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The director of the Michigan State Fair quit his job Friday to protest Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s decision to end state support for the 160-year-old event.

Steve Jenkins, 55, said he would become an advocate for saving the fair and preserving the fairgrounds at 8 Mile and Woodward in Detroit.

“I didn’t feel I could do that and criticize the governor as one of her appointees,” said Jenkins, who was named fair director in 2007.

He said he hoped to convince the Legislature that the fair, which has required about $3 million in state assistance over the past six years, including $350,000 last year, has generated $31 million over the same time in jobs, contracts and economic activity.

Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said the state has to make cuts in these difficult economic times.

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN | The Tampa Tribune

PLANT CITY – A small army of volunteers and vendors put the finishing touches today on the Florida Strawberry Festival grounds.

Thursday at 10 a.m., the show begins.

Trish Qualls puts out stuffed animal prizes around her Fire Fly Water Race booth at the Florida Strawberry Festival. - Tribune photo by JIM REED

Festival General Manager Paul Davis said everyone has been working hard to get the festival grounds ready for another successful 11-day run.

“The Florida Strawberry Festival is family entertainment where patrons get tremendous value for their entertainment dollar,” Davis said. “We are looking for this year to be a great year at the festival.”

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Source
Please read the notice below and the proposed rules changes. Contact the FAA office with your concerns.

Notice of Development of Rulemaking

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES
Division of Standards
RULE NO: RULE TITLE
5F-8.0011: Standards Adopted
5F-8.0012: Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection Forms
5F-8.009: Inspections by Owner or Manager
5F-8.0125: Fencing and Gate Standards
5F-8.0126: Minor Rule Violations; Notice of Non-Compliance
5F-8.0127: Enforcement Actions and Administrative Penalties
5F-8.0128: Resolution of Violations, Settlement, and Additional Enforcement Remedies
5F-8.014: Training of Managers, Attendants, and Maintenance Persons
5F-8.015: Regulation of Go-Karts and Similar Vehicles
5F-8.016: Regulation of Water Parks
5F-8.025: Regulation of Bungy Operations
5F-8.050: Games

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By Alex Tiegen – TC Palm

STUART — The Martin County Fair ended Saturday with the cracking of cattle whips and the guitar and accordion melodies of Latin music, two icons of Martin County’s past culture and present diversity.

Guy Kitchens/Correspondent From left, Martavious Rogers, and Bradlee Parks soar in the sky while riding a ride during the Martin County Fair.

And as the 50th celebration of Martin County’s agricultural heritage wrapped up Saturday, organizers expressed satisfaction that more guests attended this year than last year. The president of the Martin County Fair Association estimated attendance was up 20 percent or more, despite the bad economy

“I believe people are thinking they should just go out and have a good time, regardless,” said Roy Rochester, president of the fair association, the nonprofit that raise money for and organizes the event.

Carl Begeman, treasurer of the fair association, said he was pleased at the high turnout, despite the bad economy.

“I was kind of worried myself, but it’s worked out in our benefit,” he said.

Begeman said he thinks patrons chose not to go to the large theme parks this year and used the money for the fair instead.

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By Mark Zaloudek – HeraldTribune.Com

SARASOTA – As a member of one of the most celebrated circus families in the United States, Belmonte Cristiani dazzled audiences worldwide with his acrobatic feats on horseback.

Belmonte Cristiani in 1941. He performed with his siblings from childhood until 1962. He was proud of the Cristiani Bros. Circus becoming the first nationally touring circus to perform in Alaska in 1954, his daughter said. He later manufactured carnival rides.

Even though he performed with his nine siblings as The Cristiani Troupe, Belmonte Cristiani, who died Feb. 6 in Sarasota at 91, frequently stood out for his athleticism.

In one act, known as the “Triple Backward Suicide Somersault,” Cristiani and one of his brothers, each standing on separate horses circling an arena, simultaneously somersaulted backward through a hoop and landed on their feet on a moving horse behind them as a third brother dismounted his horse with the same flourish.

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Historic Nashville

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By LAURA FRAZIER | The Tampa Tribune

TAMPA – Tracy Wetter shaded her eyes from the bright sunlight this morning and tried to track her daughters’ whereabouts through the windows of a funhouse at the Florida State Fair.

“There they are,” she laughed, pointing to a window with jailhouse bars where daughters Joelle, 8, Jessica, 14 and friend Racheal Long, 14, waved and shouted.

News Channel 8 photo by PAUL LAMISON

The Bradenton girls had cajoled Wetter into taking them to the fair to see their favorite hometown band in concert. We The Kings – an alternative rock and pop group named for Martha B. King Middle School in Bradenton, where its members met – put on a free concert at noon. Besides, the girls reasoned, tickets handed out last week at their school would get them in the gates for free.

“Then we had to go and spend $60 on armbands, so there you go,” Wetter said. “But … it’s OK because it’s such a beautiful day.”

The mild weather sat well with fair officials, who hoped the burst of sunshine would boost attendance numbers. Those numbers were down about 7 percent from last year before today’s totals are tallied.

Thousands of students and their families were expected to attend the last day of the fair today, designated as free admission day for schools in Pinellas, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota counties. Student day for Hillsborough County schools was Feb. 6.

Fair officials hope that by the time the gates close around 9 p.m. tonight, attendance will reach close to last year’s total of 491,000.

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By Ron Weber, MCW Editor

Gibsonton, FL — The IISF Trade Show entered its fourth day with attendance up over last year for the combined three opening days. Incoming President Steve Ianni said the organization was very pleased with the results. Many vendors, despite the poor economic conditions, are also happy with the results so far.

Ed Bush is owner of Jersey Shore Imports, LLC and a first time vendor at the show. His company has exhibited at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions trade show and others and he says his business in Gibsonton has been very good. “We have over 100 leads so far”, said Bush. “We saw a lot of people and they were the right people”, he added.

Jersey Shore sells licensed sports jerseys and merchandise from the NBA, NFL, NCAA and MLB as well as NASCAR. He has been working with these products for two years, mostly as game prizes.
His prizes are featured at the Florida State Fair in Wes Wilbur,s Blockbuster game. Bush says that he has seen game grosses double with the addition of the licensed equipment.

Another big show supporter is Jim Frederiksen of Fredericksen Enterprises, builders of portable slides. Fredericksen has sold three slides so far this year including one at the trade show to a carnival in Norway. “He wanted to buy two but decided to get the first and see how things go”, said Frederiksen.

2008 was the second best year for the company. They had sold 10 slides by the end of the trade show in Gibtown. Frederiksen is hoping for a good year in 2009 as well.

The company keeps its factory going year-round. “We have never stopped building in 19 years”, said Frederiksen. The company keeps slides in stock and sells throughout the year. About 75% of his business is in carnivals and 25% in parks. He estimates there are over 200 of his slides on traveling carnivals.

Fredericksen developed the 5 lane “State Fair Slide” which travels on one trailer. He has sold 5 of those over the years. Fredericksen has blueprints to build a larger, approximately 30 foot tall Giant Slide which will travel on two dually loads and has 8 lanes. He said several shows have expressed interest in this new, larger model slide.

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