Fair Foundation member unhappy with decisions

To The Eagle:

It is my understanding that “Letters to the Editor” is a place to vent personal opinions. So here it is. I have been a supporter of the Wahkiakum County Fair since I moved here 47 years ago; I have served on the Fair Board and as a Fair Manager; also I have been a 4-H Volunteer Leader for 40 years. During that time I have worked with county commissioners who were very supportive of the fair as a county tradition. I am sorry to say that I do not feel that the current board of commissioners feels that way. The fair receives no funding from the county outside of maintenance of county buildings. The Fair Board and Fair Manager have been told by the current BOC that we need to find ways to financially support the fair by ourselves.

This year especially it seems that the fair is continually being sabotaged by the BOF in their efforts to make this happen. They moved very slowly on the promise to work with the PUD to install a new transformer which would help the vendors during fair with their electrical supply. They seemed to have dragged their feet with regard to moving ahead with the grant the fair received for remodeling the restrooms until the very last minute before the grant would have been forfeited which ended up costing the county $30,000 above the grant fund.

The latest issue involves one member of the BOC seemingly working overtime to stop the fair from hosting a Championship Bull Riding event at the Fairgrounds in July. There is a required sponsorship amount of funds by the company to present the event; members of the Fair Foundation and family and friends of the fair have worked hard to bring in those funds so this event can happen. I have personally talked to community members who are excited to have this opportunity in our county.

I had hoped that the community members who have worked with the fair would have proved to the BOC that we are involved in keeping the county fair alive and making the fairgrounds usable year-round so that we can meet their request that we financially support ourselves.

Sincerely,

Lore Twiet

Puget Island