Demo derby gets OK

The Lions will be back in the derby business, but this time as guests, rather than co-sponsor of the demolition derby at the Sanders County Fair.

“We can pull this off and you’ll be covered by insurance,” Sanders County Fair Manager Chris McGuigan told Plains Lions Club President Duane Highcrane at April’s fair board meeting last Wednesday.

McGuigan and Sanders County Commissioner Carol Brooker have been working with Maaco, the county’s insurance company, for months to get the Lions covered for the demo derby. The good news to the Lions Club came with administrative changes that will have no impact on spectators. The fair and club have been co-sponsors in the derby for 46 years, but to get them access to the derby arena without having to purchase additional insurance, the club will be there as volunteers, not as sponsor partners. The decision came only hours prior to last Wednesday’s board meeting.

Last year’s derby injury of Lions member Ron Warren brought to light that the club’s insurance did not cover demolition derbies. Fair officials have been trying for months to come up with some type of solution to continue the Lions’ involvement in the derby.

“I think Commissioner Brooker did more to get this successfully resolved than anyone else,” Highcrane said.

Derby drivers will still have to sign waivers, but as volunteers, the Lions Club members and Paige Carney of Arlee, who has helped with the derby for the past two years, won’t have to sign waivers, said Brooker. The volunteers would be covered by worker’s compensation, not liability insurance, according to the commissioner.

With the new arrangement, rather than the club getting $13,500, which paid for trophies and cash prizes, the club will receive a $5,200 donation from the fair. The Lions members will continue to take care of derby registration, keep track of the heat winners, hand out trophies, participate in cleanup, and work in the arena during the derby, but only outside the barriers, according to Highcrane, who continues to look into getting concrete Jersey barriers to replace large logs that have been used. In an effort to promote additional safety at the derby, the fair manager also noted that there will be a limit on the number of people in the derby pit area. Starting this year, they will only be allowing the driver and a maximum of two helpers in the pits. The fair will provide safety vests to those in the pit area.

As the fair quickly approaches, the board hopes to get contracts signed for the carnival, the Sanders County Concessions Group and the rodeo. Reported incorrectly in the last article, according to the new contract, which has yet to be signed by all parties, the concessions group will pay 75 percent of last year’s total net immediately after the fair and the remaining 20 percent by Oct. 15.

The contract between the fair and Paradise Amusements of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, is nearly complete, said McGuigan. This will be the first year for Paradise Amusements to be the Sanders County Fair carnival. The fair board approved the contract last month, but has yet to sign it. The contract for Powder River Rodeo, which has been hosting the rodeo at the fair for 33 years, is also close to being signed. McGuigan said there were 4,623 people at last year’s two rodeos and bull riding event. McGuigan is also working on contracts for commercial vendors.

The fair is asking for nominees for this year’s Community Service Award. Last year’s award went to Sharon Wilson of Plains. Letters need to be at the fair office by May 15. The address is: Sanders County Fair, P.O. Box 9, Plains, MT 59859.

The fair is looking to the 4-H for a fair theme once again. The theme winner will receive $25 worth of “fair bucks.” The board would like to have the theme ideas by May 15.

The fair pavilion is still not repaired and McGuigan has received no completion date from Day Springs Restoration of Kalispell. McGuigan said they’ve had to cancel a dozen events in the pavilion due to the delays, but plans to hold the May 16 fair board meeting at 7 p.m. in the pavilion.