Fair board may host July 4 festival

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SIDNEY — The Shelby County Agricultural Society, with help from Sidney Alive!, may host a Fourth of July festival on the Shelby County fairgrounds.

The fair board and Sidney Alive! representatives will meet Feb. 19 to discuss the possibility. During the fair board’s regular meeting, Jan. 17, Matt Henman was selected to head the initiative.

In other business, the fair board:

• Voted to have a tug-a-truck contest on the Saturday of fair week.

• Authorized the purchase of alcohol for resale during the fair. The measure will be voted as a change to the organization’s constitution during its annual meeting in November.

• Discussed the need for senior fair board members, rather than junior fair board members, to hold responsibility for dealing with problems that arise in animal barns during the fair. Those problems could include animal deaths, PETA visits and quelling rumors about disease or other issues.

• Approved the purchase of trees for planting on the fairgrounds to be paid for with a $4,000 grant from the Monarch Legacy Fund of the Shelby County Community Foundation.

• Accepted a letter of resignation from the board by James Bensman because he has moved out of Van Buren Township, the township he represented.

• Appointed James Bensman to the fair board to represent Van Buren Township until elections to the board take place in July.

• Discussed marketing strategies that would answer public concern over the general admission fee to attend the fair.

• Heard in the entertainment report that a full rodeo by Rolling Stone Rodeo of Hamilton will be presented on the Sunday of fair week. Other entertainment will include the Valley Exotics Petting Zoo from Eton, Dino Roar, Sunshine Monkey Shines, and the bands Flashback, Shelby County Line, Karma’s Pawn and Haywired.

• Accepted a report that during the steer weigh-in, 31 beef steers, 14 beef heifers and 13 dairy steers were registered for the 2018 fair.

• Learned there will be a Born and Raised lamb show produced by the junior fair board at the 2018 fair.

• Decided to discuss cheerleading, the ninja course, rabbits, chickens and discount admission days during the February fair board meeting.

• Discussed projects proposed in the board’s long-range plan.

• Appointed committee chairmen.

• Accepted a treasurer’s report that at the end of December, there was a balance of funds totalling $83,789.06 and approved the payment of expenses in January totalling $37,223. $30,000 was moved from the checking account to a CD.

By Patricia Ann Speelman

[email protected]

Reach the writer at 937-538-4824.

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