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Officials tout fairgrounds upgrades

County Recorder Theresa Bosel cuts the ribbon to open the 172nd Columbiana County Fair. (Salem News photo by Wayne Maris)

LISBON — Like a fine wine, the county fairgrounds is getting better with age.

Fair officials and political officials boasted the fair’s upgrades over the last few years during the opening ceremony on Monday. Those upgrades include an all-new grandstand, new handicap parking, an additional new entrance off Saltwell Road that features a renovated historical arch bridge and a new administration building.

“I haven’t seen this fair look any better,” county Commissioner Mike Halleck told the crowd assembled in the grandstand before presenting a $10,000 check to the fair board.

Commissioners provide funding to the fair each year, and the grounds also get funding help from the state as it is available.

In fact, state Rep. Tim Ginter is working to secure roughly $300,000 in funding for new restroom facilities at the grounds next year.

Hephner

“The fair is looking wonderful,” Ginter said.

He went on to say that there are few things these days that can be described as “wholesome” and “good,” but the county fair is one of those things.

Although the grounds may be changing through upgrades, the attitude of the fair hasn’t changed — you can still walk through the livestock buildings and see the same care being taken over the animals each year, the same investment being made to wholesome work, he explained.

“There is something good about it,” he said.

County Fair Board President John Wolf said many people have contributed to the fair’s improvements over the years, from the fair board to the state and local government officials.

One of the rides at the county fair.(Salem News photo by Wayne Maris)

“We really appreciated it. We are looking forward to a great week,” he said.

He added that he hopes county Engineer Bert Dawson’s prediction is correct, that this year will be a record year for participation at the fair.

“I am hoping more people come across that bridge,” he said of the steel arch bridge that now serves as Gate D into the fair.

The bridge was officially opened to the public on Wednesday and was a project undertaken by Dawson.

The fair was also praised through commendations from Gov. John Kasich, Congressman Bill Johnson, Secretary of State John Husted and state Treasurer Josh Mandel.

The Columbiana County 4-H king and queen were crowned on Monday. The royal court: Mitchell Kelly, Megan Drake, Jared Rosenberger, Dylan Thompson, Brooke Hofmeister, new king Quinton Ayers, new queen Hannah Hephner, Jarod Herron, Rebecca Bock, Courtney Banks, Caleb Ayers and Mickalia Ayers.

The fair ceremony included a moment of silence for John Wargo, who passed away last week at the age of 79.

Ex-officio fair board member Don Humphrey Jr., who performed the opening ceremony, said that he served alongside Wargo on the board of commissioners years ago, and although they didn’t always agree on things there was no denying that Wargo had a dedication to the county.

Wargo held several political offices in the county from 1961 to 1996, from township trustee to commissioner to county recorder, deputy county auditor and even as a state representative.

After the opening ceremonies, in which the ribbon was cut by county Recorder Theresa Bosel, the king and queen of the 4-H royal court was crowned.

Presiding over the fair this year will be queen Hannah Hephner, a 16-year-old from East Palestine, and king Quinton Ayers, a 19-year-old from Leetonia.

Hephner, the daughter of Tim and Debbie Hephner, is a junior at Crestview High School and an eight-year member of the Country Hands 4-H Club.

Ayers, the son of Brenda Nelder and Wayne Ayers, graduated from Leetonia High School and has been a 13-year member of the Junior Leaders 4-H Club.

kwhite@mojonews.com

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