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The first Sanders County Fair Commission meeting was short, but the manager and the three remaining board members are off to a fast start in readying for the 2021 fair.

"We're going to go on planning for this year's fair until they tell us to shut it down again," said Randy Woods at last week's meeting, which was over in less than an hour. Manager Melissa Cady is in the process of sending out more contracts than 2020, although she didn't have an exact number. She said they're also working to upgrade the grandstands and several buildings, including a new heater in the agriculture building in order to make it available for rental to the public. 

The manager said that the severe wind storm two weeks ago did only minor damage to the fairgrounds fencing, grandstands, which has been repaired, and to some of the barns. The U.S. Navy flag pole was damaged, but Kim McNeil, the fairgrounds caretaker, cut about two feet off the damaged piece, made a sleeve for it, and put it back in the ground, though it sets lower than the other service flags. Cady said the U.S flag and other four military flags went unscathed. McNeil said the wind came up strong and fast and there was no time to get the American flag down. "With that wind, you couldn't have held onto it anyway; it would've blown you right into the fence," said McNeil, who's been there 30 years.

Cady said she's also planning on working with Montana Silversmiths out of Columbus, Montana, to design belt buckles, earrings and necklaces with the fair logo. Cady came up with the idea to have them made to sell to the public or use them as awards. She is only in the design planning stage at this point and doesn't have sizes yet. She also announced the fairgrounds will host a monster truck rally on June 19 and 20, a Saturday and Sunday. "As soon as we have finalized the details we will have the information on our Fair Facebook page. We are probably looking at tough trucks and possibly UTV races - that has yet to be determined," said Cady. 

Sanders County is looking to fill two positions on the fair commission, one to replace Milanna Shear of Hot Springs, who has been with the board two years and resigned in December, and one from the west end of the county to fill the spot held by Roberta Smith of Thompson Falls. Smith has been on the fair board since 2001. Her present term is up and she hasn't given any indication that she wanted to continue, according to Commissioner Carol Brooker.

Those interested in applying for fair board positions can pick up an application at the commissioner's office at the Sanders County Courthouse or go online. The positions are two-year terms and though members do not get paid for the position, they do get paid for mileage.

"We would want someone who cares about the fair succeeding, may have some interest in 4-H and the youth of the county. Fairly simple really," said Brooker. "Really hard to find good folks that can commit to the meetings and to be at the fair for the five days of the event," she added.

The board also approved an additional $3,500 for a water tender for the fairgrounds. The board had already approved $16,000 for a tender last year, but the owner of the one they found decided to keep it. Randy Woods, the fair commission chairman, recently found one in Idaho and purchased it for $19,500. To sell it to the county, the board had to approve the additional funds. Woods said most of the water tenders they looked at were around $23,000

Juli Thurston, MSU Sanders County Extension agent, was one of three individuals from the public to attend the meeting, representing 4-H. Sanders County 4-H will be handling Communication Days competition different this year due to COVID-19, she reported. Each of the seven 4-H clubs will hold their own competition and select the top contestants for Finals Day on April 11, which will be held this year at the Extensions Office in the Clark Fork Professional Building, 2504 Tradewinds Way, east of Thompson Falls.

The 4-H recently started an Outdoor Adventure program for its members, which gets them involved in several activities. In January, the 4-H'ers participated in activities such as sledding, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing. Similar activities are planned for February and March. 

The next fair commission meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 17, at 7 p.m. in the fair pavilion.