Dorothy Dottie Allen

Dorothy Dottie Allen,

92, of Plant City, died Jan.

15, 2015.

She was born May 1,

1922, in Anderson, South

Carolina, and was united

in marriage April 23, 1938,

to Clarence Allen April. He

preceded her in death June

8, 2000. They were mar-

ried for 62 years. Mrs. Allen

was a true ray of sunshine.

She lived her life as a godly

woman and an example to

all who knew her. She was

an inspiration and a bless-

ing to all of the lives she

touched. She loved her fam-

ily and friends, but above

all, she loved her Lord and

Savior.

Mrs. Allen was also pre-

ceded in death by her par-

ents; one sister; one broth-

er; and son-in-law, Bob

Davis.

She is survived by her

children, Joy Hicks (Ger-

ald), of Dover, Jerry Allen

(Juanita), of Anaheim, Cali-

fornia, Ray Allen (Kim),

of Cleveland, Georgia and

Barbara Davis, of Plant City;

11 loving grandchildren; 15

great-grandchildren; and

10 great-great grandchil-

dren; as well as many other

beloved relatives and dear

friends.

A celebration of life me-

morial service was held

Monday, Jan. 19, at Victory

Baptist Church, Valrico. In

lieu of owers, the family

requests that donations be

made in Mrs. Allens mem-

ory to South Florida Baptist

Hospital, to which they are

deeply appreciative of the

outstanding care they gave

her.

Valerie Lorraine Baker,

Valerie Lorraine Baker,

50, of Dade City, died Tues-

day, Jan. 13, 2015, in Tampa,

after a short battle with

cancer.

She was born July 10,

1964, in Plant City, to Jo-

seph J. and Bertha Lene

Cannon and was a lifelong

area resident.

She was preceded in

death by her mother, Bertha

Cannon; niece, Nicole Can-

non; and mother-in-law,

Ruth Baker. She is survived

by her children, Chelsea

Crutcher, Casi Gant (Rob-

ert), Peyton Baker and Jar-

hett Baker; grandchildren,

Coleman, Haylee, Riley,

Madison and Ashtyn; par-

ents, Joseph and Marjorie

Cannon; siblings, Joseph

Cannon Jr. (Mary), Cynthia

Gude (David) and Stephen

Barthle (Lana); and numer-

ous close extended family

and friends.

Services were held Sat-

urday, Jan. 17, at the Dade

City Church of God. Hodges

Family Funeral Home is in

charge of arrangements.

Charles Randall

Charlie/Randy Carlisle

Charles Randall Charlie/

Randy Carlisle, 58, of Mul-

berry, died Jan. 14, 2015.

He was a member of Lo-

cal 925 and formerly em-

ployed at Moretrench. He

loved God and his family.

He enjoyed friends and the

outdoors.

He is survived by his

wife, Melinda Carlisle; chil-

dren, Layla, Tiffany, Chris-

tina and Charlie II; siblings,

Red, Sandra, Trina, Joani

and Jill; nine grandchil-

dren; and many other fam-

ily and friends.

A celebration of life was

held Monday, Jan. 19, at

Hopewell Funeral Home.

Condolencemay be made

at HopewellFuneral.com.

Velton Andrew Hunter

Velton Andrew Hunter,

85, died Jan. 18, 2015, with

his family by his side.

He was born Aug. 10,

1929, in Welcome, Florida,

to Alvin and Minnie Hunter.

He is survived by his wife of

65 years, Linnie Mae Hunt-

er; brother, Leonard Edwin

Hunter (Inez), of Lithia;

children, Dianne Wilkes

(Joel), of Lakeland, Velton

Edward Hunter, of Zeph-

yrhills, Jerry Bruce Hunt-

er, of Lithia, Roy Andrew

Hunter (Phyllis), of Lithia

and William Carl Hunter,

of Lithia; 24 grandchildren;

43 great-grandchildren and

four great-great-grandchil-

dren.

A funeral service will be

held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan.

23, at Wells Memorial. Buri-

al will follow at Welcome

Cemetery in Lithia. Con-

dolences may be made at

WellsMemorial.com.

Manuel Maldonado

Manuel Maldonado, 39,

of Plant City, died Jan. 13,

2015.

He was born in Lodi, Cal-

ifornia, in 1975. He owned

Maldonado Flooring.

He is survived by his wife,

Maria Maldonado; chil-

dren, Manuel Maldonado

(Chelsea Knight), Brenda

Maldonado and Andrea

Maldonado, of Plant City;

grandson, Damien Xavier

Ramirez; mother, Emma

Silva Maldonado, of Tex-

as; and siblings, Gilberto

Maldonado Jr. (Patricia),

of Texas, Rolando Maldo-

nado, of Arizona, Adrian

Maldonado, of North Caro-

lina and Yanett Maldonado

(Carlos), of Georgia.

A celebration of life was

held Wednesday, Jan. 21, at

Hopewell Funeral Home.

Condolence may be made

at HopewellFuneral.com.

Janette Netter

Tucker OBrien

Janette Netter Tucker

OBrien, 42, ended her bat-

tle with breast cancer Tues-

day, Jan. 13, 2015.

She was born July 11,

1972, in Plant City. She re-

ceived her education de-

gree from Covenant Col-

lege in 1994 and taught

elementary school in Geor-

gia, Virginia and at Lake-

land Christian School, for

12 years. She was a mem-

ber of Trinity Presbyterian

Church and served in the

womens ministry. She

married Joseph Jennings

OBrien July 20, 2002, in

Lakeland.


husband, Joseph, of Lake-

land; and children, Ali and

John Kirby, of Virginia,

Madison and Josh Horwitz,

of Virginia, and Connor and

Tucker OBrien, of Lake-

land. She is also survived

by her parents, Dr. John and

Jane Tucker, of Lakeland;

siblings, Tina Strawbridge

(Tim-o), of Lakeland, The-

resa Riggs (Todd), of Vir-

ginia, Matt Tucker (Kim), of

Lakeland, Tricia Sinn (Ted),

of Orlando and and An-

thony Tucker (Rachel), of

Georgia; and their families,

including 19 nephews and

nieces.

