PAGE 12 - July 28, 2010
The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
Volunteer Wins Life-Saver Award
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm & Saturday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
(352)447-2611
atNewscaster by Susan Strawbridge, Park Services Specialist
Homosassa Wildlife Park
BuddyAndFredsToo.com
Special to The
Park volunteer Shirley Dube has been awarded the prestigious Lifesaver Award by
46 U.S. Hwy. 19
• Food Ranch Plaza • Inglis, Florida
the Florida’s Division of Recreation and Parks as part of their Employee Recognition and
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Awards Program. As a wildlife care and manatee watch volunteer at Ellie Schiller Homo-
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sassa Springs Wildlife State Park, she has contributed over 2,000 hours. Park Ranger Dylan
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Shoemaker nominated Mrs. Dube for the award.
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Dylan Shoemaker, in his nomination, gives the following account of the day when
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Shirley’s actions saved someone’s life in February of this year. “Shirley did an awesome
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job assisting someone who was in obvious distress.” This happened as she was starting her
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manatee watch shift in the Blue Waters area of the river just outside the park’s boundaries.
The Manatee Watch program is comprised of trained volunteers from U.S. Fish & Wildlife
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Service and Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park to provide manatee edu-
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cation to residents and visitors using areas where manatees congregate during the winter
months.
Shirley and her husband Joe, who are a Manatee Watch team, were relieving the
morning Manatee Watch shift when volunteer Mim Currier mentioned to Shirley that she
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might want to keep an eye on someone who was in the water. As soon as Shirley got into
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her kayak, she immediately made her way over to observe the man in question. As she got
closer, she noted that the man was in obvious distress and was having difficulty breathing.
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It was obvious to her that this individual was not going to make it back to his boat without
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assistance. Shirley immediately threw him her life vest as well as the rope tied to her kayak.
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Shirley was able to “row” him over to his boat and to his family. No further assistance was
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needed. The man told Shirley that he had just completed a course of chemotherapy and had
overestimated his strength. The New Jersey native told Shirley at least twice that he would
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never have made it without her help.
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LARGE:
In nominating Shirley Dube, Dylan Shoemaker said of the recipient, “Shirley has
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always given 110% on everything that she does and loves the job. I have nominated her for
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the Lifesaver Award because she did something enormous for one human being; she saved
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their life. Nothing is bigger or more important that that.”
Federal aid to help Florida’s
Park Manager Art Yerian recently surprised Shirley by presenting her with a plaque
and special pin as she was working in her volunteer shift in wildlife care at the park’s Felburn
fishing industry requested
Wildlife Care Center.
Gov. Charlie Crist has asked for federal assistance to help Florida’s fishing indus-
tries and communities weather adverse impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, the governor has requested that the U.S. Commerce Depart-
ment take action under federal law to provide aid to commercial fishermen, charter boat
operators and coastal fishing communities.
“The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has been con-
sulting with our fishing industry stakeholders very closely over the past several weeks,” said
FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “They are telling us they are struggling to stay afloat even
though fishing is still open in Florida and seafood is still being harvested.”
While Florida so far has been mostly spared from direct impacts of the oil spill in
its coastal waters, Florida fishermen and coastal communities are already experiencing a
significant loss of current and future income because of a mistaken public notion that all of
Florida’s waters have been tainted by the oil spill.
Federal aid would help offset severe and immediate economic impacts to Florida’s
commercial grouper fleet and seafood dealers who are having trouble selling their products
because of unfounded fears that seafood from the Gulf is contaminated. Federal assistance
also would help Florida’s charter fishing fleet, for-hire guides and related fishing commu-
nities that are suffering, mainly because of misperceptions and misinformation about the
extent and impact of the oil spill.
Citrus Commission to consider mandatory
sewer hook-up ordinance
On the Citrus County Commission agenda for the regular Tuesday, July 27, meet-
ing was a public hearing for consideration of an ordinance that would require mandatory
Shirley Dube (left) receives Florida’s Division of Recreation and Parks’ Lifesaver Award from
hook-up to county sewer lines within 365 days when county lines become available to
Park Manager Art Yerian (right) at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park’s
improved residential and business lots. The public hearing was set for 4:15 p.m. during the
Felburn Wildlife Care Center. Photo by Susan Strawbridge
regular commission meeting that day. The commission meetings, which begin at 1 p.m., are
email news: news@thenewscaster.com
held in the commission chambers in the county courthouse in Inverness.
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6611 Hwy. 40W • Yankeetown • (352)447-2532
42 Hwy 19 N. - Inglis,FL - 352-447-2600
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Fax: 352-447-3013
Cell: 352-266-7113