🌱 Will $3 million in state funds really ease Gainesville’s housing crunch?

Good morning Gainesville! Your connection to what's happening around town is here. Take a sip of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Will $3 million in state funds really ease Gainesville’s housing crunch?
• Where can you play pickleball around Gainesville this week?
• How Gainesville’s trash tour reveals what really happens to your garbage

Friendly reminder: know of a great event coming up in Gainesville or nearby? Post it to the Gainesville calendar! Did you know it's free to post locally? It's also inexpensive to share to nearby towns. 📅

Today's riddle: How do billboards talk ? 🤔 (Answer below!)

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Weather forecast:

• Thursday: An afternoon shower or two, with a high of 86 and low of 62 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
• Friday: An afternoon thunderstorm, temps: high: 86, low: 60.
• Saturday: Partly sunny, a shower or two, with a high of 86 and low of 59 degrees.

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📰 News we're reading

1. Gainesville is eyeing $3 million in state housing funds. Experts say it's not enough. - The Independent Florida Alligator (alligator.org) — Gainesville may receive about $3 million in state housing funds over the next three years, but city staff say that’s far short of what’s needed to clear a growing waitlist. The money would support down payment help, home repairs and foreclosure prevention, with a 2026–2029 housing plan awaiting City Commission approval and SHIP allocations later this spring.
   

2. Dink, dink: 12 public pickleball courts located in Alachua County (mainstreetdailynews.com) — Pickleball players in Gainesville now have a handy guide to 12 public court locations across Alachua County, from Abby Wambach and Tom Petty parks to indoor courts at Celebration Pointe. The article breaks down hours, costs, amenities, lessons, and special events so you can find the right spot to play, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned dink specialist.
   

3. Zero Waste Week shows residents where Alachua County's trash goes (wuft.org) — Gainesville and Alachua County residents can tour the Leveda Brown Transfer Station this week during Zero Waste Gainesville’s annual Zero Waste Week, learning exactly where their trash and hazardous waste go. The facility processes hundreds of tons daily, offers free paint and mulch, safely handles batteries and cooking oil, and runs one of the region’s only household hazardous waste centers with regular drop-off hours and arrangeable tours.
   

4. ‘He knows what I'm good at' — Gators WR Eric Singleton Jr. expands on returning to college and why he chose Florida (atozsports.com) — Florida Gators wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. explains why he chose to continue his college career in Gainesville, highlighting the camaraderie around UF’s program and his trust in the coaching staff. Practicing at Sanders Practice Fields, he says his relationship with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and position coach Marcus Davis made Florida an easy decision and could boost his NFL future.
   

5. An Abiding Slow Burn Within (localnewspasadena.com) — Two longtime Pasadena theater leaders trace their relationship back to meeting as theater majors at the University of Florida in Gainesville around 1980. Their decades-long partnership grew from college romance to co-founding the acclaimed A Noise Within company, where they continue collaborating on classic plays and planning new adventures together.
   

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📸 Around Gainesville

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Gainesville

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Tuesday April 7

• Tot Trot: Flowers
  Natural Area Park , Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
  9:00 am

Wednesday April 8

• Pop-up Gift Shop: Gator Market
  Reitz Union North Lawn
  10:00 am

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📣 Gainesville Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday April 2

• Story Time
  Micanopy Branch - Dance Hall
  11:00 am
• Poetry Creation Station
  Archer Branch - Teen Room
  11:00 am
• Community Resource Navigator
  Alachua Branch - Alachua Branch -
  11:00 am
• ArtSpace: Paint and Pencil Series
  Waldo Branch - ARTspace
  4:00 pm

Friday April 3

• Micanopy Craft 'n' Quilt
  Micanopy Branch - Dance Hall
  10:00 am

Saturday April 4

• Lake Santa Fe Florida Swarm
  The Boathouse at Lake Santa Fe Harbor , 21101 NE 100th Ave , Earleton
  9:00 am
• Sketchbook Sanctuary
  Archer Branch - CreateSpace
  11:00 am
• National Poetry Month: Blackout Poetry
  Micanopy Branch - Dance Hall
  2:00 pm

Tuesday April 7

• KHAA Meeting — The City of Keystone Heights
  Keystone Heights Airport - 42J , 7150 Airport Rd , Starke
  6:00 pm

Friday April 17

• Class 2A District 4 Track Meet
  Keystone Heights High School , 900 Orchid Ave , Keystone Heights
  11:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Hidden In Plain Sight...
  I walk past this yard once, sometimes twice a day while walking the Big White Dog. Absolutely nothing of special interest there. Or so I thought… (Nextdoor Valwood)
• I want to share something that just happened to me so others don’t fall into the same trap.
  I listed my car on Facebook Marketplace, and I started getting messages from what looked like real buyers. They were polite, asked normal questions,… (Nextdoor Hazel Heights)

• Chick-fil-A posted a job opening for Back of House Team Member in Gainesville. Apply here.
• Pizza Hut posted a job opening for Team Member/Production in Gainesville. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Gainesville here.

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Ok Gainesville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Sign language! (Thank you Gary M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

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