Thousands attend county fair
Posted 8/16/02

Fair weather and more than a fair-sized crowd were features of the four-day, 111th annual Mille Lacs County Fair that ended Sunday evening.

Fair board director Judy Gerth didnít have an estimate Monday of the attendance but she and husband Gene, in charge of the fairís entertainment, said it was higher than last year.

The previous yearís report showed that vendor East Central Pork Producers had sold 3,700 grilled pork chops. The Gerths think many more chops were sold this year.

Judy Gerth noted that fairgoers purchased all the 7,000 fair-admission buttons printed and so gatekeepers at the end had to sell surplus buttons from previous years for admission. Itís difficult to estimate attendance because those age 12 and under get in free, the Gerths said.

Although dark clouds sometimes hovered above the fairgrounds, rain stayed away and frequent breezes helped relieve some of the heat.

Fair board president Steve Ouverson said the weather helped make the fair run well this year, noting that Chopper, billed as the "worldís nuttiest DJ," filled the band shell area on Thursday and Friday, and the senior citizen day Friday was well attended.

One of the big boosts for the fair this year was the just-opened 4-H livestock pavilion that gave spacious room for showing animals. It was there that MIlle Lacs County 4-H officers and educators celebrated the centennial of 4-H in Minnesota. That included having some 4-H alumni talk about their days long ago. The 4-H building included 4-H memorabilia on exhibit.

The countyís senior citizens were honored Friday, Senior Citizen Day. Paul Eliason of Princeton was chosen Mille Lacs County senior man of the year, Helen Ranstrom of Princeton was named senior woman of the year and Cecil and Betty Malchow of Princeton were named senior couple of the year.

The fair had 1,014 4-H exhibits this year. Open class vegetable and flower exhibits were down but the late spring was a factor, noted Marlene Trunk, supervisor of vegetable garden produce and plants.

The results of some contests:

Demolition derby ñ Rich Hall winner in compacts, Marilyn Evenson in chain class, Scott Gurman in heavy welded and Bob Brown won trucks.

The amateur talent contest drew 19 entries in three divisions. Winning the pre-teen division was Michael McLouth with his "Stinky Blues" violin solo. The Show Stoppers won the teen division doing the "Pennsylvania 5000" tap dance. Winners of the open division were the Bistodeau sisters doing "Woodchopperís Reel. "

Ninety-four tractors were in the 10-class tractor pull, with entrants from Princeton, Elk River, Milaca, Cambridge, Mora, Pine City, St. Francis and St. Cloud.

Jake Wilhelm and his í36 Allis WC won the 3,500-pound antique class. Bob Olson with an Allis Chalmers WF took the 3,500 farm stock class. Roger Marshall with a 1937 John Deere A won the 4,500 antique class.

Winning the 5,000 farm stock class was Jeff Moos with a Farmall 300. Guy Belcainger won the 5,000 hobby stock with an Oliver 77 and Roy Kollar took the 7,000 hobby stock with a 930 Case. Glen Ertel with a John Deere G won the 7,000 farm stock.

Mark Kohnen won the 9,000 farm stock with an IH1256. Winning the 9,000 hobby stock was Lee Mitzel with a 1936 McCormick WK 40, while Doug Kollas won the 12,000 open class with an IH 1466. Kelly Londgren with a John Deere 4430 won the 15,000 farm stock and John E. Swanson Jr. took the 18,000 farm stock.

Six horse teams were in the draft horse pull, where Roger Clark of Woodville, Wis., won both the lightweight and heavyweight divisions.

Jeremy Hible of Princeton placed first in the 4-H/FFA tractor driving contest while Tim Braun of Princeton was second, Mike Boyle of Foreston was third and Kendal Braun of Princeton was fourth.

It is at the county fair where families are recognized for having a century farm and the ones named this year were the John R. and Shirley Miller farm of Princeton that is farmed by son Eric, Tim and Sue Nystrom of Foreston and Gene and Joyce Stobb of the Milaca area.

For those wondering who won the silent auction for the welcome-bear chain saw sculpture at the Serenity Sculptures demonstration site, it was Nicole Haehn of Zimmerman, for $300.

Two others rewarded at the fair, not for their bid but for their work, were longtime fair board members Harry Peetz and Dewey Anderson. The board presented Peetz (29 years) and Anderson (23 years) with plaques of appreciation upon their retirement from the board. They also received a lifetime pass to the fair and fairground events.

When the sound of chain saws, race cars, tractors and music ended Sunday evening as exhibitors walked out the gate with their exhibits, the fair was over.

Fair board president Ouverson at that point agreed with someone in the fair board office that the fair seemed to have gone quickly.

"You spend 10 to 11 months preparing it and the next thing itís over," he said.

Editors Note: On Tuesday, the Mille Lacs County Fair Board reported approximately 25,500-26,000 people attended the fair this year.