Dear Editor, As a small business owner and resident of Plant City, I am deeply concerned about the ongoing impacts of new development on our rural residences and agricultural environment. Recent hurricanes have highlighted the urgent need for better runoff management and Plant City leadership cannot stand idly by, naively believing that “runoff will be […]
Continue ReadingOpinion
Letter to the Editor 10.24.24
I’d Rather Have Been Wrong Fox News 13 reported Plant City faced “unprecedented” flooding due to Hurricane Milton. City Manager Bill McDaniel, in a Facebook live update, stated that over a foot of rain fell during the storm. Many roads became impassable, with water reaching the door level of several vehicles. The heavy rainfall in […]
Continue ReadingLetter to the Editor 10.17.24
WALDEN LAKE MALIGNED BY AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE Just hours following the worst Hurricane in decades, I picked up the PLANT CITY OBSERVER and read – “OLD WALDEN LAKE GOLF COURSE STILL FALLING APART – NO CURRENT PATH FORWARD TO SOLVE PROBLEM”. Your paper had the temerity to publish this “story” knowing full well a hurricane […]
Continue ReadingREVAMPED SUBARU CROSSTREK IS A STEAL OF A DEAL!
Since debuting more than a decade ago, it is Subaru’s fastest-selling compact SUV. A record 155,142 Crosstreks hit the road in 2022. We can expect additional records to be broken by the totally redesigned ride this year. For 2024, the Crosstrek has preserved the engine, transmission and other mechanical components, but otherwise is like an […]
Continue ReadingLetter to the Editor 1.25.24
Plant City is undergoing a fundamental shift from our agricultural roots and in the words of Mayor Nathan Kilton, “Plant City is no longer a rural community.” Tomorrow’s future lies in solidifying our fiscal responsibility; underpinning that is a need to urbanize. Our new communities have increased City expenditures far beyond the residential taxbase. This […]
Continue ReadingLetter to the Editor- Washed Away by Development
Development will happen in a growing area such as ours, but is it unreasonable to hope instruments such as zoning guidelines and master plans can safeguard against destructive projects? Residents are occasionally successful influencing efforts to re-zone properties, but the next project always comes trying to make a bigger wave. Despite many available properties zoned and […]
Continue ReadingLetter to the editor
A resident shares their thoughts about the Live Local Act.
Continue Reading2023 Chevy Silverado Bison a formidable brute!
Auto Review
Continue ReadingPlant City Growing Pains
With family activity in Plant City going back over a century and our offices being in downtown since 1919, my exposure to several experienced and wise witnesses to change along the passage of generations has been high. My mother, now past 90 (I’m not telling) was raised and churched within a few blocks of the […]
Continue ReadingThe New Normal
When was the last time you went through the old, pre-COVID procedures of getting bills from an ATM and paying for lunch or some other small purchase with cash? You remember–reaching into your pocket or purse for your wallet and pulling cash from it. Then digging into your other pocket or change purse and pulling […]
Continue Reading
