Crow goes on without Canfield Fair rooster


By Kalea Hall

and Jordyn Grzelewski

news@vindy.com

CANFIELD

When Mahoning Valley residents begin streaming into the 169th Canfield Fair on opening day Wednesday, its long-time mascot – the rooster – will be absent.

That’s because in June the Ohio Department of Agriculture decided it had to ban displays of live birds statewide, including the junior fair poultry projects, as part of the effort to prevent spread of the avian flu.

That means the Junior Fair Barn 10 will be a little less noisy without those birds there to wake up fairgoers.

Samantha Plocher, 13, of Salem will bring poster boards with pictures of her nonmarket and market chickens instead of her actual birds.

“I was so excited to bring the chickens because last year was amazing,” she said.

Plocher took home the grand championship for her broiler chicken in the market competition, and she was hoping to do so again this year. But no chickens means no way to have a competition.

“I was really disappointed,” said Plocher, who has 100 meat chickens and 50 layers at home.

The more she thought about it the more she realized it was important to not put any of the birds at risk.

Plocher is one of about 90 junior fair members representing their poultry with a poster at the fair.

Kelly King, head of the poultry committee, came up with the poster idea along with the other committee members.

“We came up with some alternative projects for the fair, so they don’t miss out totally,” King said.

The Junior Fair members, ages 8 to 18, are still able to participate in market and non-market poultry projects with posters displaying pictures of their birds and facts. They will also be able to dress a stuffed toy chicken and participate in a bird call contest.

To be included in market the members must also have a non-market project. The market birds will be sold at the fair through pictures on display in the Coliseum – and then given processed and frozen to the purchaser.

“I love seeing how big I can get the chickens,” Plocher said. “I have raised them since I was really young and I want to continue to keep raising them. I think everyone is going to be coming around to see how different it is here. We are still going to be able to represent our breed.”

The impact of the state agriculture department’s decision will also affect the long-standing Rooster Crowing Contest and the 20 to 25 exhibitors who bring in about 900 poultry exhibits every year.

OTHER Business as usual

But don’t worry, fairgoers: The sausage sandwiches, grandstand attractions and horse stables will be ready for 8 a.m. Wednesday when the fair gates open.

Eleven months of preparation work will begin to pay off with the first turns on the Ferris Wheel.

Andy Frost Jr., who oversees emergency medical and fire services at the fair, said his work began last October to prepare for the colossal task of making sure that 300,000 visitors are safe in an environment that’s rife with risks.

“Anything and everything is a risk,” said Frost. “You name it, we’ve had it.”

To deal with emergencies, the fair is equipped with a Red Cross, police and fire building near the racetrack; its own dispatch center; the Medical Building on Austintown Drive near the Floral & Fine Arts building; a medical outpost near the Medical Building; three small ambulances; an average of five fire trucks at any given time; and a host of emergency workers.

Frost estimated that last year’s fair logged approximately 700 medical emergencies, 22 hospital trips and eight fire calls.

“Anytime you have 100,000 people in one day, there’s always a risk of falling. People get hurt,” Frost said. “We’ve gotten some animal bites. Bee stings. People fall down, cut their arms. Heart attacks. Breathing problems ... Sometimes people come to the fair when maybe they shouldn’t. It’s really hot, and they struggle.”

The average emergency response time, Frost said, is less than three minutes – something of which fair officials are proud.

SECURITY CHANGE

Frost also oversees security operations for the fair, following the Aug. 13 death of Judge James C. Evans, who for nearly 20 years had that job.

Fair officials say Judge Evans is sorely missed.

“It’s a big void,” Frost said. “Big shoes to fill. He was a very honorable, well-respected man. And he was my friend.”

“He definitely is going to be missed by this person, and the rest of the police department,” said Billy Arnaut, Canfield Fair police chief. “Judge Evans’ presence here at the fairgrounds really is going to be missed.”

The operation previously handled by Judge Evans is a massive one, Arnaut said. Over the course of the fair, roughly 175 security guards and police officers will be at the fairgrounds.

Arnaut didn’t have an estimate of how many calls they handle, but said: “It’s enormous. They’re voluminous. Everything from calls for medical assistance, to fights, thefts, domestic disputes.”

“It’s never-ending, and it’s 24/7,” he said. “I have a large contingent of police out here on midnight [shifts], because there’s a lot of stuff out here to steal.”

The heroin epidemic in this area presents medical and security concerns of its own, Arnaut said.

“We’ve noticed that in the past, if we have thefts, a lot of the thefts” are drug-related, he said.

Emergency workers will be equipped with Naloxone, a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The medication was used last year on one person who overdosed at the fair, Arnaut said.

Random bag searches will be another security task, which officers will do as people enter the fair.

What officers will have a hard time keeping in check, Frost said, is weapons. State law allows people with permits to carry concealed firearms, so security officials will not necessarily be aware of who brings in a gun.

People are not permitted, however, to openly carry a gun at the fairgrounds.

Fair officials assure fairgoers that they can feel safe during their visit.

“We have it covered very well. It’s a very secure fair,” Frost said.

FUN AND GAMES

The fair is also fun with a list of entertaining attractions from the traditional Truck and Tractor Pull — better cover your ears — to the Demolition Derby and three new acts: Happy Together Tour 2015 on Wednesday; The Band Perry on Thursday; and MercyMe on Sunday.

The entertainment lineup has changed this year because the fair board realized the traditional Monday concert might have better turnout on a different day.

“We have struggled on Monday because too many people have to be back in school and other people have to be in work,” said Craig Myers, Canfield Fair board president.

Now, there is a concert on Wednesday and an additional concert Thursday.

The fair “is going to happen and we are ready and we anticipate another good fair,” Myers said.