THE NEWSCASTER-Nature Coast News
PAGE 8 - June 22, 2011
Squawk Box
Continued from page 1
young Lieutenants were sent to the South Sea Islands to lead forces into combat. Uncle
Ernest fared a little better than my Dad. He would finish his tour of duty as a major while
my Dad earned the rank of captain.
My Dad suffered wounds in 1943 and was sent home to the army hospital in Se-
attle Washington. The army flew my Mother to Washington and she stayed by his side until
he was well enough to reenter the fight. She rarely left his side and the doctors told her that
he wouldn’t have pulled through if she had not been there. He never completely recovered.
Daddy never flinched when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. He was living a dream
with his beautiful wife and young daughter. But men and women from that era understood
the meaning of sacrifice, honor and love of country. He, like so many other young men,
joined the army to fulfill his obligation to his family and country. The war took its toll on
my Dad. He fought the demons of war for the rest of his life. He and my Mother brought
three more children into the world, but Daddy would never leave Inverness again. He took
whatever jobs he could find, and there weren’t many in Inverness, and worked hard to
provide our family with the necessities of life. We were not rich, but my sisters and I were
well provided for and we all were afforded the opportunity to grow healthy and happy.
I regret only one thing in my life: I wish I had spent more time and energy with my
Dad. He was a truly great person and in my younger days I was not smart enough to realize
that. He died on July 4th, 1994. How fitting for a true patriot to die on Independence Day.
Thank God I was able to tell him I loved him the day before he perished. I wish he were
here to celebrate this Fathers Day.
An early morning fire June 8 at Nature Coast Landings RV Resort south of Inglis left the
Wayne Henshaw family homeless and looking to the Red Cross for temporary help. Wayne
Tri-County area posts drop in
had just left the 38 foot $70,000 5th wheel in the south section of the resort to meet his
wife on vacation when a call at 6:21 AM to 911 got a response from Citrus County firemen.
unemployment,gains in jobs/labor force
The manager of the park had to call the family back to the remains of a once comfortable
home which was now burned twisted metal surrounded by beautiful gardens, shed, a few
outside possessions and bikes. An electrical problem was the suspected cause The Inglis
Our Pub
Joblessness in Citrus, Levy and Marion counties dropped in May from 11.7 to
AMVETS 447 Post had been collecting money to help the couple.Newscaster/Sally Price Photo
11.5 percent over the month, and was 1.2 percent down over the year, according to today’s
release of employment data by the Agency for Workforce Innovation.
The unemployment rate for Workforce Connection’s three-county region is one
percentage point above Florida’s rate of 10.5 percent. The national unemployment rate held
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at 8.7 percent. Out of a labor force of 208,299 in the region, there were 24,016 unemployed,
down from 24,128 over the month, and 184,283 with jobs, up from 182,329.
& Package Store
Jobless rates in May for the Workforce region were 11.9 percent in Marion Coun-
ty, down from 12.1 percent; 11.0 percent in Citrus County and 10.3 percent in Levy County,
which remained unchanged.
253 Hwy 40 W. • Inglis, FL
Rusty Skinner, Workforce s chief executive officer, said all indicators are “very
1/4 mile west of Hwy. 19
positive” for the region. Not only has joblessness dropped or held steady in the region, but
Skinner said there have been gains in job creation and expansion of the labor force which
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“That s what we needed to see,” Skinner said. “If we just have a drop in the un-
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employment rate, but no concomitant gains in jobs and labor force, then that tells us people
are getting discouraged and giving up or leaving the area. What we’re seeing today is very
positive. We’re not out of the woods, but we’re starting to see some light.”
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The number of unemployed in Marion County unemployment dipped by 134 to
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15,832, at the same time the labor force expanded by 1,120 to 132,611 and the number of
employed rose by 1,254 to 116,779. Nonagricultural employment for the Ocala Metropoli-
tan Statistical Area (MSA) was 90,400 in May, down 1.8 percent of 1,700 jobs over the
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year – the third steepest rate of job decline in the state.
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In May in Citrus County the number of jobless barely moved, from 6,400 to 6,384
while those with jobs rose slightly from 51,638 to 51,825 for a gain of 187 jobs and the
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labor force posted a modest gain, up 171 to 58,209.
The situation is much the same in Levy County. The number of unemployed re-
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mained virtually unchanged, rising by 26 to 1,800. At the same time, those with jobs in-
creased by 200 to 15,679 and the labor force expanded by 226 to 17,479.
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Marion and Citrus counties’ unemployment rates continue to slide down the ranks
of highest rates in the state. In April month, among Florida’s 67 counties, Marion ranked
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sixth highest, Citrus was 10th and Levy County was 24th. In May, Marion fell to seventh,
Citrus 11th and Levy 25th.
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The Ocala MSA dropped from third to fourth highest among the state’s 23 MSAs
– the second consecutive month of decline – behind Palm Coast’s 13.8 percent, Miami-
Miami Beach at 13.7 percent and Sebastian-Vero Beach at 12.5 percent.
Since may 2010, government lost the most jobs in the Ocala MSA, with a loss of
1,300 jobs, followed by mining, logging and construction and leisure and hospitality.
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