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The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | Sunday, February 24, 2013
Park
Continued from 14 and memorials. The Rock Creek Veterans Park in downtown Gainesville is a point of pride for veterans in the community. A new memorial has recently been added to the site honoring Hall County men who lost their lives in the Korean War. The Vietnam Veterans memorial is located in the same park. “I think it’s wonderful, we recently added the Korean War veterans monument and we’re hoping to add an archway with flower beds on either side,” said Paul Scroggs. “We’d like to get some Korean Children involved with the park to learn about the war as well.” The Poultry Park is home to a monument that honors the local poultry industry and what is conceived by many as the city’s mascot, the chicken. The park has a monument of the bird with benches surrounding it. The monument is adjacent to Jesse Jewell Parkway, a street named after a pioneer of the chicken industry, which brings billions in revenue to Georgia each year. The Engine 209 Park in downtown Gainesville features a retired coal car and red caboose. The engine was reportedly made for a Russian czar, but the order was canceled due
Scott Rogers | Welcome
Brittany Dyer, right, and Hannah Countiss contort themselves while playing a video game on an Xbox 360 inside the North Hall Community and Technology Center.
to the 1917 Russian Revolution. It went on to be used by the Gainesville Midland Railroad until being retired in 1959. The train is located near the old train depot and is surrounded by gardens and benches.
Community centers Gainesville and Hall County have community centers throughout the area that provide various activities for members and visitors. The Frances Meadows Community Center
in Gainesville has indoor pools, gyms, event areas and an outdoor pool area called the Splash Zone. The center also offers weekly fitness classes to members. Hall County has a series of community centers in East Hall, South Hall and North Hall. The North Hall Park is the newest and opened just last year. The center includes a fitness center, basketball courts, an indoor walking track, a game room and showers. “I love it because of its location in the North Hall area. If I can’t get out to the gym, it’s a go-to place just to walk around and exercise,” said Roxanne Kennon, a North Hall resident. The facility also has a technology center that includes a coffee shop, help desk, private study rooms as well as meeting rooms and game rooms for children and teens. The technology center is a part of the Hall County Library System. In the future, new additions to the park may include hiking/bicycling trails, a recreational lawn, sports fields and more, according to the park system’s website. Other community centers in Hall include the Mulberry Creek Community Center in Flowery Branch and the East Hall Community Center. Mulberry includes gyms, walking tracks and meeting rooms along with a dog park and playground. East Hall has two gyms with fitness equipment.