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Barrow News-Journal
Barrow County News Est. 1893 • Barrow Journal Est. 2008
20 Pages, 2 Sections, Plus Preprints
A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Winder, Barrow County, Georgia
Merged August 2016
$1.00 Copy Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Spooktacular 2023
Winder and the Chocolate Factory
Photos courtesy of the City of Winder
This year’s “Winder and the Chocolate Factory” themed
Spooktacular event Friday drew thousands of trick-or-
treaters to downtown Winder
A costume contest was one of the evening’s highlights with
winners for best couple’s costume, best family costume and
more.
Families enjoyed hayrides, inllatables, a live DJ, food
trucks and more at one of Winder’s biggest events of the
year.
Winder city councilmembers Kobi Kilgore, Stephanie Britt
and Sonny Morris greet and pass out candy to trick-or-treat -
ers.
BOC
increases
sewer
capacity
fees at
Mulberry
River plant
By Morgan Ervin
The Barrow County Board
of Commissioners amended
its FY2024 water and waste-
water rates during its Oct. 24
meeting. The revisions cen
tered around the Mulberry
River Wastewater Treatment
Plant rate schedule, specifi
cally the sewer capacity fees
for new connections served
by this treatment plant in
Braselton.
The county’s rate increase
is a response to Braselton’s
rate increases last month
and aligns with the expenses
incurred by the county as a
consequence.
Capacity fees recuperate
the costs associated with ex
panding capacity to accom
modate new developments.
In the original FY2024
plan, this fee was set at
$21 per gallon, equating to
See BOC, page 2A
MAILING LABEL
The ‘fun puzzle phase 9
Winder welcomes Fuzzle Phase escape rooms
A new escape room business is mak
ing its mark in the heart of Winder, of
fering a unique blend of mystery, adven
ture and family-friendly entertainment
to the community.
Co-owned by Carrie Lane and her
mother, JoLynn Lund, Fuzzle Phase
opened its doors in July 2023 and has
quickly become a beloved local attrac
tion that’s engaging for both the young
and the young at heart.
The name “Fuzzle” is a fusion of
“fun” and “puzzle” and represents what
the co-owners are all about: “We’re in
the fun puzzle phase of our lives,” said
Lane.
The journey of Fuzzle Phase began
during the pandemic when Lane and
Lund saw the escape room industry suf
fer as many businesses were forced to
shut down. However, instead of allow
ing the circumstances to dampen their
spirits, the duo saw an opportunity to
create something truly special and intro
duced a unique new concept — mobile
escape rooms.
By going mobile, Lane and Lund offer
both indoor and outdoor setups, mak
ing it possible to enjoy escape rooms at
homes, campsites, parks or businesses
for team-building exercises.
After a year of successful mobile
escape room experiences, the duo no
ticed a residential property converted
into a commercial space up for lease in
Winder. “It was an instant love affair,”
said Lane, who affectionately refers to
the property as “Blue,” due to its exte
rior paint color. The decision to open a
brick-and-mortar escape room quickly
became clear and the business opened
its doors in July 2023.
Fuzzle Phase specializes in live mys
tery-solving games, designed to pro
mote collaboration, creativity and criti
cal thinking among participants.
Whether it’s a birthday celebration or a
team-building activity, its escape rooms
offer the perfect setting for groups to
work together to piece together puzzles
and unlock hidden clues.
One aspect that makes Fuzzle Phase
truly stand out from other escape rooms
is its commitment to continually change
its rooms to provide frequent and fresh
adventures to the community.
“We do this because while we are
grateful for tourists, we love our com
munity and want them to have fun new
experiences with us often,” said Lane.
At Fuzzle Phase, guests have the
choice of four distinct rooms, each with
Fuzzle Phase is located at 199 E. Broad St-
just off Hwy. 211 and Hwy. 82 across from Re
gions Bank in Winder.
Each escape room is meticulously designed
to fully immerse participants in the experi
ence, which is filled with mysteries, puzzles,
surprises, hints and challenges that lead to
successfully escaping the room.
its own unique storyline: “Conflicted,”
“The Dinner Guest,” “Siren’s Revenge”
and “Seaside Retreat.” Each of the ad
ventures offered at Fuzzle Phase is suit
able for everyone “from 8 to 108,” said
Lane.
Fuzzle Phase’s mission extends be
yond mere entertainment. Lane and
Lund also value community engagement
and hope to attract local schools by of
fering mobile escape room experiences
that promote critical thinking, cooper
ation, teamwork, and problem-solving
among students. With adventures that
are tailor-made for students, Fuzzle
Phase is the ideal destination for field
trips, offering a unique approach to
learning that’s both fun and educational.
“We are here to revolutionize the way
students learn and grow,” reads the com
pany website.
Since opening its doors, visitors have
praised the business’s family-friendly
approach and some have even become
repeat customers.
With this new business venture in
Winder, Lane and Lund aim to revolu
tionize the way people learn and have
fun and welcome everyone who walks
through the doors at Fuzzle Phase to join
them in the “fun puzzle phase of life.”
Fort Yargo State Park
beach area closed for
extensive renovations
Fort Yargo State Park’s
day use area, which in
cludes the beach, beach
pavilion, picnic shelters
and mini golf course,
will close for renova
tions beginning Nov. 1
with a tentative reopen
ing set for mid-summer
2025.
Plans include expand
ing the beach, modern
ized facilities, improved
restrooms, showers, ad
ditional parking, con
cessions and a splash
pad.
All boat rentals will
halt until the project’s
completion. However,
visitors may still bring
their own kayaks or Jon
boats and launch them
in the dock area.
Diversions in the trail
Credit: Fort Yargo State Park
Planned renovations include
expanding the beach, mod
ernized facilities, improved
restrooms, showers, addi
tional parking, concessions
and a splash pad.
system will be imple
mented to ensure visi
tors can continue to use
the park during the ren
ovations.
The playground and
picnic tables in other
areas of the park will
remain open for visitors
during the renovations.
WINDER MAN GROWS
COLOSSAL WATERMELON
The green thumb of Clyde Nichols, 84, of Wind
er, stunned his neighbors this summer when he
harvested a 45-pound watermelon on Aug.
12, which he grew outside of his apartment on
Richardson Street.
Nightly lane closure
of westbound ramp
on SR 316 begins
Georgia Department of
Transportation (GDOT)
and contractor G.P. En
terprises will conduct
nightly right lane and
shoulder closure of the
westbound ramp of SR
316 beginning at Har
rison Mill through the
new signal on SR 11.
Traffic will be allowed
to merge back to SR 316
on the new off-ramp.
The purpose of the clo
sure is to raise the new
roadway to meet the
connection. The nightly
closure will have flag
gers and police officers
on SR 11 to facilitate
trucks hauling dirt to
cross to the westbound
side of the new roadway
connection.
The nightly lane re
strictions began Monday
evening, Oct. 30, and
will continue through
Friday, Dec. 29, weather
permitting
Single lane closures
are allowed between the
hours of:
• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
and 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
Monday-Thursday.
• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
Friday and 8 p.m. Fri
day to 8 a.m. Saturday
• 9 p.m. Saturday to
9 a.m. Sunday
• 9 p.m. Sunday to
5:30 a.m. Monday
Delays are anticipat
ed. Consider alternate
routes.
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