Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 NCAA: FSU gets knocked out by Michigan State /B1 MONDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 80 Partly sunny to LOW mostly cloudy, possible rain. 62 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com MARCH 29, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 172 NEWS Virus fight stalls in early hot spots BRIEFS President Joe New York, New Jersey lead nation in COVID infections Biden told re- Citrus County porters: “Based COVID-19 cases MARINA VILLENEUVE number of new infections in New about 647 new cases for every on what I’m AND MIKE CATALINI Jersey has crept up by 37% in a 100,000 residents over the past hearing, appar- According to the Florida Associated Press little more than a month, to about 14 days. New York has averaged ently people are Department of Health, 23,600 every seven days. About 548. letting their 15 positive cases were re- ALBANY, N.Y. — A year after 54,600 people in New York tested The situation in New York and guard down.” ported in Citrus County becoming a global epicenter of positive for the virus in the last New Jersey mirrors a national President Biden said he since the latest update. the coronavirus pandemic, New week, a number that has begun trend that has seen case numbers Joe Biden hopes to have a Three new deaths were York and New Jersey are back to inch up recently. inch up in recent days. The U.S. is better sense of the situation reported, for a total of 428. atop the list of U.S. states with The two states now rank No. 1 averaging nearly 62,000 cases a after a meeting with his White To date in the county, the highest rates of infection. and 2 in new infections per cap- day, up from 54,000 two weeks ago. House pandemic team on 10,266 people have Even as the vaccination cam- ita among U.S. states. New Asked Sunday what’s going Monday. tested positive (including Jersey has been reporting wrong in the U.S. as cases rise, paign has ramped up, the See VIRUS/Page A2 87 non-residents). Two new hospitaliza- tions were reported, for a total of 669 hospitalized. Totals reflect prelimi- nary reports received by the state, and are subject Veterans recall return home to revision. Register to get COVID vaccine DOH-Citrus’ preregis- tration system to schedule COVID-19 vaccine ap- pointments for individuals 50 and older and frontline health care workers is now available. Individuals can now be added to a waiting list for vaccine appointments and be notified when appoint- ments are available in Cit- rus County by visiting myvaccine.fl.gov or by Special to the Chronicle calling 866-201-0442; Richard “Bud” Allen during his time in southeast Asia. TTY is 833-476-1036. As part of the statewide preregistration system, Honoring Vietnam Veterans Day each county has a desig- HANNAH SACHEWICZ Col. Ebitz nated number that individ- Staff writer said, “I came uals can call and back to a sup- preregister with if they do merica observes portive com- not have internet access. Vietnam Veteran’s munity,” which Citrus County’s desig- A Day each year on consisted of nated helpline number is March 29 to honor the fellow service 833-540-2058. service and sacrifice of members and Vaccine supply remains Vietnam veterans and Col. Curt family. He ex- limited. their families. Ebitz plained that However, Vietnam veterans many soldiers returning from $2 off fair remember that they were not Vietnam did not. coupon inside always celebrated by the Amer- Gregoriou remembered how ican public as they are today. he was not warmly welcomed There’s a coupon inside For many soldiers, coming home by the public upon his re- today’s paper for $2 off a home from Vietnam meant a turn from Vietnam. Not only midway armband at the second battle on American soil. did this affect his search for Citrus County Fair on “Going home was not such a work, but older veterans would Chronicle Night, Wednes- good thing,” said Chris Grego- not welcome Vietnam veterans Special to the Chronicle day, March 31. Present riou, a retired U.S. Marine such as himself into their Chris Gregoriou visiting the wall to honor his friends who did not return from Vietnam. the coupon at the ticket Corps aviator. organizations. booth for the discount. “It affected every veteran com- On a job interview, Gregoriou that encounter. veterans because of the unrest.” The fair runs from ing home,” said Col. Curt Ebitz, recounted how a potential em- Richard “Bud” Allen, a retired Many Vietnam veterans were March 29 to April 4. It is retired U.S. Army. “Unfortunately, ployer said to him, “I’m sorry, U.S. Marine Corps helicopter left wondering what went located at 3600 S. Florida the American public at that time we’re not hiring any baby kill- electrician, said, “We were truly wrong. From the perspective of took its anti-war attitude out on Ave., Inverness. ers or war mongers today.” He not well received. Most of us hid an American soldier, they were — From staff reports the service members.” said that he will never forget the fact that we were Vietnam See VIETNAM/Page A2 POLL ONLINE POLL: Your choice? With a lack of a Local guardian ad Rosewood descendant consistent funding source to maintain roadways, should the working to create county consider litem celebrates including a 1-cent sales tax referendum on the 2022 ballot? 