4-Wheeler won by Tim Durst of Washington

 TV – won by Brent Crone of Winfield

 Fareway – won by Kurt Leichty of Wayland

 Moore BP Gas Card – won by Matt Gragg of North Liberty

 I-Pod – won by Eileen Bergan of Edgewood, IA

     Though we had some rain issues the Washington Co. 4-H and FFA Fair did happen.  The youth of the clubs of our county were able to exhibit their projects and learn as they did so.  We appreciate and thank everyone that attended though none of which could have happened to the extent it did without all the volunteer hours of work put in by so many. 

     Besides thanking the volunteers we will try to recognize as many of the businesses and people who donated in kind or discounted their costs.  We apologize for any we miss as it is going to be hard to remember all the people who have helped so much.       

     There was over 150 semi loads of donated dirt put in South and East of the track area used to fill in the low areas and make better parking.  An 8” drainage tile was installed from the new multi species building, around the S. side of the track, and to the draw to keep run off water underground.  Leighty and Son did the work and donated part of their expense.  Gingerich Well and Pump donated hydrants and part of the expense for water repairs.  Non Fairboard members Craig Wright and Dennis Drish helped fair board members work in a drizzle on a work night. 

    The new bathroom and showers were finished just before the fair with a lot of fair board members time.  This facility was a joint effort of the Fairboard and a grant from the Riverside Casino Foundation.  Businesses involved in donating time, materials, discounts and/or labor were Christener Concrete, Carson Plumbing, Ace Electric, Fogle Basement Repair, Kings Material, River Bottom Inc., Armstrong Htg and Cooling, Engineered Building Design, Mose Levy Co, and Hardware Specialties

    The new multi species bldg was also partially funded by the Riverside Casino Foundation, Fairboard and money raised by the Committee for Fairgrounds Improvement, and many others. Active committee members Duane and Vicki Fisher, Carol Horning, and Sheila Temple worked hard with fundraisers for this nice facility.  Maple Grove built the building and donated part of their labor, Ideal Ready Mix discounted on the concrete, Trails End Fence made the goat pens and discounted them.  Mose Levy donated steel. Others donating money, materials, or their time was: Ace Electric, B&L Construction, Bullets & Bows 4-H Club, Dallmeyer Farms, Engineered Building Design, Freedom Security Bank-Kalona, Gingerich Well & Pump, Jarrod & Carol Horning and family, Hills Bank, Hoot Ridge Trailers, Leighty & Son Construction, Lime Creek Livewires 4-H Club, Peoples Trust & Savings Bank-Crawfordsville, Tall Corn Meat Goat Wether Assoc., Vittetoe Pork, Washington Iowa Betterment Foundation, Washington State Bank, and West Chester Savings Bank.   To finish it off Keith Fisher made and donated a beautiful recognition sign and attached it to the new building.  Continuous pipe fencing, discounted from Dean Thoman, was put around the inside of the building, stalling area for the bucket bottle calves, and outside by the new load out.

     Andrew and Ben Striegle donated a new 38’x60’ Winkler hoop building installed on our site for use for 2 years  It was used for the goat, dairy, and bucket calf show. It is named Showbarn #2.  Ace Electric put some temporary lighting in for the fair.

     Some of the gates used in the hoop building and around the grounds were loaned to us by Orscheln Farm and Home and  H&S of Trenton, Ia. Stutsmans Inc. of Hills donated an anhydrous running gear that was made to hang and store steel gates, owned by the fairgrounds, when not in use. 

     There was an electrical update done to a part of the grounds when the power was brought to the new bathroom, multi species building and the hoop building; power is now buried underground.  Don Marie Electric and Ace Electric donated their labor to do this.

      Over 250 tons of gravel was donated by Douds Stone and River Products.  The hauling was donated by Dallmeyer Farms, Cedar Family Farms, Skunk River Farms, and Vittetoe Pork.

       Schnoebelen Repair furnished a skid loader to be used during the fair.  Farmers Imp and Sigourney Tractor furnished 4-wheel Gators for the fair week also.

       Non Fairboard members Darrell Steele and Ron Janecek spent many hours with their skid loaders helping build the track along with a bulldozer from Leighty. The city and the county furnished endloaders and operators to help build as well.  Delong Construction and Leighty & Son furnished bulldozers to remove dirt from the motocross track back to a big pile in SE corner of track area, starting at about 10:30 PM after the event.

      It is a big job for John Moenck and the Rotary to find the 120 volunteers to man the ticket gates during the fair. They do it well and it is appreciated.

     The superintendents and their helpers put in a lot of time setting up and cleaning up afterwards for their departments. Non fair board member Harry Walker and Darrell Steele along with Nick Shelman brought skidloaders in to push the new chips into the cattle barns and clean out some old where bottle calves were last year but rabbits were this year.  

     Washington Fairboard members brought their own equipment such as skid loaders, tractors, equipment, semis, welders and personal hand tools in to be used to make this fair what it is.  These members spent many hours repairing show barn #1, replacing posts in the cattle barns, painting the new bathroom, moving dirt for building sites, leveling and seeding, welding the new bucket bottle stalling fence together, putting up the fences and gates, and tearing all down on Saturday after the fair.  It would be interesting to know how many volunteered hours go into putting on the Fair and the rest of the year in preparation for it. 

    Once again we apologize if we have missed anyone. 

    Thank you one and all!  See you again next year July 17-22, 2011, when we do it again.

As a reminder, Saturday evening we will be having the tractor pull at 6:30.  We will honor Monday’s tickets.

Hope to see you out here!  The parking has dried up dramatically and was able to hold a good crowd last night.  Come on out!

Hope to see you out here!

The weather was not cooperating with us and we are sorry for moving the pull but are happy that we could reschedule so soon.