20 THE COURIER NOVEMBER 18, 2004


PLANT CITY DIGEST


 Boy, What A Role
 As excited as she was about her granddaugh-
ter Emily's role in the upcoming production of
"Madame Butterfly," Bobbie Cook drew the
line at the hair.
 "They asked if I'd cut her hair. I said I don't
think so," Bobbie Cook said.
 Six-year-old Emily will
play Dolori, the son of
Madama Butterfly, in .
the Tampa Opera's pro-
duction at the Tampa I
Bay Performing Arts f
Center. The show runs
Nov. 19-21, but Emily is
in two shows, one Friday
at 8 p.m. and one Sunday
at 2 p.m.
 It's a small, nonspeak-
ing part, but comes at
the climax of the opera,
when Madama Butter- Emily Cook
fly's American husband
returns after a three-year absence to take
Dolori home to the United States.
 Tampa Opera often opens small parts to
local people and a representative called Jackie
Everidge at Jackie's Dance Studio last week to
see if Everidge had someone who might do
well. They needed a young actor,, but one who
would do well in a professional environment,
and at short notice.
 "Emily is very studious and hardworking for
her age," Everidge said. "You tell her to do
something and she does it."
 Cook said producers selected Emily right
away.
 "They ran through it one time and she picked
it up right away. They were excited she was
such a quick study."
 Emily, a student at Knights Elementary, is
nonchalant about the whole affair, Cook said.
 "She's so young she doesn't know how
important this is," Cook said.


 Tickets to the show run from $24.50 to $75.
Call the Performing Arts Center at 229-7827.
 Hit-And-Run
 John Boswell saw what hit him, but only too
briefly.
 For that reason, there is little hope the driver
of the van that hit Boswell as he bicycled along
Maryland Avenue Nov. 7 will be caught.
 Boswell, 52, suffered a broken leg in the acci-
dent and is home recovering.
 "I was kind of shocked when he hit me and I
looked up and saw that he kept going," Boswell
said.
 The accident happened about 7:15 a.m., just
moments after Boswell mounted his Trek bicy-
cle and left his home on Bracewell Drive for a
recreational ride. He said he tries to ride early
on the weekends to avoid traffic.
 In fact, the vehicle he heard coming up
behind him and then saw driving away after it
knocked him down was the first vehicle he saw
that morning.
 Boswell describes the vehicle that hit him as
a dark colored, early model Dodge Caravan or
Plymouth Voyager. At press time, police had no
leads and no witnesses.
 The seasoned cyclist was wearing a helmet,
which he thinks saved him from further injury,
and was able to immediately dial 911 from his
cell phone. He said his accident should be a
reminder to drivers to watch out for cyclists,
and for cyclists to wear a helmet.
" Boswell, who owns and works at a barber-
shop in Largo once owned by his grandfather,
now has two pins in his leg and will be out of
work for at least six weeks while he heals.
 He said the shop's temporary closure
 shouldn't affect his dedicated customer base
 too much.
 "I'm cutting people's hair that my grandfa-
 ther used to cut," he said.

 Compiled by Tony Marrero


SHARP
Continued From Page 19
with some of the past greats
like Horace Broadnax.
 And, of course, Dave
Robbins will be alongside
Meyer. Last year, when
Meyer was at Lake Region
and Robbins was a Plant City
assistant, was an anamoly.
That was the only time in the
last 29 years the two have not
worked together.
 "The big thing for us, it's
fun for us to coach. We kind
of know what each other is
thinking," Meyer said.
 Really? After 30 years
together?
 It's been a while since
Plant City has had a winning
season in basketball, boys or
girls, but the signs are in
order with coaches like
Meyer and new girls leader
Ginger Bennett-Forte.
 Since it wasn't a playoff
game, and it was played on a
Wednesday night, if you
weren't at the Durant-Plant
contest Wednesday you
missed what could have been
the highlight play of the year
for the whole county.
 Plant receiver Tavaris
 Gant, who wears the same
 number as Keyshawn
 Johnson (19) and resembles
 him physically with his
 impressive 6-foot-3 frame,
 scored the only touchdown
 against the Cougars. But
 that's not "the" play.
 In the first quarter, Gant
 went up to try and grab a 50-


yard pass. He was not in the
best position, but shifted his
body around the Durant
defender and made a leaping
attempt. Gant missed, then
the ball was almost inter-
cepted before Gant, flat on
his back, kept his concentra-
tion and magically snagged
the ball before it landed.
 The Plant crowd went
crazy. It was a play (you
really had to be there) where
even Durant followers could
only applaud. "That was just
one of those plays. When he
caught it you just go, 'Oh, my
goodness,'" said Durant
coach Mike Gottman.
 Here's guessing he used
stronger language ....
 As for the playoffs, sure
enough Middleton the
team Durant convincingly
beat less than two weeks
before won its first-round
game. Class 5A-District 7 had
mixed results, with East Bay
giving unbeaten Hills-
borough a challenge but
falling, 41-34, and Lakeland
overcoming a great Cham-
berlain effort to win, 34-24.
 Though it will be hard not
 to think, especially for
 Cougar fans, "We could be in
 their place," it might be
 exciting to check out the
 Middleton game this week as
 the Tigers host Fort Myers.
 Or you can do what I'm
 considering, heading over to
 Berkeley Prep where the
 Bucs are unbeaten but will
 get a challenge from Evangel
 Christian. The Lakeland
 school features many players
 from the Plant City area.


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Plant City. Use 1-4 exits 19. 21 or 22.
For information, call 813-754-3707 or
1-800-760-2315.
Downtown shops and restaurants
open late.


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Free registration and admission
* 400-600 vehicles
* '79 and older cars and trucks
* Antiques, hot rods, customs and classics
* Music by D.J. Allan Page
* Vendors and crafters
* Great family event
* 50/50 drawing


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