Newspaper Page Text
October 20, 2021
Page 2A
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Reporter
Wend|ell
Horne
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcnnet
The Monroe County Fire
Department will be driving
12 shiny new red fire trucks
soon at a cost of $6 million.
Monroe County commis
sioners voted 3-1 to borrow
$6 million to buy a dozen
new fire trucks on Tuesday
The vote came despite
commissioner George
Emami’s arguments against
the proposal from county
manager Jim Hedges.
Emami said that the county
already spends more per
person than the 17 other
counties of similar size in
Georgia.
“I’m not convinced this is
a good financial decision,”
said Emami. “This is a lot
of money were financing.”
Emami noted that Jones
County spends significant
ly less on fire service than
Monroe County, less than
half, yet has the same ISO
fire insurance rating. He
said Jones County has fig
ured out that most homes
that catch fire in rural areas
become a total loss. So
instead of buying new fire
trucks, they’re buying small
trucks that enable a quicker
response to focus on mak
ing sure everyone is out.
“If my home catches fire,”
said Emami, “I hope it
burns all the way down. I
don’t want to build it back
half way. I do want the lives
of my family protected
and so what they’re doing
(in Jones County) is pretty
smart.”
Emami asked fire chief
Matt Jackson point blank
if he can guarantee that
spending $6 million will
ensure the county earns a
Crowds lining up for
Forsyth s Torture Tunnel I
Go see Tommy for
your insurance needs.
estate Farm
Tommy Johnston - Agent
281 Tift College Drive • Forsyth, GA 31029
478-992-9945
Hours Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
WWW.TOMMYJOHNSTON.COM
By Steve Reece
stevereece@fcjmail.com
It’s not your typical drive-
thru car wash where you
simply drop in a few coins,
sit in your car for 3 or 4
minutes and roll on through,
hidden by soap slopped on
by a huge brush until your
car is rinsed and squirted
with liquid wax and you
emerge on the other side
into a blast of air. And then
when you pull into the vac
uum station, you get out and
notice there are still dirty
spots here and there and you
wish you had the time to
wash your car by hand.
When you drive into the
Big Peach Car Wash on
North Lee Street, it’s more
than just a wash, it’s an
experience. There’s no dig
ging in the cup holder for
change, there’s a real person
waiting for you to help you
with the payment. And then
as you slowly pull up into
the car wash, there are two
more friendly employees
waiting with soapy brushes
that make sure when you
roll out the other side, your
ride is bright and shiny. And
as your vehicle slowly rolls
through its transformation
from filthy to beautiful, you
aren’t just sitting in darkness,
you are treated to a light
show. Turn up the jams and
enjoy the ride because when
you pull out, you’re going
to be proud of what you’re
driving.
Business has been so
good at the Forsyth’s newest
car wash since the ribbon
cutting last August, that
owner Wes Cone decided
to give a little back to the
community. He told the
Reporter that there wasn’t
much to do in Forsyth on
the weekends, so he and his
team decided to turn the car
wash into a “Torture Tunnel
Haunted Car Wash” for the
Halloween season in which
costumed actors scare the
bejeezers out of visitors who
not only are terrorized, but
they also get a wash and wax
in the deal. Cone said he
never imagined that the idea
would become so popular
not only in the surrounding
area, but across the state.
Every Friday and Saturday
night since Oct. 8 the show
has been sold out. The first
night of the performance,
cars were backed up from
the old Walmart parking
lot to the Square with some
guests driving as far as four
hours away.
Twenty actors, mostly
students from Mary Persons,
are employed to dress as
clowns and other frighten
ing characters to go from car
to car performing grisly an
tics that especially scare the
kids. Cone said if your car is
unlocked or your windows
are down, they’re going in.
Some parents intentionally
leave their doors unlocked
and invite the horrors in. He
said the only issues they’ve
had are when people wet
themselves.
The Big Peach is donating
all proceeds from conces
sions to local organizations.
Students from the FBLA
(Future Business Leaders of
America) at Mary Persons
ran the concessions on the
first weekend and on last
Saturday night the MP
FFA (Future Farmers of
America) did the same and
received $1200. The students
are also receiving valuable
retail selling experience.
If you’d like to check out
the Torture Tunnel Haunted
Car Wash and drive home
afterwards in a spotless
car, your best bet to pur
chase tickets is to go their
Facebook page at www.
facebook.com/The-Torture-
Tunnel-Haunted-Car-
Wash-102167362241470.
The action will continue
every Friday and Saturday
night through the rest of
October and on Sunday,
Halloween night.
S|>oiisore4 tej
FitCo
Health Club!
FORSYTH-MON ROE
CHAMBER
The new trucks will look
like this. (Photo courtesy
MC fire chief Matt Jackson)
lower ISO fire insurance
rating, which can lower
home insurance premiums.
“I can’t,” said Jackson.
But District 1 commis
sioner Lamarcus Davis said
the county is overdue to
buy new fire trucks.
“We should have done
this 10 years ago,” said
Davis.
Davis said Jones County
doesn’t have 1-75 which
means a lot more fire calls
in Monroe County. And he
said the 6-year bumper-to-
bumper warranty on all 12
fire trucks gives the county
security.
District 3 commissioner
John Ambrose said the
cost of fire trucks is going
way up so it’s a good time
to buy.
“We can’t go wrong,” said
Ambrose.
Commissioner Eddie
Rowland was absent.
The county is buying the
trucks from HME thru
Brackett Fire Equipment
in Rockmart. The county
will finance the fire trucks
at about $600,000 per year
over 10 years for the trucks
at about 2 percent inter
est. They haven’t decided
whether to trade in their all
their old fire trucks.
11 A.M.-5 P.M.
Monroe County Fine Arts Center
Hay Ride • Face Painting
Bounce Slides
Plus Some Incredible Food!!
The Name You ve Come to Know with the Experience You Need.
County buys 12 new fire
trucks for $6 million
Join Us!!
Saturday, October 30, 2021