T-L Photos/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Dakota Taylor of Bethesda, from left, Norah Woods of Jacobsburg, Austin Taylor of Bethesda, Alexis Tingler of Bridgeport, Carson Phillips of Bethesda and Kayla Burress of Jacobsburg are named prince, princess, duke, dutchess, king and queen, respectively, of the Belmont County Fair on Monday.
ST. CLAIRSVILLE — For the 173rd time, the Belmont County Fair is underway.
Events kicked off on Labor Day Monday with a celebration of agricultural accomplishments by area youth, recognition of those whose generosity made new buildings and other additions possible, and hopeful plans for the future.
Fair board President Ed Campbell said there were many people to be thanked, including the board members and volunteers, the Junior Fair Board and members of 4-H, the FFA, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, as well as Warden David Gray of Belmont Correctional Institution for providing work crews for the grounds.
The keynote speaker was Jerry Wenger, pastor of East Richland Evangelical Friends Church, a longtime farmer and 4-H member who also serves as chaplain for the Union Local football team, the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office, and as a district chaplain for the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Wenger spoke about the importance of transformational leadership, when leaders see the potential of others, particularly the youth. He gave several examples of apprenticeship in the Bible, as well as in his own life.
“Leadership is often more caught than taught,” he said.
Others recognized for their contributions were board member Andrea Lude of Morristown, longtime volunteer Roger Pierce of Richland Township, past board members Nancy Gillogly of St. Clairsville and Bill Ferrell of East Richland, as well as Clifford Collins for his family’s donation for a new commercial building.
Looking toward the future, Campbell said the board has applied for grant funding and received more than $375,000, and with the assistance of other entities has raised $779,000.
“Everything is in the planning stages that our soil and water and our extension office will all be moved down to the fairgrounds,” he said. “We’ve got floor plans laid out and our next step is to meet with an architect.”
Before the royalty was crowned, all of the top 4-H winners in still projects were recognized. Still projects and others unrelated to livestock and cover categories such as clothing, textiles, woodworking and other arts.
4-H Educator Tracey Dickerson said Belmont County’s 4-H members have a lot to be proud of.
“We had 75 kids qualify to go to state fair competition, and we received five clock trophy awards and eight Outstanding Project of the Day awards, I believe that is when you’re in the top 10 percent across the state and you can get an Outstanding of the Day,” Dickerson said.
She said “clock trophies” are awarded to those who took a top score in one particular project from all of the entries across the state.
“From 88 counties in Ohio, you’re competing against anyone who took that project at that level,” she said.
“These kids work really hard all year on their still projects, and they have a big schedule over the course of a couple weeks at the state fair where everybody from across the state goes and competes against everybody else at that state level,” she said.
Dickerson added although this has only been her third Belmont County Fair she was very impressed with youth.
“We’re very proud of all of our kids. … Nobody could recall a time where Belmont County did so well at a showing of the Ohio State Fair for their projects.”
Local officials were also recognized, and a representative of U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, read a proclamation.
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