COLUMN: The truth is the politics of a grass strip and small aircraft operations are akin to those of agriculture in how they utilize and sustain open vistas. And they both suffer and sometimes expire over time at the hands of residential sprawl and/or politics.
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Owner’s Report: Thinking about booze
There is a spectrum in alcohol use. One end of the spectrum is no alcohol, known as “teetotaling.” The other end is probably public intoxication or alcoholism. No sane person is going to advocate for public intoxication or alcoholism, so in regulating alcohol use the question has always been how far out from the […]
Continue ReadingOwner’s Report: Your Hometown, Your Newspaper
Over six and a half years ago my many serious attempts to purchase the Plant City Courier and return it to local ownership came to an end. Dozens of times over the preceding decade, I had watched that paper wither, misuse journalistic talent, reduce staff, close offices, ignore phone calls and sometimes obtusely trample the […]
Continue ReadingThe Death of Hat Etiquette
There are three main reasons for the loss of proper hat etiquette in America since I was a boy. None of them really excuse those behaviors now that would make my grandmother roll over in her grave, but still they have contributed to the polite toleration of a sad change in how men wear hats […]
Continue ReadingOwner’s Report: Nate Kilton
Before 2011, I never gave a second thought to the importance of having a high-quality local newspaper. I’m thankful to my co-founders for educating me on the importance of hyper-local news to our community. I’m proud of the role that our paper plays in bringing important information to you on a weekly basis. A good […]
Continue ReadingFrom Madison Middle School to Rome
In 1961, at Madison Middle School in Tampa, I had the opportunity to begin studying a dead language, Latin, from a great teacher named Mrs. Clements. Although I went through three years of Latin, it took 54 years to realize what those early Latin courses did for me. On Sept. 25, I boarded the MSC […]
Continue ReadingPlant City YMCA adds to quality of life
When a new employer is considering moving to Plant City, one of the important factors in his or her decision is quality of life. Is this a good place to raise a family? Are workers going to be able to access quality schools, a variety of churches, good government services and organizations that provide a […]
Continue ReadingWe need real communication
Until around 2008, Plant City enjoyed a strong economy. In the early 2000’s, our economy was so strong the community was able to conduct fundraising campaigns for several Plant City nonprofit organizations, which raised $2 million to $3 million each. When the national economy weakened into recession, Plant City followed suit. With area-wide support […]
Continue ReadingPlant City’s Noon Rotary Club: 60 Years of Service
When a 1905 group of Chicago businessmen envisioned a service club that would function like the driving force of a machine’s rotary wheel they did not know just how far that vision would take Rotary International. Rotary has grown to 24,282 clubs, 1.22 million members in over 200 countries, $1.2 billion in assets and annual […]
Continue ReadingPlant City High School leadership plans to enhance community ties
Effective organizations, and their leaders, are self-analytical, constantly identifying weaknesses and areas in performance that can be improved. Human biases naturally limit this process, but many of these limitations are removed when a new leader takes the reins. Susan Sullivan is now the new principal at Plant City High School. She, along with PCHS PTSA […]
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