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OUR REGION, 1C
‘knead’ for
sweets.
Culinary
artist shares
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23,2018 | $2.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
Inland port hailed, traffic a concern
New facility off Ga. 365 expected to open in 2021
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
Area public officials and business leaders have
been glowing since the Northeast Georgia Inland Port
was officially announced by Gov. Nathan Deal at a
Dec. 3 gathering at Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport in
Gainesville.
But there are concerns about local traffic impacts.
“It’s going to help our community and our tax base,”
Gainesville-based Syfan Logistics CEO Jim Syfan said
of the port planned for 104 acres off Gateway Centre
Parkway off Ga. 365. “It will create jobs.”
However, “Ga. 365, in my opinion, is mostly satu
rated with freight during peak times right now.
When a container gets to the inland port, it has to be
taken off that train and put on a truck to go to its final
destination.”
Companies exporting goods also will be lining up at
the inland port.
At full build-out, the port will have the capacity to
handle up to 150,000 containers per year, officials have
said. The port is expected to open in 2021.
Syfan said he hopes the Georgia Department of
Transportation “gets on (traffic impacts) right away.”
“The roads need to be upgraded to be able to handle
■ Please see PORT, 4A
Kevin
Gudmestad,
safety
coordinator
at Tatsumi
International,
unloads
a storage
container on
Wednesday,
Dec. 19.
AUSTIN STEELE
The Times
No blue Christmas here
SCOn ROGERS I The Times
Elvis tribute artist Mark Pitt performs a Christmas show for seniors at the Gainesville Senior Center. Jessie McClellan got a
seat on the front row for the performance.
Echols looks to
give District 3
more of a voice
BY MEGAN REED
mreed@gainesvilletimes.com
Shelly Echols will officially start on the Hall
County Board of Commissioners in January, but
she’s been staying up to speed on the issues.
In May, she won the primary to represent Dis
trict 3, taking 71.9 percent of the vote. Because
there was no Democrat to oppose her on the bal
lot in November, she secured the position early,
giving her time to build connections and work
on bridging what she said can be a disconnect
between North and East Hall, her district, and
the rest of the county.
“I’ve made it a priority of mine now and
during my term, to attend Town Council meet
ings and City Council meetings in my district,”
Echols, a lifelong East Hall resident, said.
“There’s very few Commission meetings I
haven’t attended. ... Communication with the
mayors, or city councilmembers or managers,
just to know that, shoot me a text and call me,
let’s talk about what’s going on and see what the
two of us can come up with together. Especially
with Lula and Gillsville, there’s been some dis
connect in the past.”
She took her oath of office Friday.
Echols said she never saw herself in the polit
ical arena — she always thought her husband,
Jaemor Farms’ Drew Echols, would be the one
more likely to run for office. But when she saw
issues with county employee morale and heard
from residents who felt like county government
Local nonprofits offer seniors holiday camaraderie
BY JOSHUA SILAVENT
jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com
“There are about 56 women here,
and five guys,” Elvis said coolly and
coyly to the audience at the Senior
Life Center in Gainesville on a recent
afternoon. “But it’s Christmas, and
we’re going to making sure everyone is
involved.”
And with that introduction, Mark
Pitt, an Elvis tribute singer from Sugar
Hill, dressed in the famed white jump
suit and sparkling blue jewels of an
icon, launched into a flurry of Christ
mas renditions made famous by the
King of Rock N Roll.
From “White Christmas” to “Blue
Christmas,” Pitt gracefully made his
way around the senior center mess
hall, draping festive scarves over the
shoulders of women and men, match
ing closely the tenor, baritone and bass
pitch that one critic described as Elvis’
vocal range.
Pitt said his frequent visits to senior
centers, nursing homes and retirement
communities are a way to connect with
a generation that revered Elvis and
cherishes some bygone days.
“They lived Elvis — the real thing,”
he said.
But there’s a lot more to it than that,
as Pitt soon lets on.
“It’s not a show for me,” he said.
“They’re what it’s all about, especially
this time of year.”
Especially this time of year.
For the elderly, the senior center
is one place to find camaraderie in a
world changing so fast. And this social
izing can be important for their health.
“It means a lot because you can get
in touch with people your age,” said
Adelaide Britte, who moved to Gaines
ville to live with her son a few years ago
■ Please see SENIORS, 6A
■ Please see ECHOLS, 4A
scon ROGERS I The Times
Shelly Echols will be joining the Hall County
Board of Commissioners in January after her
victory over incumbent Scott Gibbs in the
District 3 race in May.
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Lake Lanier level: 1,070.72 feet
Full pool 1,071. Up 0.31 feet in 24 hours
Agnes Jackson, 95
John Pirkle, 77
William Sant, 81
Frankie Turner, 96
Bobby Cantrell, 65
Barbara Coggins, 76
Patsy Griffin, 64
George Harris, 67
Joshua Holland, 34
Daniel Holloway, 48
Melva Lowry, 82
Laura Ramey, 67
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