Hamilton County Fair (Green, Reading, Georgetown: for sale, credit, home)

[JYM654]

I have a history as do many of you with the "Hamilton County Fair". But anyone who thinks that the fair is repairable with the Old time fair board now in place is very ignorant to the overwhelming issues that have brought the lack of support and interest from the public to the forefront. I have visited the fair since I was a toddler-- my Dad grew up in Carthage. Mom in Clifton. I showed animals at the fair and attended every year with the exception of a few while away at college.
The fair is nearly dead. The people from Carthage are not enough to support it and the people outside of Cathage could give a crap about it. To save the Fair-- no matter where it is the whole system needs to be uprooted and thrown out. Gross over expendatures on unneeded services and terrible planning from the Fair Board are two places to look at extensively. This all needs to be done before moving the Fair.
Moving a crappy fair to a new location is just that- a crappy fair in a new place. Still no support. The city population does not support it-neither does the county poulation. I have been to a lot of other fairs all over the state of Ohio and Indiana. None suck as bad as Hamilton County's.
I support moving the fair if the 4-H supporters will stick with the kids. I don't care about the rides and the circus acts. The kids in 4-H are who really rely on the Fair. We also need to get many, many more people involved in 4-H-- city and country kids.

[nightrider127]

I signed up to volunteer but right now, I feel that there is no follow up at all. I just visited the fairs forum page and there is not a lot of new infomation.

[tntnb]

Originally Posted by JYM654

We also need to get many, many more people involved in 4-H-- city and country kids.

Lots of people like you have been coming up with lots of ideas about how to reinvent the fair. Many are being discussed on the Hamilton County Fair website.

As another poster has stated, the site is soliciting volunteers to form committees to find ways to make the fair better. It sounds like you'd be a perfect committee member.

[tntnb]

Originally Posted by nightrider127

I signed up to volunteer but right now, I feel that there is no follow up at all. I just visited the fairs forum page and there is not a lot of new infomation.

The guy who runs the HamCo Fair website is, I think, a volunteer himself. He's trying to set up these committees in his spare time, and I'm sure he'll contact everyone who's interested pretty soon . . .

I volunteered for a committee or two myself.

[Hartwell Girl]

There is a post on the Fair web site that there will be a meeting this Thursday to organize a Fund Raiser Dance like they did this spring. I would check it out....dont be discouraged by the lack of contact, the web site guy is a volunteer and he puts info on there as he gets it...problem is getting the info to update sometimes. I would ask that question directly on that web site as I am sure there are at least a few Fair Board members who are logging on there to check out the comments---or I hope they are!

[boojangles]

Originally Posted by Hartwell Girl

So is it really about those organzing it and the lack of funds given to the Fair by the County (state minimum) when other countys give thousands more to producing a good venue and program? And why are there no records of calls to police for mentioned problems at that location?
And should a neighborhood be punished for not wanting to segregate a neighborhood?

What do you mean there are no records of the police being called? The police are already down there at the event handing the problems - they don't have to be called from a cell phone. They see it themselves and call for backup or a chopper.....sheesh. And what do you mean "segregate a neighborhood"? Sounds like someone is playing the victim violin a little to much

[Hartwell Girl]

Originally Posted by boojangles

What do you mean there are no records of the police being called? The police are already down there at the event handing the problems - they don't have to be called from a cell phone. They see it themselves and call for backup or a chopper.....sheesh. And what do you mean "segregate a neighborhood"? Sounds like someone is playing the victim violin a little to much

Boojangles, try not to just focus on my posts and actually read the post I was responding to (mr hillside)- BTW, I'm not the only one on here posting about the Fair..

