Fair board in need of members

The Sanders County commissioners are looking for people to fill vacancies in the Sanders County Fair Commission, a board of volunteers that work on the fair and fairground operations.

In December, three members of the fair board resigned for various reasons and another quit in September; the county needs to replace them as soon as possible, said Commissioner Carol Brooker.

Wade Rehbein and Heidi Kirkwood, both of Plains, and Jenny Garrison of Thompson Falls, all resigned in December within days of each other. Rachel Berge of Hot Springs resigned in August because she was moving. Brooker said Rehbein left to concentrate more on his business and Kirkwood left because she felt the job wasn’t really for her. She said Garrison resigned for personal reasons, but the commissioner couldn’t go into it. Garrison had been on the board since 2013 and served as the board chair for the last two years, replacing Chris McGuigan as chairman when he took on the job as fair manager. Kirkwood joined the fair board in June 2017, the same time as Berge. Rehbein started on the board in 2015.

Presently, the most senior member of the fair commission is Roberta Smith, who joined the board in 2001. Her term ends in January, but Brooker said Smith agreed to continue on the board. Brooker said she’s pleased that Smith will stay on because of all the experience and history she has with the fair commission. Randy Woods, the mayor of Hot Springs, joined the board three months ago, replacing Berge.

The commissioners would like to find one person from the Plains/Dixon area and two from the Thompson Falls/Trout Creek/Noxon/Heron area. The fair board normally consists of five people and generally meets monthly to discuss fairgrounds operations. They are two-year terms and volunteer positions, but board members can get paid for mileage, said Brooker. The board presently meets on the third Wednesday of the month at the fairgrounds pavilion. The next board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.

Brooker said they’d like to get replacements as soon as possible and would like to have at least one member who has experience with the 4-H program, as Garrison did. Anyone interested in joining the fair board can get an application at the information desk at the county courthouse in Thompson Falls or get one online. The county commissioners appoint board members.

“It’s really important to have a full board operating as soon as possible,” said Brooker, who added that it’s unusual to have so much turnover in a short time.

The fair cashier’s office recently had water damage due to a heater/air conditioning unit. Portions of the wall and floor were damaged, but McGuigan plans to work on it in the spring.