Board looks back, ahead

By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- The Canfield Fair hadn't ended yet, but by Monday afternoon, at least two fair officials were already thinking about next year.
Fair Board President Joe Dickey Jr. said that in the coming months, the board will discuss ways to reduce the wait for people entering the fair in 2002.
Fair Manager Bev Fisher said the board will also try to improve the restrooms.
"Restrooms are always a concern," Fisher said. "You'll never keep them totally clean."
Fisher and Dickey talked about problems, as well as the fair's success, after a fair board lunch Monday afternoon.
Fisher and Dickey said that, while they believe the 155th Canfield Fair was successful, there are some problems.
Fisher said the board may not have understood the nature of those problems until the start of the fair.
"You have to look at it when it's full to understand," she said. "You can't re-enact it."
The wait: Among the problems discussed by Fisher and Dickey was the wait some people faced as they entered the fair. Dickey said he didn't think too many people were frustrated by the wait, as he saw smiles on their faces.
"When they're smiling at the gate, they're going to have a good fair," he said.
Dickey and Fisher said, however, that the board may have more workers selling and taking tickets at the gates next year.
Restrooms: Fisher also said the board is looking for ways to keep the restrooms cleaner. Fisher said an attendant in each bathroom at all times might contribute to overcrowding.
Both Fisher and Dickey stressed that while they were concerned about problems, they were still having fun at the event.
"If you can make it to Monday and still have fun, it's OK," Fisher said.
Dickey added that, "As far as I'm concerned, the weather was very much in our favor."
Some rain: Skies were sunny and clear for the first two days. On Friday, heavy rainfall forced the cancellation of harness racing and the closing of rides for two hours.
"We handled it pretty well," Dickey said of the rain.
The rain gave way to clear skies and cooler air Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
On Sunday, when 71 degrees was the high temperature, 101,318 people attended. That was the highest attendance this year.
Fisher said it was the first time in four years that temperatures that low were recorded during fair week.
hill@vindy.com