Dear Editor: Mismanagement is the only reason the course has failed! There are a lot of courses within 20 miles or so, and they are all doing really well. We were members and live on the Hills, but (because of) the taking away of the amenities one by one and no improvements to show us, […]
Continue ReadingLETTER: Mercer: Redevelopment will save Walden Lake’s golf course amenity
Seven years ago, a group of local investors put in most of their life savings, mortgaged their houses, borrowed millions and put in years of unpaid work to buy and operate Walden Lake Golf & Country Club, which had been for sale for more than three years, with no one else interested in owning it. […]
Continue ReadingCommunity garden kicks off fall season
Our own Plant City Commons Community Garden is just about ready to kick off its second full year of involvement in the Plant City community. The first year saw volunteers totally transform the front and side lawns, at 309 N. Carey St., into a substantial demonstration garden. Permaculture principles were employed to create more than […]
Continue ReadingTALLAHASSEE REPORT: The zeal to repeal
When one hears the word “bill,” most people will think of the electric or telephone payment we all make every month. But, in the legislative world, we think of a bill as an idea for a proposed law sponsored in Tallahassee. Although state senators can sponsor unlimited bills per year, state representatives in Florida are […]
Continue ReadingMY VIEW: Reading, regardless of platform, essential to ongoing education
No matter my age, the start of the school year stirs thoughts on the importance of education and the role reading and books play in learning. The rise of the digital world places a premium on interaction with phones and computers, but the act of reading itself remains essential to enhance the outlook of anyone’s […]
Continue ReadingFAITH MATTERS: Hope Lutheran launches new GRIEFSHARE class
Pastor, it hurts. Any pastor in any denomination can tell you that those are familiar words we hear following the death of a loved one. To lose one’s partner in life after 50, 60 or even 70 years of marriage leaves a hole and void that can never be filled. To hear from parents: “Pastor, […]
Continue ReadingAfter auction, future of Red Rose still uncertain
Editor’s Note: A version of this story was first published on TampaBay.com. The future of the Red Rose Inn & Suites was locked away Aug. 16, in a tiny room off the auction’s center stage, at the Lakeland Center. With the exception of a tiny sliver of light, curious bystanders couldn’t catch a glimpse of […]
Continue ReadingFAITH MATTERS: Guilty until proven innocent
I was standing in the courtroom, when I heard the judge’s gavel resound on the soundboard beneath it. The courtroom was empty, because this was not a jury trial. I had entered the plea of not guilty and waived my right to a jury, hoping that this judge would be fair when he had heard […]
Continue ReadingMadonia auctions begin this week
Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the Aug. 11 edition of the Tampa Bay Times. How did it come to this? Evelyn and Batista Madonia worked for more than a half-century building their fortune. They are known for the Red Rose Inn & Suites, a Plant City landmark, but the real money, millions upon […]
Continue ReadingEarly Plant City leaders and the Knights of Pythias
Plant City was first chartered in 1885, and as Plant City historian, David E. Bailey, Jr., wrote, it was an “instant town.” By 1902, the town had progressed to the point that Philander Allen Merrin, then editor of the Plant City Courier, wrote, “Plant City’s future was assured.” Merrin wrote of the many different businesses […]
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