Concert, bump-n-run planned at fair

A concert to help with a building upgrade at the Great Northern Fair has been added to the schedule for the 2014 fair.

Stacey Waid of Hill County 4-H said the organization is bringing Canby, Ore., rancher and country-western music recording artist Joni Harms, and her daughter, Olivia, to perform in the Bigger Better Barn following Great Northern Fair’s second year of pig wrestling Wednesday, July 16.

“She’s a huge fan of 4-H,” Waid said of Joni Harms.

The board agreed to let Hill County 4-H keep all of the proceeds from the concert, which will go toward funding the construction of the new 4-H Chuckwagon at the fairgrounds.

Waid said Hill County 4-H is continuing the planning of the facility, to replace the decades-old building 4-H owns at the fairground.

The 4-H group is waiting for final approval on an agreement on the building to finalize plans and move forward, she said.

“We have a kitchen and we’re ready to go,” Waid said.

Town Pump donated to Hill County 4-H for the new Chuckwagon kitchen equipment from the former Wendy’s building, which Town Pump purchased.

Board Chair Bert Corcoran appointed board members Mike Arnold, Chad Murnin and Gus Sharp, who all volunteered, to a committee to work with 4-H on resolving some issues in the agreement on the new Chuckwagon.

Fairgrounds manager Tim Solomon said there are some things to iron out, including if the building will be for year-round use — 4-H has proposed it be used for other events, including building an indoor shooting range in the facility — and what will be set for parking, snow removal and garbage removal if it is for year-round use.

Hill County Commissioner Jeff LaVoi said the commission had only one issue, a provision about the county obtaining fair market value for the building for 4-H if the fairgrounds ever were sold. The commission wants 4-H to be responsible for selling its building if the fairgrounds were sold, he said. The agreement is being reviewed by the Hill County attorney as well, he said.

Chelby Gooch of the Havre Jaycees said that organization is continuing to work on another addition to the fair, a bump-n-run race to be held between some heats of the annual Jaycees Demolition Derby, set for Sunday, July 20.

Gooch said Jaycees have been, and will continue, to bring up tires to use to brace the track, which will run through the arena in part of its course, and are working on setting up bringing dirt to complete the track.

Solomon said people affiliated with the bump-n-run — described as a cross between a demolition derby and a track race — have marked out the course of the track, which will run outside and to the south of the arena.

Board member Gus Sharp again raised the idea of setting up a capital improvement plan for the fairgrounds, which he said could be used for issues like obtaining snow removal services, upgrading electrical lines, improving parking and working on upgrading or repairing repairs.

Solomon said that is the purpose of the fair foundation, but it has little success raising money due to lack of interest — the same few people work in its activities every year. The foundation’s top priority now is adding, upgrading or replacing restrooms at the fair, he said.

The foundation’s largest fundraiser in recent years has been the annual Rockin’ the Hills concert, although Solomon said this morning that the event has been canceled for this year, with plans to revive it in future years.

It had used sales of advertising on the rodeo chute gates at the arena, which the foundation purchased for the fair board, as a primary fundraiser, but that has been taken over by the group that puts on rodeos at the arena.

Gooch said Tuesday more interaction with the groups like the Jaycees that are active in the fair might help with that, saying she does not recall seeing any letters or requests in her time with the Jaycees.

Solomon said the foundation does contact groups like the Jaycees and others at the fair to try to raise support and obtain volunteers. That was how former board member and Havre Jaycee Andy Owens was recruited, but the foundation gets little response, he said.

Board member Alma Seidel said recruiting might be more successful if it were coming from somewhere other than the board members.