Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A
^Reporter
May 11, 2022
City moving July 4 fireworks
show to downtown Forsyth
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Forsyth is moving its In
dependence Day fireworks
celebration to downtown
Forsyth this year. After
the fireworks company,
Forsyth Main Street/
Downtown Development
Authority (DDA) and the
Forsyth Fire Department
evaluated several possible
sites, city council approved
the recommendation of a
location near the Forsyth
Public Safety Complex.
The fireworks show will
be on Saturday, July 2 and
will begin about 9 p.m.,
after dark. Forsyth usu
ally holds its fireworks
show on July 3, but Main
Street/DDA director Frank
Wilder said that with July
4th coming on Monday
this year, the Main Street/
DDA board decided that
Saturday night would
attract more participa
tion than Sunday. He said
that offering the fireworks
display on a different night
from shows in surround
ing cities lets people come
to more than one show
instead of having to choose.
Council approved closing
roads around the area from
which the fireworks will be
launched at its May 2 meet
ing, including portions
of Chambers, Kimbell,
Harris, Main, Plum and
Newton Memorial streets.
City manager Janice Hall
said parking lots at United
Bank, city hall and the
public safety complex will
also need to be closed.
Wilder said the city has
contracted with Pyro Pro
ductions, Inc. to produce
the fireworks
show; this is the
same company the
city has hired for
several years. He
said the fireworks
will be launched
from the vacant
lot across from the
public safety cen
ter; roads in a cir
cular radius around
the launch site will
be closed. He said
the closures will be
during the launch
of fireworks, and
roads will be re
opened as soon as
all danger of fallout
from fireworks is
over.
Wilder said peo
ple can think of the
traditional route
for the Hometown
Holidays Christmas parade
as a guideline for choos
ing good vantage points to
view the fireworks, which
will reach about 300 feet
into the sky. He said the
fireworks should be visible
from downtown.
Hall said Forsyth Main
Street/DDA asked that the
fireworks show move from
the Monroe County Rec
reation Complex, where it
has been held for several
years, to downtown For
syth since it is a city event
and should bring people to
Forsyth. Although Forsyth
has annexed the Recreation
complex, having the event
there didn’t promote the
Forsyth business or shop
ping district.
Council member Greg
Goolsby, who is council’s
appointee to the Main
Street/DDA, asked if a
This is an artists rendering of fireworks over
the courthouse by acclaimed local photogra
pher Jim Barber. But it appears it will be a
reality this July 4 holiday.
concert on the square is
planned for the evening of
the fireworks. Hall said she
didn’t know but that coun
cil could include that in its
motion to close the streets
and that the city can adjust
the Main Street budget to
cover a concert if necessary.
The motion was adjusted
accordingly and approved.
Wilder has contracted
with Atlanta’s Contagious
Band to provide musical
entertainment for the July
2 crowd in Forsyth. He said
the versatile party band will
perform about half of its
show before the fireworks
and then take to the stage
again to capture the energy
of the fireworks and the
holiday to keep the crowd
dancing and enjoying the
evening.
Wilder described Con
tagious as a high energy
band with skilled musi
cians who do “a little
bit of everything.”
Main Street will
have 13 tables &
chairs available for
people to rent for
the evening. Wilder
waited for the new
fireworks location to
be approved before
formulating plans for
vendors during the
evening. Those plans
will be announced
after the board has
discussed them and
the response from
possible vendors is
evaluated.
Wilder said he feels
the Independence
Day celebration re
ally brings something
to the city. He said
it creates a sense of
unity and pride in
the city.
“We come together to
look at a beautiful display^’
he said. “It’s wonderful for
kids; it makes memories.
It’s a wonderful feeling to
give to the community’
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When it comes to serving Monroe County's kids
Greg Head Doesn’t just Talk the Talk
He Walks the Walk
1. Donates his BOE salary to Mary Persons
vocational programs, FFA
2. Holds a “signing day” to welcome
Mary Persons seniors whom he hires
3. Volunteers in local schools
K.B. Sutton With Dr. Seuss
Head donates school
board salary to FFA
fleers and leadership. District 5 on Monroe County Board of
to the construction PfOgw*back his BOE salary and to
^rtSS^inMonroeCounty.
