Dear Editor: As a mother, I am concerned with the lack of transparency that is going on with Common Core being implemented in Hillsborough County and the state. While doing my Kindergarten Round Up, I was told by an assistant principal that the school (Shiloh Charter) is field-testing Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College […]
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FAITH MATTERS: Lent: ‘Spring Cleaning’ for Christians
“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” — Isaiah 43: 18-19 On March 5, the Christian church began her Lenten […]
Continue ReadingPAST & PRESENCE: The history behind the strawberry fest’s star power
Plant City can point with pride to its civic clubs and organizations for all the good works done in the name of the community. Stadiums, parks, playgrounds, the library, special events and more all were put together by the civic clubs and organizations in Plant City, many of which had their beginnings in the early […]
Continue ReadingOBSERVED: Memories made at Daddy-Daughter Dance
I have been to my share of daddy-daughter dances — as a photographer. Most were awkward affairs, with the girls twirling in the middle of the dance floor, while their dads propped themselves up against the wall or sat in chairs across the room. Even before we had kids, I told my wife: “When we […]
Continue ReadingLETTER: Remembering Gerald Hooker
Dear Editor: When I read in the Plant City Times & Observer that former Plant City Mayor Gerald Hooker died, I started remembering him as someone who meant a lot to people here. He was a friend of my late father’s and mine, and he ran Hooker’s Department Store, in downtown Plant City. The store […]
Continue ReadingFAITH MATTERS: A ticket to grace
A month ago, I was feeling sorry for myself, because I was wrongly accused of parking illegally in a town I had never visited. It’s never fun to have to pay a fine when you’re innocent. The $40 fine was not that big a deal, but I had an impassioned desire to stand on the […]
Continue ReadingPAST & PRESENCE: Albert Schneider: Festival’s first president
For the onset of Florida Strawberry Festival season, we decided to take a look back at the beginning of the festival. As noted historian D. E. Bailey Jr. wrote, “Harvest festivals have long been traditional with every country in the land.” Plant City was going to have one. The role of strawberry production and sales […]
Continue ReadingCourtney Singletary: Family, faith come first
Editor’s note: Since news broke of the city’s investigation into former Police Chief Steven Singletary, his wife, Courtney, has stood firmly by his and their children’s sides. Her dedication to her wedding vows never wavered — drawing both praise and criticism. Her path of choice is the more difficult one, but for Courtney, the decision […]
Continue ReadingLETTERS: Cheers, jeers for police chief coverage
Dear Editor: I respect the way that you reported the news about this. Thank you for your kindness and respect to your hometown. You showed that our hometown loved Observer is respectful and has class. You should be proud of your values. Don’t let lesser people bring you down just because you wouldn’t stoop to […]
Continue ReadingLETTER: Car wash’s honesty a breath of fresh air
Dear Editor: After all the dishonesty, meanness and sad things that are happening in this time and day, I would like to point something nice out to you. Recently, I went to the Walden Lake Car Wash in Plant City to get my usual for my car. As always, I get greeted with the biggest smile […]
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