2008
12.14
Tri-City Herald
The North Franklin School District thought it was getting out in front when it settled its school calendar for next year early.
Unfortunately, there was an unintended consequence. The district ran right into the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo. Anyone who thinks this is a trivial matter is wrong.
Fairs, like schools, are important business.
The district set school to start Aug. 25, the same day the fair opens. Since so many North Franklin students participate in the fair, and many work as hard on their animals and exhibits as on their school work, this was a big problem.
The North Franklin district serves Connell, Eltopia, Mesa, Basin City and lots of real estate in between.
The school district and its teachers union set the dates last winter.
Now North Franklin Superintendent Gregg Taylor told the Herald’s Franny White that the district will have to consider changing it.
“We have a significant number of students that do FFA and 4-H,” Taylor said. “It would be a real hard challenge to start school without those kids being there.”
Moving the fair dates is not an option. They are allocated by the state Department of Agriculture years in advance following a rigid schedule. The fair will be Aug. 25-29 next year. As always, it will end on the weekend before Labor Day weekend.
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2008
12.12
WakeMyNC
Powers Great American Midways will operate the carnival rides and games at the 2009 N.C. State Fair, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced.
Troxler said he and State Fair management chose to offer the contract to Powers for 2009 based on the company’s performance at the past three State Fairs, as well as the financial benefit to the state. State regulations allow the State Fair to enter into a one-year contract with a carnival company without taking bids.
“We’ve got a carnival contract that’s as good as, or better than, any state fair in the country,” Troxler said.
State Fair Manager Wesley Wyatt and Les Powers, president of Powers Great American Midways, signed the contract today (Dec. 11).
The Pender County-based company will pay the state $5.50 for each person who buys an admission ticket to the 2009 State Fair, the same base rate as this year. The contract will again include a provision that allows Powers to lower its payment 20 cents per person by bringing in two rides that are not more than 24 months old and have never played the N.C. State Fair before. The company qualified for the discount this year by bringing in several new rides, including the Mind Blaster and Vortex.
The N.C. State Fair is a self-supporting entity that does not rely on legislative appropriations to operate. The State Fair uses the carnival company’s payment and other revenues for fairgrounds operations and improvements.
The 2009 State Fair will take place Oct. 15-25.
2008
12.10
MarionStar
REYNOLDSBURG — Ohioans can start planning visits to fairs for the 2009 season with information released by the Ohio Department of Agriculturelisting the official dates for Ohio’s 94 county and independent fairs and the Ohio State Fair.
The Paulding County Fair will kick off the 2009 fairs on June 16, and the season will conclude Oct. 17 with the Fairfield County Fair. Link to the complete list of state fairs at the right.
Local fair dates are Marion County, June 29-July 4; Morrow County, Aug 31-Sept 7; Wyandot County, Sept 15-20; Hardin County, Sept 8-13; Delaware County, Sept 19-26 and Crawford County, July 18-25.
In addition to setting and approving the dates for the independent and county fairs, the department is also responsible for helping to assure the safety of fair amusement rides, for monitoring livestock shows to help assure honest competition, and for coordinating animal health efforts with designated local veterinarians.
2008
12.09
North Dakota State Fair Blog
Last week Governor Hoeven released his budget , within it he supported the North Dakota State Fair by allocating $17 million for the construction of a new Grandstand facility. The current grandstand is home to the Fair’s concerts and motor events’ it also hosts fans for the Nodak Speedway races. Growing demand and a deteriorating infrastructure has presented many maintenance challenges. Therefore the State Fair Board is looking to build a new grandstand facility. A new grandstand for the State Fair is critical in maintaining the numbers necessary for future success and growth. For this reason, strong, vocal support for a new grandstand must come from all fairgoers. A new grandstand facility will attract more premiere events, better accommodate spectators and provide for a better overall experience. Help us bring a new grandstand to the North Dakota State Fair by contacting your legislators!
2008
12.09
By JAY HUGHES – SUN HERALD
PASCAGOULA — This year’s Jackson County Blue Ribbon Fair was financially the second-most successful of the past 10 events, according to a report presented to the county Board of Supervisors on Monday.
Fair board member Alan Smith told supervisors this year’s fair took in $169,517.06 and showed a profit, after expenses, of $82,710.06. Only the 2007 fair, with $165,253.31 in revenue and a profit of $84,012.23, posted higher results since 1998 – an 11-year period during which no fair was held in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina.
In other action:
• Supervisors agreed to consider a four-day work week for county employees. Board President John McKay said the idea was floated several years ago, and has been brought up again due to high gas prices in recent months. County department heads were asked to submit, by the third week of January, plans for how they would take care of all their duties with longer hours but fewer days.
• The board approved a final payment of $26,908.36 to Standard Roofing USA for roof renovations at the Jackson County Adult Detention Center, finishing payments on a $269,083.75 contract.
• Supervisors agreed to hire Compton Engineering to oversee interior and exterior renovations of the county’s Jefferson Street Complex for $69,000, a fraction under 7 percent of the estimated $806,000 project cost.