MP senior gets different kind of signing day
Celebrate reading at
CatintheHatJhmgs
land 2, makether
annual appearance
i - style of Ulus-
BY TINA. KIGOLE ^ children's books
K. B. Sutton “S* told in rhyme-
fog motivation Program of green eggs
sponsored by a nd ham, mormn
National Education questio n e w.
Association, and ur socfc . an d m:
SeW birtWay dothes ,toa
off a week of ®£‘" rea d- Cat in the H
schools to cel ®^f nto KBS stride
rAsiWxs,. ■••
By Diane Glidewell
Dylan Fountain has a
clear plan for the next
step after graduation from
Mary Persons. It doesn’t
involve college, but it does
include a lot of learning.
And instead of figuring
out how to pay for his
education, Fountain will
be bringing home a com
fortable paycheck.
On May 6 Fountain
signed a commitment to
work for Head Heating &
Air for the next two years.
He is committing to work
full time and in return will
receive a $2 per hour in
crease in pay. Greg Head,
owner of Head Heating
& Air, said Fountain
will likely complete his
refrigeration certificate
with the first year of his
employment.
Fountain, the son of
Tracy Myers and Randall
Fountain, has been work
ing part time for Head
Heating & Air for about
six months under Mary
Persons Work-Based
Learning program, a
component of the school’s
Career.Technical and
Agricultural Education
(CTAE).
“He has been working
hard, doing an exceptional
job and learning quickly,”
said Head.
Head said that upon
signing the commitment.
Fountain will receive
about $1,000 worth of
See SIGNING • Page 5A
2020 Mary Persons grai
lor Head Heating & Air .
Fountain; Fountain; Fount
■ to right, a
rs; Greg H(
Caf in the Hat is back
the Hat falsn
Cat in Hat visits
county library
The Cat in the Hat showed up to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birth
day at a party at the Monroe County Library on Thursday.
The attendees played games, ate cake and listened atten
tively as the Cat in the Hat read to them. Monroe County Li
brary director Debbie Melton said there were more young
children present before the Reporter arrived but several left
early because they were afraid of the Cat in the Hat. (Pho
to/Richard Dumas)
The Cat in the Hat (also
Jnown as local busing.
~Bo ar d 0 f E d U c a .
hot! member Greg Head)
*PPfd by the RejUf
“h the reminder that
2,s National Read
Across America Day and
S^h^of Moved
childrens author Dr. Seuss
Head has transformed into
the zany Cat in the Hat for
it feast the last six yeare
to read with children a(
local home school groups
schools and day care P ’
centers.
■ “»jftfim;Ienfeydo-
Joura h e explained, and of
course inspiring cbj,^
to^^orth whatever
4. Pushes BOE to keep promise on building career academy
Head said he always gets
••great reception froJ„ 8
thechtldren, and , he or*
problem is keeping them
from pulling his tad. Head
has sometimes been seen
VOTE GREG HEAD!
The conservative voice on the BOE!
GREG HEAD
The courage to fight. The wisdom to succeed.
VOTE HEAD ON MAY 24.
Monroe County BOE • District 3
accompanied by Thing,
Hung2,H lln g jiBlil f
f.Thing Sand Things
Michelle, and
children) and said he
might stop by Mary
Persons to see the two ’
things there to see how
-hyhecouldembarrass
DMBOE drop ball on Career Academy
Kn mm
“Its a huge failure on our part"
Thais vehaf Monroe County
school board member Greg Head
said about Monroe Counqfschool
administrators m' ’
the Reporter.
"tittle did ive
know that the
superintendent
decided this
was not a good
deadline “ ""“"'g a May year to start
ueacUrne to apply for $3 milUon a „ academy.
i bS i a<l b£C '’ added t0 ,he 1 S uess other
^ ,ast WW with the ex- priorities came
Career AcadTm * "* Co,lege and Forsyth and
° ickey (R -
Mon!^ r . repreSCn,S SOu,he ™ <>“" Planning Com,* ond ‘~ ara "
tairman of
e appropriations kge and Career
sssksjST
“We have been
for several years,"
budget for an additional third ? piercseame WetheH'TiT " -umounced last week three
sSessssb* jesseS-ss. S2&53CI.
awarded the money instead
See ACADEi