Fair board to handle heckling

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SIDNEY — In November during their annual meeting, members of the Shelby County Agricultural Society plan to address the possibility of changing the fair board’s bylaws in order to eliminate heckling and harassment during livestock shows at the fair.

Such heckling has been a problem in recent years, and fair board members discussed the issue during their Aug. 15 meeting. At the annual meeting, they will decide whether they should rewrite their bylaws to codify that harassment will not be tolerated and the hecklers could be banned from the fair.

In other business during the August meeting, the board:

• Voted to plant 15 trees in various locations around the fairgrounds. The trees were purchased with grant funds and will be planted in September.

• Decided to contract with Rolling Stone Rodeo to bring the rodeo back to the 2019 Shelby County Fair. The board thought the rodeo was the most positive event at the 2018 fair.

• Approved an appropriation of $1,500 for the fair board committee that is coordinating a food truck rally, car show and craft show to take place on the fairgrounds, Sept. 29.

• Voted to elect two people annually to the Shelby County Fair Hall of Fame. One person will be a fair volunteer; the other will be a fair sponsor or supporter. It was noted that 381 people completed a nomination form during this year’s fair.

• Discussed the possibilities of inviting area civic leaders to a fair board meeting for brainstorming about future fairs, of changng the way cars and trucks enter the fairgrounds, of printing a tri-fold brochure for distribution at fair gates, of either reducing the number of entries or moving turkeys to allow more pens for hogs and of constructing building over the stage on the fairgrounds to eliminate the cost of a tent and make the state more usable during the rest of the year.

• Reminded committee chairmen that they should be at their respective shows during the fair to handle problems that arise.

• Learned that a water line under the race track has broken and needs to be repaired and that gravel and grindings have been received for driveways.

• Saw a presentation by the Sidney Daily News proposing advertising plans and map placement on the fairgrounds.

By Patricia Ann Speelman

[email protected]

Reach the writer at 937-538-4824.

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