“We would not put an unsafe fire truck on the road,” he stressed. Poindexter has said that the Mount Airy Fire Department has a mostly aging fleet, including two 1995 Sutphen fire trucks and a 2000 American LaFrance.īut then-City Manager Barbara Jones said last year when outlining the needs that the public shouldn’t think the existing fire trucks are unreliable in emergencies, with which the fire chief agreed. The lender was identified as REV Financial Services.įire Chief Zane Poindexter said the new truck is undergoing finishing touches in Denver and will be delivered to Mount Airy in February. 1 and continue on the same date for the ensuing decade - with the interest cost totaling $69,740. The money is to be loaned at a fixed rate of 2.31%, with the first payment to occur next Oct. Under the loan agreement, the city government will borrow the $561,720 for a period of 10 years for the purchase of a 2022-model engine from Atlantic Coast Fire Trucks in Denver, a community in Lincoln County. The board had decided in January of last year to rely on that option with the arrival of the vehicle still months away, which Lewis said Thursday will aid Mount Airy’s cash-flow situation. “It is our (staff) recommendation this is the best thing for the city,” Interim City Manager Darren Lewis said Thursday night when the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners approved a borrowing plan for the fire truck. The society is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations.įor more information about Phi Theta Kappa and their projects, contact Fowler at 33 or and Kayla Forrest at 33 or Follow the local chapter on Facebook or go to City borrowing money for new fire truckĭespite having a hefty surplus, or fund balance, on hand, Mount Airy officials are taking the loan route to acquire a new fire engine for the city costing $561,720.īut that’s not the whole story with the fund balance, based on the fact the municipality has identified $11.6 million in such big-ticket items, or capital needs, which are looming over the next few years and could pretty much wipe out those savings. Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. Since education is key to helping these children escape the cycle of poverty and exploitation, our project is helping to turn the horrendous inheritance of child labor into a legacy of hope.” With well-nourished bodies and minds, these children will be healthier and more successful in school. Where once these children were given one meal a day as the wages of their back-breaking labor in the quarries, they will now have three meals a day prepared in their newly repaired kitchen and served in their safe, leak-free dining hall. Kathleen Fowler says, “Through our project, we learned that our informed actions can have a positive impact, helping victims of human trafficking escape the cycle of poverty and exploitation, and providing them with a safe place to learn and grow. Surry Community College’s PTK Chapter Advisor Dr. This included a Labor Day Yard Sale, where unsold items were donated to Hope House Thrift Store, an Autumn Beauty Basket Raffle, and donations from Desireé Blakley and the James Hunter Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Additionally, they also held their own fundraisers. PTK members were awarded a $1,000 Honors in Action grant to help with their efforts. The orphanage needed repairs, and this money has gone toward fixing the roof, dining hall, kitchen, plumbing and electricity. The orphanage houses children rescued from slavery in rock quarries in Ghana, while also providing them access to health care and education. Over the summer and fall, the society chapter raised $3,065 in money and donated items for Hope Chapel Orphanage. This was the result of efforts for the chapter’s Honors In Action Project for the year. The Alpha Xi Tau Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Society at Surry Community College raised more than $3,000 for Hope Chapel Orphanage in Ghana.