By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The Crawford County Fair Board soundly rejected a proposal from the City of Bucyrus Wednesday to allow a retention pond in the fairground’s south parking lot.
The city of Bucyrus proposed to the Crawford County Agricultural Society that it would give a discount of 35.7 percent off of the current runoff assessment of $825 for the use of part of the south parking lot of the fair grounds for a water detention pond which would receive rain runoff from all of the area. That portion of Bucyrus has long been subject to heavy flooding and basement back-up during periods of heavy rain.
The Fair Board rejected the offer 16 to 2 due to the feeling that the loss of parking from the pond could cut into fair attendance.
Members of the Crawford County Fair Board will make an appearance at the next Bucyrus City Council with a counter offer for a water detention pond that would be located in part of the current south parking lot of the fairgrounds.
That counter offer to be proposed to City Council calls for the Crawford County Agricultural Society to lease the land to Bucyrus for $1,000 per month, or the cost of the runoff assessment if it were to exceed $1,000.
After getting a recommendation from Attica, the Crawford Fair Board agreed to bring in KOI Drag Racing for the Tuesday grandstand event during fair week.
The event is a dirt drag race which will take place on the inside grounds of the grandstand. The race itself is 150 feet long, and will feature four- and six-cylinder engines in the races.
Due to taking the year off Fair Jam will not be at the 2015 Crawford County Fair. The Fair Board is currently in contract discussions with a country music artist to take the Thursday night slot in the grandstand.
The Fair Board approved moving the Showman of Showmen competition to Friday night while keeping all other shows the same as last year in the livestock arena.
The construction of a building that will house the livestock sales office was approved to proceed to the next phase. The plans for the building will be taken to Richland County for approval.
In an update to the gun raffle benefiting the Crawford County Agricultural Society to be held on Feb. 21 it was announced that 620 tickets have been sold so far.
Allison Cooper was announced as the new extension coordinator for the county’s 4-H program.
The Fair Board approved moving their meetings to 8 p.m. for the rest of the year. Their meetings will be held Feb. 25, Mar. 25, April 29, May 27, June 24, July 15, Aug. 26, Sept. 30, Oct. 28, Nov. 25, and Dec. 30.