The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

I have many nice Fair time memories that I will never forget; crowning Ashley Hedges our 2012 Wahkiakum County Fair Queen and handing her a bouquet of beautiful flowers that were grown here on the fairgrounds is one. Each night flowers were selected by my staff and we arranged a new bouquet for Queen Ashley. Congratulations, Ashley, enjoy your year as Wahkiakum County Fair Queen!

I hope you had a chance to look at and take a ride in the beautifully restored Model Ts in the Fairgrounds Park. Ray Badger brought to our Fair a wonderful group of people that all own Model Ts or older restored tractors. The group took 225 people on rides and donated the funds to be used to support the continuance of our Wahkiakum County Fair. The Fair also received a donation from the On the Road Again Car Club! Thank you, Ray, Wahkiakum Ts and On the Road Again Car Club, we hope you will come back next year!

Friday I sent out my staff to sign up people to play in the Horseshoe Tournament on Saturday. It was a long tournament with many very skilled players competing. Four hours later the tournament was over and the winners made known. Congratulations, Terry Goble and Dale Harris!

In the T-building we have a few People’s Choice Contests during our Fair. Jae Stewart received a People's Choice Award for her beautiful quilt, Barbara Rose took a stunning photo and claimed the People’s Choice Photo Award and Betty Koziel’s huge beautiful begonia took the People’s Choice Flower Award. Congratulations!

One other contest we had in the T-building was what to name my two chickens. We now have over 70 names to choose from and I couldn’t decide which names suited them best so, next year during Fair we will list all the names out and let you help decide what they should be named!

Don’t forget the Wahkiakum County Fair has a Facebook. Email your favorite Fair pictures to wahkiakumfair@centurytel.net and I will get them posted.

There are still a number of exhibits in the Youth building that need to be picked up. Please call the Fair office to make arrangements to pick up your exhibits and ribbons.

The Cathlamet Downhill Corral skateboarders started arriving at the Fairgrounds Park to camp on Friday. This year we had 87 campers. New to the three day week-end festivities was a rock-n-roll band in the park. Skateboarders can be a bit rowdy, you all have watched the jumps and speedy cornering they do for fun in town! The music was a good addition and dancing helped relieve some of the race day tensions. Ed, Jerry and I took registrations for camping at the park gate and kept watch into the wee hours of the night. All went well and we survived the skateboarders campout at the Fairgrounds Park again! The camping fees collected will be used for projects that keep improving our Fairgrounds.

Our Fair is over, we have a year to plan and locate entertainment. If you have new ideas or vendor connections and would like to be involved in planning the 105th Wahkiakum County Fair, call Becky Ledtke at 795-3480 and leave a message. New volunteers and ideas are always welcome. The next Wahkiakum County Fair Board meeting is September 12, 7 p.m. at the Fairgrounds. The public is welcome to attend.