By Kimberly Pistone
For the Sidney Daily News
SIDNEY — The Shelby County Fair Board discussed the pony barn, the safety plan, summer projects and other topics at a meeting on Wednesday.
The pony barn repurposing project is coming along well. The gravel is placed, the electric moved and the water capped. The board received two quotes to frame in the garage door and passed a motion to accept the $1500 bid. They still need a garage door; current estimates are around $1700. They are also still catching the groundhogs that made a home in the barn.
Chris Roediger, Shelby County Maintenance Supervisor, continues to work on the camp safety plan. He will be meeting with the Shelby County EMA. He also hopes they can repurpose some of the existing signage to save money.
Summer projects include sealcoating the stage, power washing the grandstands, and cleaning the show pens. They are trying to decide the best solution for the show arena — mulch hurts the animals’ feet, but the shavings made a mess.
This summer a lean-to is being added to the Junior Fair Building, one-third of which is designated as storage. The building is also getting a new air conditioner unit. Katie Hughes, 4H Youth Development Educator, said the reverse raffle during the Fair is funding both of these projects. Hughes is also looking for a gently used couch for the Junior Fair Board Office.
Last year the board approved ten new gate fronts, this year they are asking to add 14 additional pens, raising the cost from $2400 to $9110. The new pens include gates, and the cost per unit is less expensive due to the larger number. They will have everything in time for the Fair.
Roediger reported that the tree for DeLoss Ike will be planted near the old horse barn near the Antique Tractor tent. They selected a two-inch diameter white oak.
Roediger is also working on tracking down some additional water leaks. He reported the mower is in the repair shop again and suggested the board start looking for a replacement.
Hughes reported the numbers for beef and dairy calves, goats, sheep and swine. The numbers are not much different from last year so the pens should remain very similar. Some families are opting out of the Shelby County Fair for swine to show at the State Fair.
Hughes reported the dunk tank has been secured for Thursday, Kids Day, at the Fair. She also reported registration for the Time to Shine Show already had two registrations. This show will be on Saturday at 4 p.m. during the Fair. Hughes introduced the new A&R Educator, Rylee Kay Puthoff.
Finally, Hughes discussed Kids Day at the Fair. This year the OSU Extension STEM Unit will be at the Shelby County Fair, along with COSI. Hughes, along with Roediger and Bill Clark, needs to determine the exact location. The OSU STEM bus will have to leave before the night’s entertainment, Alex Miller, arrives due to space and traffic concerns.
Raffle ticket sales have remained similar to last month’s report of 266 tickets sold. Board members were encouraged to push selling tickets.
The next fair board meeting will be held on June 19, at 7 p.m. in the secretary’s office.
