Once again the Lake County Fair Board is attempting to remove agriculture, particularly livestock, from being exhibited at the fair. On Monday, March 23 at 4:15 p.m. the Lake County Fair Board will entertain a motion to approve a proposal for Lakeport Hobbies to commandeer the Paul Alexander barn for use during the fair. The Paul Alexander barn is just that ? a barn! In recent years, this barn has been used to house the open goat exhibits. Traditionally, this barn was used to house the swine exhibit prior to the construction of Baldwin Pavilion. Currently, Lakeport Hobbies rents this barn for use throughout the year. As I said before, this barn was used for swine and as such has a concrete floor. Thanks to Lakeport Hobbies, dirt to the depth of about one foot has been added to entertain their use.
I have no problem with the fair being rented for alternative uses outside the normal fair time ? this is a sensible use of community resources. What is most disturbing is the ease to which the management of the Lake County Fair fails to support agriculture ? repeatedly! I may be mistaken, but agriculture is the number one industry in Lake County, not to mention California. The full name of the fairgrounds facility is the “49th Agriculture Association.” I find it odd that this is ignored time and time again.
The latest proposal to “relocate the Open Goat Show” in favor of Lakeport Hobbies is downright disgusting! This is just the latest action in a long line of decisions by the current manger and management over the last decade. In my opinion, the dismantling of the fair began with the construction of the Baldwin Pavilion, followed by the demolition of the junior sheep barn, the open beef barn, open sheep barn and the stalls along the track. Next on the chopping block is the horse barn ? what”s next?
Shoving all the livestock up to the “hill” has only served to alienate the livestock exhibits from the rest of the fair, but more importantly from the public. I have yet to meet a person who attends the fair just to see the destruction derby or motorcycles. People I meet and talk with want to take their families to the fair and see a traditional county fair, complete with all sorts of exhibits and contests, carnival, cotton candy and corn dogs. For many this is the only time to see animals. It saddens me to see a huge horse barn all but empty and watch fair goers eagerly look into each stall in hopes of seeing at least one horse. What they don”t know is the horse show is held weeks in advance of the fair, so it does not “interfere” with the fair. Yet another decision by the current management.
I fail to see how reserving the use of all of the facilities for five days out of 365 to operate the fair is so hard to comprehend. I urge you to contact the management of the fair if you agree. Fair board meetings are open to the public. I urge the management to look to fairs like the Mendocino County Fair in Boonville for inspiration of what a true “county fair” can be. Mendocino County Fair has yet to add car races, destruction derbies and the like. Instead, they entertain a packed crowd with rodeo, sheep dog trials, parade, carnival, wool show and, of course, several full barns of various types of livestock and buildings full of exhibits, not to mention several other events throughout the year.
Instead of deciding whether or not to relocate the goats, maybe Lakeport Hobbies could return the use of the Alexander Barn to its rightful use ? to house livestock! What a novel thought ?
Greg and Katy Evans
Lower Lake
