Neighborhood

The lights of two dart machines glow in the corner of Silver Dollar Saloon in Historic Downtown Plant City. The purple hues play off owner Anna Genco’s blond hair. The bar is smoky but charming, tucked away in a slot between other store fronts. It’s because of Genco that loyal patrons come back time and […]

Ruby Jean Redman and her family have played a significant role in Plant City’s history, and throughout the decades, she has seen the town grow up right along with her. As a child, Redman lived just three blocks from her would-be husband: lawyer and state legislator Jim Redman. They started dating when she was a […]

Ericca Garrison ducks into a restaurant in Historic Downtown Plant City just before the rain clouds move in. Not that it would matter to the bubbly blonde. She’s not scared of a little water. One of her biggest passions is being on or in the ocean. In fact, it was this passion that got her […]

Although she’s not originally from Plant City, it didn’t take long for Di Lott to fall in love with the place. online pharmacy buy arimidex no prescription online pharmacy After 14 years of volunteering in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, Lott couldn’t be happier with the experiences. “I love it,” she says. “Love […]

Children frolic and dance in the courtyard of Plant City’s First Baptist Church Learning Center. Their excited shrills can be heard radiating through the main office door, bouncing between the colorful walls of the building. Kim Shouse happily greets late-comers at the desk, checking them into the school. The director truly has a passion for […]

Mary Thomas Mathis leads Plant City as an educator and public official, and she gladly accepts the challenge of finding just the right place for each puzzle piece of her busy schedule. Mathis grew up in Plant City and graduated in 1975, from Plant City High School. She graduated in 1980, from Clark College — […]

It’s tough to become successful as an entrepreneur. That’s especially true when diving into a field — insurance sales — that has historically been dominated by the opposite sex. But, no matter how high the odds were stacked against her, Courtney Paat made it work. And, she made it work here in Plant City — a […]

Clay, of all things, has always been a big part of Silvia Dodson’s life. It helped shape her childhood in Cuba and her family’s life in the United States. Now, it is part of the foundation of her service to the community. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Dodson’s commitment to success and service […]

Verna McKelvin stands in the family room of Wells Memorial and Event Center, surrounded by pictures of her life. An array of framed cross-stitches dot the walls. Beyond her, barrel-racing trophies sit on a table. The manager is used to planning other people’s funerals. But last weekend, she got the idea to mock her own. […]