About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2018)
Parking deck to reopen Monday Businesses on square praise more parking spaces, Main Street reopening to traffic BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Finding a parking spot in down town Gainesville will get a little easier on Monday, when the first three floors of the Main Street parking deck reopen after the deck closed in September for an expansion. Main Street will also reopen to traffic, opening up a path from the square to Jesse Jewell Parkway. The deck has been closed for about two months so two new floors can be added, bringing 180 new spaces that will allow the deck to fit about 600 cars. The top three floors of the deck, as well as new restrooms on the ground floor, are expected to open in January. The closure of the deck took about 400 parking spots away from the square. The city offered a shut tle so people could park in outlying lots and get a ride into the square, but the service was shut down after about three weeks due to low rid- ership. Several businesses outside the square opened up their lots for public parking to compensate for the shortage. Local business owners said Wednesday that the closure of the deck had made it more difficult to find parking on the square, but having more parking spaces down town could only help downtown businesses. “I’m just grateful that we have loyal customers. I think in the long run, it’s going to be better for every body,” said Albert Lunalover, owner of Avocados restaurant. “I think it’s a positive thing that the city of Gainesville is doing.” Erin Demeter, a supervisor at Purchase Effect, said business had slowed down at the shop since the deck closed, and several business owners had expressed concerns about slowing traffic on the square. ■ Please see PARKING, 5A scon ROGERS I The Times Crews are preparing for the upcoming opening of Main Street and the first three floors of the deck Wednesday, Nov. 21, in downtown Gainesville. ‘We re still there’ in Afghanistan SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Members of Charlie Company set off on a two-mile run Tuesday Nov. 20, at the Gainesville high track during early morning physical training. Gainesville’s Charlie Company preps for Middle East deployment BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com For those thinking Afghanistan is off the U.S. radar, Gainesville-based Charlie Company’s commander has a simple message. “We’re still there,” said Capt. John Whitmire, a Flowery Branch native. And Charlie Company, 1-121 Army National Guard unit with the 48th Bri gade, based at 153 Alta Vista Road, will be there next year — its first deploy ment to the country since 2009-10. Soldiers will be leaving Gainesville on Monday, Nov. 26, for Fort Stewart Charlie Company What: Send-off for Army National Guard unit for final training at Fort Stewart, then eventual deployment to Afghanistan When: 10 a.m. Monday Where: 153 Alta Vista Road near Savannah to complete training for deployment. Loved ones and support ers are planning a send-off at 10 a.m. along Alta Vista Road at John W. Mor row Jr. Parkway. The unit will spend about a year as part of an effort to improve the Afghan army. U.S. forces have been involved in Afghanistan since 2001 — or after 9/11 — in what has become America’s lon gest war. Withdrawals in recent years have reduced America’s presence to about 14,000 troops As the Afghans take over militarily, “we’re taking a step back,” Whitmire said. “We’re doing advising, primar ily. We’re handing over the reins and giving them the ability (to operate) on their own.” Charlie Company soldiers have stick ers sporting the unit’s motto they plan ■ Please see CHARLIE, 4A Nonprofits, experts offer tips for giving BY JOSHUA SILAVENT jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com The holiday season is, of course, a time for giving. But with so many nonprofits and charities clawing for your attention and money, figuring out who to support, who is legitimate and how to get the most bang for your buck can be tricky. This is especially true now that Giving Tues day (Nov. 27), like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday for retailers, has become a day for nonprofits to reap the gener osity of Americans. The Better Business Bureau released a list of 12 common scams and frauds that are prevalent during the holiday season as some individuals prey on the kindness and generos ity of others. For example, the BBB warns that emails and pop-up ads offering free gift cards should raise alarm bells, while “emergency scams” claiming to be fundraising to support a family member or friend in distress are also widespread. Michelle Prater, president and CEO of the North Geor gia Community Foundation in Gainesville, which supports local nonprofits, said a good place to start when trying to deter mine whether a charity spends its donations responsibly is using the online tools provided by Guidestar and Charity Navigator. The search functions on these websites allows views to “ensure that the nonprofit has 501(c)3 status and that they are in good standing” with the Internal Revenue Service. “That’s absolutely something you want to do, especially in a world where there are so many nonprofits,” Prater said. It will also provide information about how much a charity spends on its purported mis sion versus how much it spends on overhead, ■ Please see GIVING, 4A INSIDE WEATHER 2A DEATHS 2C 0 40901 06825 Advice 2E Business 1D Calendar 2A Classified 1F Comics Inside Kitchen 2C Life 1E Lottery 2A Opinion 2D Our Region 1C Sports 1B Viewpoint 3D Lake Lanier level: 1,070.47 feet Full pool 1,071. Down 0.03 feet in 24 hours Roy Gabrels, 77 Mary Loggins, 97 Henry Rue, 49 Virginia Butler, 68 Rickey Jenkins, 66 Shineea McDonald, 38 James Munday, 71 Mirna Palacios-Garcia, 44 Shirley Satterfield, 82 Tommy Smith, 59 ■I i 1 We're all grown up. \ m NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL FORSYTH WOMEN’S CENTER Celebrating 10 years of delivering precious gifts
