Our son, Lyric, clings to my wife’s pant leg as we enter the classroom. There are a few other children already working away on their first kindergarten assignment. It’s an easy one — just a coloring page. After about a minute, we convince Lyric to sit down in his assigned seat. It’s his first desk on […]
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MY 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 ReadingLETTER: Readers wants to start writing club
Dear Editor: Is it just me, or is there nothing to do in Plant City? At least for people like me: writers. There are acting, dance and sports groups galore, but no writing programs. The nearest gathering is in Lakeland. In high school, I felt like there was something for everyone except me. I was […]
Continue ReadingLETTER: Honoring a true Plant City hero
Dear Editor: Plant City lost a genuine World War II hero last week with the passing of Terry Dykes (1924 to 2013). Terry served aboard the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier, when it was badly damaged by Japanese dive-bombers in April 1942, in the Coral Sea, and again in June 1942, at the Battle of […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Preseason essential in high school
Every year, there is an ongoing debate about preseason games at the pro level. Some believe the four-game NFL preseason should be cut in half or reduced to a single game. Some believe the games are unnecessary and only are beneficial to guys trying to make the team as back-up or scout team players. In […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Pro stars set bad examples
With the recent scandals surrounding MLB stars Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel, you can’t blame those who have lost faith in sports. These days, it seems if you have an athlete as a role model, chances are, that role model will end up disappointing you with their actions — whether […]
Continue ReadingOBSERVED: Editor faces fear, falls in Kiwanis spelling bee
Haught Funeral Home’s David Wolf came into my office earlier this year with a crazy idea. He wanted to do an adult spelling bee, as a fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club of Plant City. And he was going door-to-door, searching for competitors. He stroked my ego, saying I’d be a tough competitor. He fanned the […]
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 […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Walden Lake needs quality golf course
Healthy property values and happy residents are not the only things Walden Lake Golf & Country Club lost May 15, when it closed the Hills golf course. With the closing, Walden Lake and Plant City lost another golfing option for players in town and surrounding areas. When I took this job and moved down from […]
Continue ReadingOBSERVED: Community key in newspaper’s success
My wife, Assistant Managing Editor Jessica Eng, had trouble sleeping the nights leading up to the launch of the newspaper you’re holding in your hands today. And my mood swung wildly — from confident excitement to sheer panic. Sure, we’ve been publishing the Plant City Observer for more than a year. But this joint venture […]
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