I attended the fair board meeting Monday night February 12,08. There were quite a few people who attended the meeting although only a handful addressed the fair concerning ideas to improve the fair. Melvin Moore addressed the board and voiced his concerns about the ill spending of the board and other actions that they had done, Mr. Moore also commented that he hoped that the board would not take recourse against the Kiwanis, taking away their parking job, that that was where they raised most of their money for food baskets, because he was speaking out against actions of the board. Mr. Moore brought up the problem of the board charging the Kiwanis so much to rent the pavilion that he has in the past paid the $500.00 out of his own pocket, but continued on to address the continuing raise of rental fee of the pavilion to non-profit organizations but added that if the Kiwanis were going to use the pavilion to raise money, that yes, they should pay for the rental, but as filling food baskets the price was to high. He also commented that we should use the posse and keep the monies local.
Yours truly wrote about a 6 page summary /ideas that may improve the fair. It will be attached to this article. I also commented on the high price charged to the Kiwanis, stating that the groups to pay for the actual expense of the heating bill, and added that it would be about $60.00 a day on the high side but a long way from the $240.00 approximate cost that the fair board was charging the Kiwanis each day for 4 days usage.
I also commented that the fair board should use the posse for their security instead of the Mc.Greagor outfit that the problems associated from the hired security in the past could open up the fair/ county for expensive lawsuits. My next comment that I addressed was that the fair board should not open up sealed bids before the closure date, talk about who might get the bid, that this was not legal. I stayed after the meeting and spoke to Evenly Hudson about my ideas, I came away with the feeling that the fair will be the same o same o this time next year.
The new fair board member Rick Swart from the Scappoose Spotlight liked my ideas, and agreed that the fair needed to use volunteers and get community back into the fair. He than ask me if I would help out I said yes, I could call the unions, or industries in the area, but added that really that is the job of the fair board and administrator, that as an individual citizen I did not have the power to make offers for the fair, as I do not sit on the board, Evelyn Hudson agreed with me. Swart ask Ronda several times if she needed help running the fair she never really responded that she did, only that all these ideas would take so much time and she did not have the time. I think Rick has his work cut out!
I ask Evelyn about the pie eating contest, she said that it would be from the beginning to the end, I don't quite get that remark but she did say that it would be to costly, I said its not that expensive to buy pies, that is why you have the entry fee to cover the cost and pay for the winners prize, hell it don't have to be an expensive prize. All of this could be run on volunteers and everyone could have a fun time.
Since I was accused by Commissioner Rita Bernhard that I was trying to shut the fair down which by the way was, excuse the pun Bullshit! I think that none of my brilliant ideas will be used but I have tried to take a positive step towards the fair problem with my ideas/opinions. The other people who spoke offered brilliant input as well, we will have to wait and see if any of our concerns or ideas will make a difference.
I also requested that the fair board provide a print out on their decision on the ideas offered to the public, to be made available at the upcoming fair board meetings as well as at the county commissioners office and other areas of the courthouse so the information will be available to the public. The fair board and county Commissioner Tony Hyde agreed to this request.