FORNEY, Texas — Cotton farms, cotton gins and an iconic statue of a jackrabbit – the school mascot – used to define Forney, Texas.
Just a couple of decades ago, there was not much else around.
It’s still not a major metropolis, but Forney is a fast-growing Dallas suburb. Its population is about five times as large as it was 20 years ago, and it’s predicted to double again in the next seven to ten years.
So, it’s fitting that they have sky-high aspirations for New Year’s Eve.
“Yeah if we’re going to do something in Forney, it’s going to be done right,” said Tony Carson Jr., Forney’s city manager.
On the Monday before Christmas Eve, a team of city employees and contractors hoisted a 100-pound aluminum ball to the roof of city hall and carefully constructed 30 feet of scaffolding around it.
December 31, at one minute before midnight, that ball will start dropping from 60 feet above street level.
It will reach the roof at 12:00 a.m. on January 1 and downtown Forney will erupt.
“It’ll be a little bit like you’re at Times Square, but here in Texas,” Carson said. “A little more manageable crowd, but we’re expecting some big numbers.”
The city is shutting down streets and bringing in food trucks and a DJ for this free inaugural event.
“I grew up here and I remember when it was all cotton fields,” said Curtis Mathis, owner of Two Timbers Construction. His company worked closely with the city to design and build the rooftop ball drop. “To go from cotton fields to this is pretty amazing!”
Installation of the ball should be complete this week.
If you're interested in going, the event runs from 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. right outside Forney City Hall.
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