Friday, July 11, 2003

UNCW Community Link Features Lively Discussion on the Job Market in Wilmington and Jacksonville Daily News’ Elliot Potter

Wilmington, NC – Programming for the week of July 21, UNCW Community Link, an interactive, public affairs television show, discusses the declining job market with Wilmington City Councilman James L. Quinn and a young couple with college degrees trying to find work; and a candid discussion with Elliot Potter from the Jacksonville Daily News on a wide range of issues involving Onslow County.

Betty Ann Sanders speaks with Quinn, and Paul and Marylee Sakas and tries to get to the bottom of why there are very few jobs available to professionals in the Wilmington area. Quinn says, “Eastern North Carolina has been that way forever. Wilmington was able to be unconscious for 70 years while the railroad was here.” It provided all the jobs needed in this area, leaving no need to build and expand. “There are some things happening now that will change (the state of the local economy). There is a tax increment finance bill that the senate and house are working on and if voters pass it then the purpose of it will be to allow the city and county to take the money used for regrowth to pay debt services.”

Paul, who has a degree in aerospace engineering, works as a waiter in a local restaurant by night and bartends by day. His wife, Marylee, has a degree in business and marketing with a concentration in computer graphics, but currently works part time at Mail Boxes Etc. to make ends meet. Since Wilmington has nothing to offer someone with an aerospace engineering degree, he’s “looking for something more fulfilling than retail or sales,” and feels Wilmington “seems to discourage growth.” Marylee continues to seek work in her field through networking and marketing herself from home, but the economy isn’t prepared to pay for her services just yet.

This week H.E. “Hunter” Thompson, Jr. speaks with Elliot Potter, the Daily News’ associate publisher and executive editor, about current issues in Jacksonville. The two discussed a wide range of topics from the impact of Marines returning to Jacksonville, to the cut in funding for the local community college, to the development of the central business district. Tune in to get a first hand account of the central issues in Onslow County presently. “It is jubilant times in Jacksonville lately, everyone is thrilled to have the men and women back from the war and it will certainly impact the economy positively,” said Potter. The return of the troops will affect all areas of Onslow County, both socially and economically.

This week’s Guest Editorial segment spotlights Allen Parsons from the Wilmington Star-News. He has been a recurring guest on UNCW Community Link and returns this week to give his opinion on topics involving the Star-News and the community. To get more information, log onto www.communitylink.tv or tune in the week of July 21 on The Learning Channel to watch the show.

UNCW Community Link reaches beyond the television studio to allow citizens to sound off on compelling issues facing Southeastern North Carolina. Hosts Betty Ann Sanders and H. E. “Hunter” Thompson, Jr. engage and challenge the region’s newsmakers and opinion-shapers and then ask viewers to voice their opinions. Through collaboration with the Southeast Public Interest Network of North Carolina (www.SpinNC.org), citizens can use the latest Internet technologies to continue the dialog on show topics and community ideas.

For more information on this show’s topics please visit:



Wilmington Industrial Development

http://www.wilmingtonindustry.com/

North Carolina Department of Commerce

http://www.commerce.state.nc.us/

NC Employment Security Commission

http://www.ncesc.com/



Wilmington Star-News

http://starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

Jacksonville Daily News

http://www.jdnews.com

Brunswick County Information

http://www.brunswickcountyinformation.com



Tune into UNCW Community Link

Wilmington & Brunswick County 7:30 p.m. Mondays

4:30 p.m. Wednesdays

1:30 p.m. Thursdays

7:00 p.m. Fridays The Learning Network on Time Warner Ch 5 and Charter Communications Ch 12

Pender County 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

Government Channel 8

Carteret County/Havelock 8 p.m. Thursdays

Time Warner Channel 10

Jacksonville 7 p.m. Thursdays

Time Warner Channel 10