The Senior Fair Board had its first monthly meeting following the 2014 Wood County Fair on Thursday.
Board members were provided with gate admission and costs and figures for the events. Most of the events
made money.
Overall, both Dick King, the fair manager, and Dale Brown, treasurer, indicated it was a very successful
year, though not a record year in any aspect.
King noted that all the entertainment venues Thursday through Sunday were all profitable.
"The drag racing (Friday night) was a big event for us, especially being its first year," King
said.
Saturday’s monster truck show was also well received and attended, and the entertainment committee is
taking a strong look at having them return next year.
As for attendance, Brown pointed out the figures that showed memberships were well up this year with
nearly 900 sold. That compares to roughly 700 the last two years. Despite that increase, exhibitor
tickets were off 160 from last year as 1,459 bought those passes.
"It was a decent year," Brown said. "We were down a little bit on individual gate
admissions."
Those figures showed roughly 32,000 paid gate admissions with Saturday being the busiest day with 6,258
sold. Those figures compare to 35,500 in 2013, which included a record day of just over 10,000 on
Saturday. The latter figure was boosted by those attending the popular Beach Boys concert which was held
that Saturday of the 2013 fair.
Brown said when you put it all together, the total figures even out from year to year.
"It is pretty steady across the board," he said.
King read the annual report detailing incidents and reports from the sheriff’s office. Sheriff Mark
Wasylyshyn reported one arrest at the fairgrounds on a charge of domestic violence which occurred in the
campgrounds.
The sheriff also detailed the hours worked by deputies, auxiliary officers, Explorers and volunteers. The
total combined hours was more than 14,800, which includes more than 12,000 from the volunteers who
assisted with the golf cart rides.
The board also began making plans for the 2015 fair which will be held Aug. 3-10.
The fair board also approved assisting Brock D. Goris in funding his Eagle Scout project which involves
refurbishing and restoring the deck at the Train Depot which is located north of the main track.
Goris told the board, "There are deck boards that are lifted that need repaired. The railing is
missing spindles and some need repaired, and the deck also needs to be repainted."
He indicated his work would improve both the look and the safety for those who visit the permanent
exhibit.
The board approved funding of nearly $700 for his materials.