TRUMBULL COUNTY To bee sure, village has a lot in store for fairgoers

The 16th annual spelling bee will be July 11.
By AMY HOUSLEY
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
BAZETTA -- A spelling bee and stingless bees will be featured at the Trumbull County Fair through the Historical Village Association of Trumbull County.The fair kicks off July 7 with two days of harness racing. The main events begin July 9, when fairgoers can "step into history" at the village. The fair ends July 14.
Located on the fairgrounds, the village offers a store, special guests and events, and a heritage museum. Curator Susan Turner said the motivation behind the association is in the group's motto: "Preserving the past, in the present, for the future."
The village general store, in the old Bazetta Christian Church, will be offering postcard sets of Trumbull County cities, villages, homes and farms. Cookbooks, including specialty books, will be for sale.
Also available will be 1923 plat books of Trumbull County. The books will allow fairgoers to look at the county's landscape in 1923 and see what once stood where they live. Plat maps of townships will also be for sale.
No stings
Fairgoers who stop by the basement of the church can learn more about bees from the Trumbull County Beekeepers. They'll be ready to share more about their own breed of "stingless green bees."
Visitors also should stop by the candy counter, where favorites such as licorice, caramels and old-fashioned stick candy can be found, with prices starting at a penny.
James G. Friend, a nationally known artist from Warren, will be at the Ainsley Gas Station in the village for the sixth year. He will display and sell his watercolors.
The carriage shed offers area artisans and crafters the opportunity to display and sell their wares. All crafts should be those performed at least 20 years ago, involving such things as ceramics, stained glass and candles.
A Civil War re-enactment group will be at the fair all week, and Friday, a "fleece to shawl" competition will take place. Teams will compete to be the fastest to take shorn sheeps' wool and card, spin and weave it into a shawl.
Also, in the basement of the church, the Heritage Museum will give fairgoers another look at history. Donated items and artifacts from Trumbull County and the Western Reserve region, covering all eras of Trumbull County history, will be on display. The history of the buildings that make up the historical village also will be on display.
Turner said that the Historical Village Spelling Bee is a fairgoer favorite. This year's 16th annual bee will be July 11 in the historical village.
Students who have attended school in Trumbull County or are home-schooled and have just completed grades one through nine are eligible. There is no fee to participate, but pupils pay the standard entrance fee to get into the fair.
How to register
Aspiring spellers can register at the fair from 10 a.m. July 9 until 12:30 July 11. A parent or guardian must be present to sign the registration form.
Registrations also can be made by a letter, signed by a parent or guardian, which must include: pupil's name, address, phone, school and grade just completed, as well as some proof of school or a copy of a parent's driver's license to show residence.
Registration for the spelling bee or request to be included in the carriage shed can be mailed to: P.O. Box 46, Fowler, OH 44418.
ahousley@vindy.com