Fair board chooses citizens of the year

by Ed Moreth

The Sanders County Fair is just over 40 days away, but everything seems to be coming together with only minor issues and minor repairs to be done.

The fair commission passed several agenda issues, including the selection of this year's Sanders County Community Service Award, at its monthly meeting last week. The board unanimously voted on the nomination of Kim and Margaret McNeil for this year's honor. Kim McNeil has been the fairgrounds caretaker for 30 years and he and his wife will be the grand marshals in the fair parade on Sept. 2.

The board unanimously approved a motion by Kim McMahon to reinstate the 24 handicap parking spaces at the front of the fairgrounds along River Road. McMahon said they'll have 48 ADA spots between the three different ADA parking areas. Last year after the fair Plains resident Dale Williams complained about the lack of handicap parking.

The board also approved spending a maximum of $7,765 for overnight security by Sanders County deputies, which includes at least two deputies patrolling the grounds and booths. The Spin-Em Rodeo Company was robbed of over $7,000 of merchandise from their booth last year.

Previously, deputies have floated in and out, said Randy Woods, the fair board chairman. He also said that this will be the first time they've used them for the sole purpose of security on the grounds and remaining on the grounds. In the past, a deputy would stop in when in the area and then leave. Woods said they will be working with the sheriff's office to fine tune the process and build on it for next year.

"Our biggest problem is when we have events we need to have some deputies on the grounds and we need law enforcement in the middle of the night in the food and vendor area," said Woods. "I think this is going to benefit the fairgrounds having law enforcement on the grounds instead of just in and out."

Commissioner John Holland asked if they had a backup plan in the event that something like the escaped prisoner last week were to happen. Woods said they could come up with law enforcement officers in the event of an emergency. The officers in Hot Springs, where he is mayor, were interested and could be called upon, he said.

McMahon had a public meeting at the river park on July 6 in an effort to find out what work the community would like done at the park, which is now under the jurisdiction of the fair commission. Only Dr. Gregory Hanson and his wife, Janice, of Plains showed up. McMahon said that better irrigation and improving the boat ramp were two suggested items. She said a sign was being installed to let people know what is and isn't allowed at the park, such as no overnight use, dogs on leashes or voice control, cleaning up trash, no fires, firearms or fireworks. It basically covers the county's park rules, she said.

"There were other interested people that weren't available that night. I will be reaching out to them for input and will try to hold another meeting to capture any additional interest," said McMahon. She noted that the Hansons are a great source of input because they and their son Jim have voluntarily been maintaining that park for the past 10 years.

Manager Melissa Cady is looking into purchasing about 15 cellphones for around $400 for scanning purposes for parking and for events. Cady said the phones only require Wi-Fi capabilities and an app for scanning. She said Blackfoot is currently working on getting Wi-Fi extended on the grounds to do the job. The phones would be county property and charged each night. Cady believes it would be more cost effective than buying or renting printers for scanning. Cady is also researching the buying or renting of a second ATM machine for fair time.

The board also approved for the second consecutive year a two-beer at a time limit at the beer garden, which is run by the Fair Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The rule is for a maximum of two beers per trip. Customers can return as often as they want, but can only buy two at a time.

Cady and the board are looking to get an updated lighting system for the main arena. "Getting replacement bulbs for our antiquated arena lights has been extremely challenging," said Cady, who added that they were able to locate one of eight replacements needed. The board is hoping to install a new LED lighting system for next year and has already received bids with Smith Electric from Thompson Falls with the lowest bid of $65,000. Woods believes the lights they have now were probably installed in the 1950s or 1960s. Getting new lights will be one of their highest priorities for the budget meeting in September, said McMahon.

The board also discussed the carnival, which received a large number of complaints last year. McMahon and Cady met with Sherry McKay, owner of Paradise Amusements, who said she'd have 17 rides at this year's fair, including two new ones.

McMahon had conducted an online survey last year and Paradise Amusements received the most negative responses. Forty-eight percent of those in the poll were not at all satisfied and 28% said they were not very satisfied. Paradise Amusements had only nine rides at the fair in 2022, half of what they usually have on hand, and a reduced number of games. They had no Ferris wheel and one of the more popular rides broke down after the first day and sat idle throughout the week.

"People were really ticked off about the carnival last year. We all know that because it was just a bad year," said McMahon, who moved that the board purchase $400 worth of carnival ride tickets and that a fair board "ambassador" roam the carnival area and give away tickets on locals night. The motion was unanimously approved and board member Jim Newman volunteered to hand out the tickets that night. Cady said she hopes to start selling carnival tickets next week.

Cady said plans for a successful fair are running smoothly and there are only a few things to be done, such as minor maintenance and sign installation, including replacing the now faded no parking signs along River Road West on both sides of the road.

The theme of this year's fair, which runs from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, is "Bright Lights & Rodeo Nights," submitted by Adalee Bauscher of the South Side Sparks 4-H club. Bauscher will receive a carnival wristband.

Other entries were "Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the Sanders County Fair," by Dechlan Neeson, "Stars, Stripes and Summer Nights," by Nolan Wilkes, "Lettuce Turnip the Beet!" (Let us turn up the beat)," and "Sanders County's Fields of Bounty," by Olivia Bauscher, "Dance in Your Pants Till the Cows Come Home," by Isaac Bauscher, "Bright Lights & Rodeo Nights" and "Harvest Fun," by Adalee Bauscher, "Cotton Candy, Fair So Dandy," by Elise Bauscher, and "Summer Nights & Harvest Delights" and "Remembering Our Roots & Rockin' Cowboy Boots," by the Bauscher family. In addition, Colton Sauter submitted "Superheroes! Any superhero you want! You can even make one up!"

The board had only one minor controversy that night when Nick Grancio, who was utilizing the fairgrounds to train horses, wanted clarification on why he couldn't use the fairgrounds any longer. Grancio was gracious and said he appreciated the use of the grounds and horse barn. He had received a letter from the county that he would not be able to continue training at the fairgrounds or use its barns due to an insurance situation and he was not covered under the county's Montana Association of Counties insurance.

Woods said that even the vendors on the grounds had to have their own insurance. He said they have to protect the people who use the grounds, along with the county taxpayers. Woods said the board assumed the horses Grancio was boarding at the fairgrounds were his, but instead they belonged to his clients.

The board plans to discuss any long-term boarding after this year's fair. The board members were under the impression that Grancio was going to use the grounds on a short-term basis. Grancio said he hadn't intended for it to be a long term and he and his girlfriend, who runs the training business with him, had been looking for a pasture to train clients' horses, which he said they did find. He said they enjoyed being there and it was convenient. He also offered to fix any stalls or fences, but Cady said a contractor has already made repairs.