A memorial service

was held Monday, Jan.

19, at Trinity Presbyterian

Church, Lakeland. In lieu

of owers, Mrs. OBrien

and the family have re-

quested donations be given

to SeeJesus.net.

Deloris A. Ratliff

Deloris A. Ratliff, 78, of

Valrico, died Jan. 10, 2015.

Mrs. Ratliff worked as a

nurse for 43 years in dif-

ferent parts of the coun-

try prior to her retirement

from South Florida Baptist

Hospital in Plant City in

2000. She is survived by her

loving family, including her

husband of 57 years, Ad-

ron Ratliff; children, Pam

Grant (Kevin), Mike Ratliff

(DiDi), Beverly Johnson

(Dave) and Kevin Ratliff

(Brad); sister, Ceil Turner;

six grandchildren; and ve

great-grandchildren.

Frances G. White

Frances G. White, 87,

died Jan. 16, 2015, with her

loving family by her side.

Mrs. White, daughter of

Flander and Eunice Clark,

was born Oct. 15, 1927.

She was the youngest of

their 14 children. Frances

met and married her high

school sweetheart. They

were married 63 years, at

the time of his passing.

They raised ve children,

and shared many happy

memories together. Mrs.

White was a loving wife,

mother, grandmother, sis-

ter and aunt. She loved

her owers, gardening

and cooking family meals.

She was a very caring and

thoughtful woman, who al-

ways had time to listen and

was always devoted to her

family.

She was preceded in

death by her husband,

Maryland; son, Eugene;

grandson, John; and 10

brothers and three sisters.


children, Carol White, Da-

ryl White (Martha), Garland

White and Keli McGraw;

11 grandchildren; 16 great

grandchildren; and niec-

es and nephews. We will

deeply miss her smile, her

little wink of the eye and

her laughter. We will never

forget her love and we will

carry it with us always. We

love you, Mom, now and

forevermore!

A funeral service was held

Thursday, Jan. 22, at Wells

Memorial. Burial at Memo-

rial Park Cemetery. Con-

dolences may be made at

WellsMemorial.com.

Wayne Wright

Wayne Wright, 73, died

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015,

at Erlanger Hospital in

Chattanooga, Tennessee.

He was born April 5, 1941,

in Chipley, Florida, to Le-

roy and Edna Wright. Sur-

viving are his loving wife

of almost 52 years, Dava

Fulwood Wright; children,

Carol Hansen (Leroy), Ma-

rie Yale (Mike), Pam Wright

(June) and Wayne Wright Jr.

(Jennifer); brothers, Leroy,

Glenn and Harry Wright;

and sister, Robbie Jean Wil-

son. He was blessed with

grandchildren, Michael

and Ricky Hansen, Tina

Yale, and Maggie and Molly

Wright; and great-grand-

children, McKenzie, Brycen,

Braylin and Rylin Hansen.

He was a compassion-

ate husband, father, and

grandfather. His knowledge

was rich and his heart was

golden. He never hesitated

to lend a helping hand. His

memory is deeply rooted

within our hearts.

Visitation was held Tues-

day, January 20, at Wells

Memorial Funeral Home.

Graveside service was at

Antioch Cemetery in An-

tioch, followed by fellow-

ship at Plant City Church of

God.

OBITUARIES

OBSERVER


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+ Fatal crash occurs

at I-4, Alexander

A Saturn collided with a

pick up truck hauling a trailer

at the Interstate 4 interchange

on Alexander Street at 4:30

p.m. Jan. 16.

The Saturn, driven by Eric

McClellan, 23, of Haines

City, was traveling south on

Alexander Street and took an

eastbound turn toward the

I-4 entrance ramp on a green

light. He collided with the

pick up truck driven by Walter

Brown Jr., 55, of Plant City.

The pick up truck was travel-

ing north in the intersection

on a green light.

The pick up truck struck the

passenger side of the Saturn,

wedging it between a metal

pole.

Plant City Fire Rescue

pulled McClellan and his

passenger, Robert Herbert,

61, of Winter Haven, from

the car. Herbert died at the

scene. McClellan was taken

to Lakeland Regional Medical

Center. Brown and his pas-

senger, Leo Rainville, 65,

of Plant City, were taken to

South Florida Baptist Hospital

where they were treated and

released.

+ Insurance agent

faces more charges

A Plant City insurance agent

who was twice arrested last

year on charges that she stole

thousands of dollars from her

clients is facing additional

charges after more people

claimed she took their money.

Investigators

with the state

Division of

Insurance

Fraud have

alleged

that Paula

Albertson, 53,

stole more

than $800,000 in the last

five years from at least seven

victims.

She was arrested again Jan.

15 on two new charges of

grand theft.

The new charges came after

news of Albertsons previous

arrests prompted more victims

to come forward, state authori-

ties said.

In one of the new cases,

Albertson changed a clients

mailing address to the address

of her business, Albertson

Financial Group, in order to

divert mailed withdrawal notic-

es for the clients account,

according to an arrest report.

Albertson then forged six with-

drawal requests from the cli-

ents account, depositing more

than $200,000 into her own

account, authorities said.

In a previous case, Albertson

is alleged to have named her

family members as beneficiaries

on a clients life insurance poli-

cy. When the client died weeks

later, the family collected more

than $150,000, authorities said.

Albertson was booked on the

new c

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