Fair manager says a 'Rockwell' fair is what they want

Dear editor:

First of all, I want to thank Kelly Everitt for his review of the Fair.

At first it seemed he was slamming the Fair Board and the management of the Elmore County Fair. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized something. For your information, Mr. Everitt, a "Norman Rockwell painting of a moment frozen in time" is EXACTLY what we are going for in Elmore County.

Seeing the children with their projects is what THIS Fair is ALL about. I have told MANY people that the main thing we work for ALL year is for the children to have a place to display their animal projects and to give them the accolades that they deserve. The Elmore County Fair IS all about the children and the farmers and the competition of it all.

There are MANY people besides myself that work all year, and most of them are VOLUNTEERS. They give untold hours to ensure that the pig barns and sheep barns are kept up, that the kids learn what they need to not only compete but to do the best they can in whatever they do. They don't get paid to do it, they just WANT to do it because it MATTERS!

I don't know many children these days, much less parents, outside of 4-H and Optimist involvement that are SO proud of their accomplishments that they are willing to suffer 106-degree heat for a week of competition and a ribbon to prove they did their best. Not just ONE year, Mr. Everitt, but EVERY year.

These kids grow up in 4-H or Optimist for the most part and come back year after year. They grow in knowledge, mature in mind and body and all of it shows in their projects as they gain confidence and get better at what they do. THAT deserves to be put in the foreground and each and every one of them should be recognized for their achievements!

I understand that most people, like you, Mr. Everitt, think that a Fair is just food, rides, and entertainment. However, ask the kids what Fair means to them. Fair is much more than that to those of us who put a whole year into it.

The carnival and the vendors and the entertainment are great, but they are secondary, and very necessary to supplement the budget. What matters most is what the Fair and this country were built on! The backbone of America is our agriculture and ranches. We are NOT the Western Idaho Fair! Frankly I, for one, don't want to be. Everyone that came from Boise or those that attend MANY other fairs, such as the radio personalities and vendors, said that it was refreshing to see a fair so dedicated to what a fair is meant to be. That we haven't become so commercialized that the focus isn't on the kids.

Sure there are lessons to be learned for a new manager. I've learned that some change is good, some change is bad, that people will complain WAY before they will compliment, that the economy is pretty rough right now for fairgoers AND vendors, that people love to tell you how to spend your budget but don't want to write you a check to cover that suggestion, that there are many opinions out there and even more ideas but no one has the time to come to the meetings or join the board that makes decisions, but the biggest lesson learned is that you can't please all the people all the time so just do your best and listen with a smile on your face!

Personally, Mr. Everitt, I would LOVE to take the Elmore County Fair even further BACK IN TIME and have watermelon and pie-eating contests, a horseshoe-throwing contest, or a frog or turtle race.

One of the best things that I saw at the Fair this year was kids being kids. A slip and slide made out of long black plastic trash bags, water and soap suds. Water bottles turned into toys to shoot water at each other to keep cool.... Man, It doesn't get any better than that!

"Wholesome" is what this country is missing! You can have the bright lights and big city of the State Fair, Mr. Everitt! I feel like a HUGE success to be a "moment frozen in time."

If you want the 21st Century, the State Fair is right down the road in just a few weeks. But, if you want to see true down home kids who put their heart and soul into an animal or a project, parents, grandparents, mentors and friends who couldn't be prouder of the responsibility and pride instilled in a child who works so hard all year, and a Fair Manager that is TOTALLY HAPPY with the way this years fair turned out... then next year, go to the Elmore County Fair. Where the COMMUNITY is what matters, not what the 2lSt Century demands!!

Shae Burns, manager

Elmore County Fair and Rodeo