[QueenCityMotorsports]

Shandon, Ohio businessman Steve Engel, who was fatally injured in a Drag race at the US Nationals, Clermont, Indiana, was offering to donate 30 acres of his land (where he was also proposing to build a Drag Strip) to the County for a site location for the new Fairgrounds. With his death, I am not sure if this will happen. He was having problems getting approval to build the facility, and made an offer to donate the 30 acres to the County, if he could get approval from Crosby Township.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer

Race driver critical after crash
By Cliff Radel • cradel@enquirer.com • September 3, 2008

CROSBY TWP. – Steve Engel, aspiring drag-strip owner and potential landlord of the Hamilton County Fair, remains in critical condition at Indianapolis’ Methodist Hospital.

Engel suffered severe injuries Saturday night during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in suburban Indianapolis. After crossing the finish line, his modified 1963 Corvette slammed into a concrete retaining wall.

Damage to the wall was so extensive the track closed for the night so repairs could be made to the concrete structure.

Engel was airlifted from the scene to Methodist Hospital, the care center for drivers injured at the Indianapolis 500.

The Indianapolis Star reported he suffered damage to his spinal cord and fractures to six vertebrae.

In August, Engel offered to donate 30 acres of land he owns in Crosby Township for the new home of the Hamilton County Fair – if the troubled venture leaves Carthage.
Engel’s offer had one string attached. First, he had to win his year-long court fight to build a 31-acre motorsports park – including a quarter-mile drag strip and a 2,000-seat grandstand – on the site.

Owner of a Butler County heavy-equipment hauling company, Engel hopes to place the $7 million motorsports park on 192 acres: 162 in the northwest corner of Crosby Township and 30 in the southeast corner of Butler County’s Morgan Township.

Plans for the park were rejected one year ago by Crosby Township officials. The case of the motorsports park continues to work its way through the courts.

“We’re filing a brief today,” Joe Trauth, Engel’s attorney, said Tuesday.
“I sent him a draft Friday,” Trauth added. “But I did not hear back from Steve.
“I just thought, with it being a long holiday weekend, he was attending a race somewhere. I didn’t know he’d be racing. This is horrible news.”


Pro Mod Racer Engel Dies

After showing significant signs of improvement in the past week, Pro Modified racer Steve Engel died suddenly at 5 p.m. Sunday at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Engel was involved is a serious one-car racing accident during the recent 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

Engel's Diamond Heavy Haul Corvette swerved wildly near the top end of the track and he impacted the retaining wall head-on. He was airlifted to Methodist Hospital where doctors discovered six broken vertebrae in his back. Two were fixed immediately, but then excess fluid developed in his lung doctors had to wait to fix the other four. That procedure was done Friday and physicians were diagnosing a long but full recovery.

The 49-year-old Engel is survived by his wife Tonya and his sons Stevie and Michael.

"The entire Pro Mod community is in a state of shock right now," fellow racer and JEGS ProMod Challenge organizer Troy Coughlin said. "We were all so optimistic after Friday's report and then we get this terrible news. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tonya and the boys.

"Steve was a great racer -- he won his first event with us earlier this year in Bristol -- but he was an even better person. He was a big man with a big heart, always anxious to share a few laughs and toast with a cold beer. He loved to race, and he dearly loved his friends at the track. He will be missed."

A resident of Shandon, Ohio, Engel competed in 31 JEGS ProMod Challenge events over the past few years. He had one win and two runner-up finishes on his resume. Overall, Engel had been drag racing for 21 years, and he listed John Force as the racer he admired most.

Funeral arrangements are pending at this time.


R.I.P. Steve

[Valley Cat]

Just found this forum while doing a search for Hamilton County OH Farmers Markets. Recognize a few posters - we must travel in similar circles!

There will be a Farmers Market in 2009. It will start the second Thursday of May and last throughout October. It's not just for produce - plants, gardening supplies, flowers - vendors can sell these and more. The Market's website is About.

Mike

[Hartwell Girl]

Originally Posted by Valley Cat

Just found this forum while doing a search for Hamilton County OH Farmers Markets. Recognize a few posters - we must travel in similar circles!

There will be a Farmers Market in 2009. It will start the second Thursday of May and last throughout October. It's not just for produce - plants, gardening supplies, flowers - vendors can sell these and more. The Market's website is About.

Mike

Hi VC!