The Sanders County Fair demolition derby will continue, but the board is still unsure whether or not the Plains Lions Club will be in the arena to help, according to Sanders County Commissioner Carol Brooker.

Fair Manager Chris McGuigan notified the Lions members in attendance at last week’s March fair board meeting that the club would have to purchase spectator insurance and sign waivers to be in the arena during the derby.

“We would not be able to do that simply because we would not come out with very much,” said Lions President Duane Highcrane. “I don’t think the waiver is the way to go and I would not personally sign my rights away,” added Highcrane, who took over as president last year. Spectator insurance would cost the Lions Club $2,500 to $3,000, according to Highcrane, who has contacted more than a dozen insurance companies.

Lions treasurer Chuck Wassinger said the club has a $1 to $2-million liability insurance policy, but until Lions member Ron Warren was injured in the arena last year, neither the club nor the fair knew the insurance didn’t cover demolition derbies. Wassinger said the club is in a tough spot for working the derby if the county can’t cover them under the fair’s insurance.

Fair board member Wade Rehbein suggested there might be other ways for the club to participate in the derby that wouldn’t require them in the arena, such as checking in derby cars, crowd control or registration. Rehbein said that perhaps the fair could cover the cost of the trophies and prize money, which means the club wouldn’t have to shell out money up front. The club last year spent some $8,400 for the derby prizes. He said there’s a man who has indicated an interest in working in the arena and will sign the waivers, as the derby drivers have done since the start.

Highcrane will take the fair’s proposal to its members at their April meeting. Rehbein and fair board member Heidi Kirkwood plan to attend the meeting.

The fair board approved a one-year contract for Paradise Amusements of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, one of several companies interested in filling the spot left open by Davis Amusement Cascadia, which has serviced the fair for nearly 25 years but is scaling down operations. Paradise Amusements has promised to supply 12-15 big rides, 6-7 kid rides and 12-15 games. McGuigan said the fair should make more money from Paradise Amusement. The contract also called for the carnival to pay $1,000 for grounds maintenance.

The board also approved a one-year contract with the Sanders County Concessions Group, which allows for the nonprofit organization to man seven booths. According to the contract, the concessions group will pay the fair 75 percent of last year’s total net prior to fair time and the remaining 20 percent by Oct. 15.

Discussions became heated after the board asked to see the records of each booth’s expenses and profits. However, Katy French, the group’s treasurer, said they don’t want to provide data of the individual booths for fear that it would become public and an outside business would be able to outbid them. But she said they would gladly provide the total expenses and the board agreed. Regardless of what each booth takes in, the concessions group divides the profits evenly between its individual organizations.

McGuigan also briefed the board on the progress of the pavilion work by Day Springs Restoration of Kalispell, which at the time was at a standstill. The pavilion caught fire during last year’s fair. Day Springs Restoration started work on the building late last year, but Brooker said there have been constant delays by the company. The commissioner planned to have the assistant county attorney look over the contract to see whether or not a deadline date had been included.

The fair manager said 11 organizations that had been slated to use the pavilion for their functions had to find another site due to the delay, losing the fair more than $2,000. The Clark Fork Valley Hospital Foundation planned its annual fundraiser gala for April 7, but McGuigan said the building would not be ready. The foundation will have its event at the Christian Alliance Church.

Day Springs Restoration still has to install the sub flooring, electrical, plumbing, cabinets, and paint, said McGuigan.

The next fair board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 18, at 7 p.m. in the fair manager’s office.