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Former Resident Makes Her Mark In The Big Apple

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By BETTY BRIGGS

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 25, 2008

PLANT CITY - Sara Singh, a fashion illustrator who lives in New York City, recently visited her parents, Nina and Peter Singh, at their rural Plant City home.

Singh has made a name for herself in her profession, with clients like Glamour, Vogue, Elle, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Bloomingdale's, Philip Morris and Keds.

She left Plant City High School in the 11th grade, moved to New Orleans where she worked and saved for a year to buy an airline ticket to Sweden, her mother's native country. There, she graduated from high school and Beckman's College of Design in Stockholm.

She started illustrating story boards for advertising campaigns, but there wasn't a lot of work, so she moved to New York and promoted her her portfolio.

Now, clients knock on her door (or her agent's). Her latest job is illustrating Jackie Collins' book covers (she's done six so far). The ink and watercolor artist wants to show her work in the fine arts realm and will have an exhibit in the fall with a few friends at the Hanahou Gallery in New York City.

"I first exhibited at Frenchtrotter's in Paris, which led to a gallery in Japan, and now I'm really excited about showing in New York, where I live." What she will be showing is a surprise right now.

"I don't know yet what I'll be doing - illustrating is so spontaneous - I'm having to develop new ways of thinking and disciplining myself." When Singh isn't in New York, she's in Stockholm or Plant City.

While Singh was at her parents' home on her most recent visit, she helped care for an orphaned calf.

Plant City High Grad Is Headed To FSU

PLANT CITY - Amanda Gilbertsen, who graduated sixth in her class at Plant City High, is heading to Florida State University in the fall to study premed. Gilbertsen, daughter of Al and Amy Gilbertsen, is a member of FFA, National Technical Honor Society, Senior Executive Council and treasurer of the National Honor Society and is a member of the Church Council and Youth Council at First United Methodist Church of Plant City. She was voted Senior Superlative by her class.

Father And Son Share Birthday Month

PLANT CITY - Father and son Gary and Michael Cameron celebrate birthdays this month. Gary Cameron is retired after 44 years of teaching at Cork Elementary and Michael, raised in Springhead and educated at Cork Elementary and Florida Southern College in Lakeland, is a financial advisor with Edward Jones.

Family Restore Historical Home

PLANT CITY - The W.G. Meriwether home is looking mighty fine since Stephanie and Nate Kilton and their three children moved in and renovated with the helping hands and expert skills of Robert Showalter, local resident and contractor.

Meriwether was a longtime physician and surgeon and his former home is in one of Plant City's historical districts. Stephanie Kilton is the daughter of Carole Shelton and the granddaughter of Irma Moody, both long-time Plant City residents.

Former Resident Moves Back To Plant City

PLANT CITY - After living in Tampa, Carol Still Moody has moved back to Walden Lake, where she lived a number of years.

Moody is managing attorney for the senior advocacy unit at Bay Area Legal Services. She is the mother of former Florida Strawberry Festival queen and Circuit Judge Ashley Moody, lawyer Jamie Moody and Tricia Moody McNabb, a resident in pathology at Tampa General Hospital and a graduate of the University of South Florida's College of Medicine.

Several Girl Scouts Earn Gold Award

PLANT CITY - The most prestigious and highest achievement in Girl Scouting was awarded to 32 scouts in West Central Florida in June. Nine are from the area. Each spent 65 hours planning and implementing community projects to earn the Gold Award.

Kaitlin Barr, a nine-year Girl Scout, Hanna Fields, a scout for three years and Heather Gentry, a scout for nine years, all of Plant City, introduced underprivileged children to the arts through the S.H.O.W. (Summer Harmony Opportunity Workshop) program at Everyday Blessings, a residential foster home. Kaitlin attends Howard W. Blake High School in Tampa and Hanna and Heather are students at Plant City High School.

Stephanie Dye, a Girl Scout for 13 years, Valrico resident and student at University of South Florida, worked with fellow heart transplant patients at Tampa General Hospital in making a quilt to give to the transplant team. She also spoke to the community groups about the importance of organ transplants.

Marissa Harrer, a scout for 10 years and a student at Plant City High, created Homework Help, a program where she helped students at three elementary schools with their homework. She also recruited members into her school's honor society.

Brandie Peterson, a Girl Scout for 12 years, Hillsborough Community College student and Plant City resident, organized a neighborhood Olympic day, which included games for children of all ages.

Margaret Schmidt, a scout for 11 years, Durant High School student and Valrico resident, created a Spanish book library by collecting 146 books and fashioning shelves and furnishings.

Jessica Smith, a Girl Scout for 13 years, Hillsborough Community College student and Riverview resident, created Cards for Caring to help cheer up those in nursing and children's homes.

Sarah Sullivan, a scout for 14 years and a Valrico resident who attends Boston University, designed a recycling and green energy campaign.

Lions Club Member Honored At Convention

PLANT CITY - Local Lions Club member Judy Neumann was recognized for her outstanding service at the grassroots level at the Lions 2008 State Convention in Ocala. The sword of the Millard B. Conklin Crusader's Award was presented by District Governor Suzy Stathas and last year's winner Lion Michael S. Venning.

They acknowledged Neumann's dedication and service of 625 hours and 5,100 miles of travel in club projects, district events and support of state entities such as the Florida Lions Camp in Lake Wales.

By winning the award, she continued the Plant City Lions Club tradition of having the most winners in District 35R along with Lions E. Robert Lastinger, Coleman Davis, Bob Fulks and Venning; as well as being one of only three clubs to have won it in back to back years.

Have an event you would like to see in this column? Send items to Betty Briggs at gabylee@tampa bay.rr.com; mail to The Tampa Tribune, 101 N. Wheeler St., Plant City FL 33563; or fax to (813) 865-4441.

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