By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com

The numbers are in for the 2014 Crawford County Fair with this year’s edition bringing in $22,000 more than the 2013 version.

The total take for the gate, grandstand, and pit was $104,612, up from $82,420 in 2013. Fair Board Secretary Tom Laughbaum explained that a few items may have contributed to the upswing.

“We can’t hardly measure whether it was the weather, which I know was the big part of it, or was it the $1 decrease on the gate,” Laughbaum said. “I think it was a combination, but I think the weather probably more than the amount.”

While numbers overall were up for the fair, the first and last day saw a reduction in numbers with 2013 outpacing the 2014 fair, $17,785 to $16,415 for the opening Sunday and 2013 bringing in $17,768 on Saturday compared to $15,821 this past fair.

The largest difference in revenue came from Friday of fair week, which saw an increase of close to $7,000 with 2014 bringing in $26,124 compared to $19,260 the year before.

Don Fraumbaugh said that the price for those attending the fair should stay at $5. With the increase in revenue it should allow for the fair to improve upon free entertainment and activities to draw more for future fairs.

Also increased from previous year’s fairs was the Livestock Sale Fund which has taken in $628,000 with another $20,000 expected to come in. After monies are collected, kids contributing livestock to the sale will get paid.

During the meeting Laughbaum noted that part of the reason for the increase at the livestock sale was a higher base bid on the livestock being sold.

After six years representing 4-H and the Junior Fair Board for Crawford County, and 26 years total involvement, Brenda Young announced that she would be retiring from the position on Oct. 31.

During Young’s report she requested that the schedule for the Junior Fair start 30 minutes earlier to allow for breaks in-between shows. Under the proposed schedule the Style Review would begin at 4:30 p.m. followed by the FCS show, a break would take place at 6:15 p.m. with awards to be presented at 6:30 p.m. The Crawford County royalty program would stay at its current 7:30 time slot.

After taking two different votes the Livestock Committee’s constitution was passed by the Fair Board 13 to 3. After initially failing 6 votes yea to 8 votes nay, most of the Fair Board was in agreement that the statement on electronic voting needed to be removed in order for the board to pass it.

The Fair Board approved the purchase a tool truck from the Crawford County Highway Department for $5,000 for use at the fairgrounds.

The next Crawford County Fair Board meeting will take place at 8 p.m. on Sept. 24.