Improvements made on fairgrounds

By D.A. Wilkinson

The Columbiana County fairgrounds are being spruced up in time for the fair.

LISBON — While a director for the Columbiana County Fair, Owen Unkefer sat back and listened to talk about building a new steer barn.

When he became president two years ago, Unkefer said he decided “to see how far I could go with it.”

Which helps explain why he and many others are working at top speed to complete all the improvements — including the barn project — before the fair opens July 28.

The barn itself is up, but workers were pouring concrete late last week to create a manure collection station at the barn that will be emptied nightly. Similar stations also have been added.

Many other parts of the fairgrounds are being upgraded and programs are expanding.

At the steer barn, there is a concrete area where animals can be washed. And there are other niceties at the site — concrete posts to project the building and landscaped areas.

As part of the barn project, the ground was lowered by about 5 1‚Ñ2 feet. That will create a new gate for patrons and a road to parking at the fairgrounds, 225 Lee Ave.

The county commissioners this year increased funding to the Cooperative Extension Service as a commitment to agriculture, the county’s largest industry. Service supporters have also created a new air-conditioned building that replaces its fair headquarters in an old trailer.

Other improvements include painting of the roof of the Government Building and restrooms by people ordered by the courts to do community service.

The fairgrounds have even benefited by receiving fill from Lisbon High School’s stadium construction project.

Superintendent Don Thompson, an alumnus of the Future Farmers of America, said, “We had the fill trucked over to them.”

The fair board has used the dirt and rocks to shore up the embankment behind the new steer barn.

Despite national economic woes, entries are stable or have increased, fair board officials said.

Under the original steer barn plan, the goat barn was to expand. That plan was dropped because of changes in the layout of the steer project.

But all the pens in the goat barn are taken, so the overflow of goat entries will be lodged in another barn and in tents.

Earlier this month, the junior fair goat committee raised $785 by selling lunches in Lisbon, said Carol Smith of Highlandtown. She’s the chairman of the goat committee.

Since the goat barn isn’t expanding, the youths decided to spend some money to paint the building’s trim 4-H green. Money also will be used to coat the building’s metal roof.

“Maybe we can get another three years out of it,” she said.

Tresa Hall, the fair’s office manager, said it would be almost impossible to determine the value of the improvements made at the fairground.

The new steer barn, which may be used for auctions, is separate from the fair’s budget.

The list of the fair’s sponsors and donors includes almost 100 people or companies.

The fair and the junior fair have separate budgets. Materials for projects are donated or provided at low costs. People, such as politicians, may pay for signs while different projects, such as a new flagpole, were funded by donors.

wilkinson@vindy.com