SIDNEY — Paul Monnier and Don Henman will be inducted into the Shelby County Fair Hall of Fame during the opening ceremonies of the 2022 fair. The event will be held at noon on Sunday, July 24, 2022.
During the fair board meeting held on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, the following officers were elected to serve on the Board of Directors for a two-year term running from 2022 through 2024: Eric Garber (president), Matt Henman (vice president), Bill Clark (secretary), and Eugene Schulze (treasurer).
Three key fair board members will be leaving.
Citing personal reasons, director Jeremy Reece resigned with one year of service still remaining on his term, opening up the position to interested individuals who reside in Jackson Township.
Aaron Heilers also will not be returning to run for another term and his position will be filled by Scott Bertsch.
Jessica Adams, the 4-H Educator, has accepted the same role in Miami County, a position which brings her closer to home as she lives in Miami County and family. Her last day will be Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. She will begin her new position the next day, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.
December activities include a gun raffle. Tickets can be purchased for $20 each, with a limit of 1,000 tickets to be sold. The raffle drawing will be held during the business meeting on Dec. 15, 2021.
Shelby County will be sending eight of its directors to the 2022 Ohio Fair Managers Conference in Columbus. The four-day event will be held between Jan. 6-9.
Ongoing projects to prepare for this year’s upcoming county fair included the spending approval of $14,380 for three electrical upgrades. The project quotes were provided by Area Energy and Electric. These include $1 ,800 for the addition of flood lights near the Extension Office, $5,800 for a new 200 amp service to support vendor electrical requirements near the FFA building, and $7,400 for electrical equipment (amp services, poles, and lights) to be located near the Houston Food Booth. Other projects also currently underway as fairgrounds improvement include the replacement of storm and sanitation lines. This project should be completed by April 2021.
Decisions were also made during the meeting to increase fees for this year’s upcoming county fair. Grandstand activities will increase by two to three dollars per event. Camping fees will increase $30 per vehicle, from $200 to $230. “Carload Night,” a discounted option, will be eliminated.
The loss of Jessica Adams leaves a vacancy in leadership for the Junior Fair Board. If additional Sale Committee members do not step up at the next meeting, the future of the Junior Fair sale may be at risk due to lack of staffing. That meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Extension Office on Feb. 7, 2022. Meanwhile, the Junior Fair animal pre-fair check-ins were scheduled for Jan. 16 (cattle), May 15 (lambs and goats), and June 25 (market rabbits).