30 years of service national landmark A. Yes. Everyone, from regular residents to Set to propose bill visitors who use the Seeks more roadways, should chip in MARGO WILSON to pay for road repairs For the Chronicle countywide. volunteers B. No way. Why should I BUSTER For 29 years, Lizzie Polly pay more in taxes? THOMPSON Robinson Brown Jenkins, of Ar- To vote, visit www. Staff writer cher, has lived and breathed chronicleonline.com. Rosewood, trying to put to- Scroll down the home When someone gether the pieces of the puzzle page and look for the spends 30 years vol- that comprise the story of the unteering for a cause, former mostly all-black commu- poll box in the right- one may ask them, nity on the road to Cedar Key. hand column. why? Jenkins can’t stop telling this Results will appear Pamela Gary has story. She is making a commer- next Monday. Find last no problem answer- cial, set to air this month. She week’s online poll ing the question: to be convinced former U.S. Rep. Ted results./Page A3 a voice for children. S. Yoho, R-Gainesville, to intro- “I’ve been a part of duce a bill that would authorize INDEX a lot of people’s lives,” the National Park Service to Classifieds ............... B8 the Inverness resident study if Rosewood might qual- Comics .................... B7 said about her three ify as a national historic land- decades as a volun- Guardian ad Litem Program/Special to the Chronicle mark. Yoho retired in Special to the Chronicle Crossword .............. B10 teer with the Guard- Inverness resident Pamela Gary poses March 12, 2020. Now, several Florida Con- Lizzie Polly Robinson Brown Editorial ....................A6 ian ad Litem (GAL) with a plaque commemorating her 30 years of gress men and women are dis- Jenkins, outside a Gainesville Entertainment ...........A4 Program for the Flor- service as a volunteer with the Guardian ad Litem cussing who will lead the drive restaurant. Horoscope ................A4 ida Fifth Judicial Cir- Program for the Florida Fifth Judicial Circuit. to designate Rosewood a na- The whites suspected it was Lottery Numbers ...... B3 cuit, which covers from an abusive or with relatives, while tional landmark. Jenkins’ uncle after they couldn’t Lottery Payouts ........ B3 Citrus and four other neglectful household. their family’s case Rosewood was burned to the find an escapee from a chain Movies ..................... B7 area counties. It’s the mission of a plan progresses ground in 1923 when a white gang, whom they first suspected. Obituaries .................A5 A Guardian ad GAL volunteer to en- under the Florida mob took the law into its own But Jenkins’ uncle, Aaron Car- TV Listings ............... B6 Litem is appointed by sure the children in Department of hands, riled up after a white rier, had been home all night judges in dependency the cases of their Children and Fami- woman from Sumner, who was with his wife, Jenkins’ aunt, and court to advocate for choosing remain in a lies or an affiliated beaten by her white lover, falsely Rosewood teacher Mahulda children who’ve al- stable and safe envi- organization. claimed she had been sexually “Gussie” Brown Carrier. ready been removed ronment, especially See SERVICE/Page A5 assaulted by a black man. See CREATE/Page A5 A2 MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE protect the guys next to public was the Persian us,” said Gregoriou. Gulf War.” He credits it to VIETNAM “Any service member is the professionalism of the Continued from Page A1 only following the policies soldiers and added, “It of our national leader,” was such a clear victory merely doing their job. said Col. Ebitz. that it just galvanized the “The majority of us were Gregoriou explained American public very young,” said Allen. that he believes politi- support.” Gregoriou was in col- cians were running the Gregoriou agreed with lege when he began at- war, not the generals. “We this statement. He said tending the funerals of his went where they told us,” that around the time of the buddies who went to Viet- he said.