Eric and Shannon Appel family of Dusty

Palouse Empire fair board members and superintendents rolled through a list of improvements and updates Monday in their July meeting at the community building at the fairground. The reports included updates on personnel changes.

Fair board members approved naming Eric and Shannon Appel of Dusty and their family for the new Fair Family recognition.

The Fair Family recognition was selected earlier this year after board members decided to drop the fair’s grand marshal recognition. The grand marshal honor dates back to the days when the fair conducted an arena parade as part of its big family show.

Eric Appel, who has been a long-time superintendent of the sheep barn, was also very active in moving the historic Jones School building from Dusty to the fairground.

Fair manager Bob Reynolds reported he believes the Appels’ contributions to the fair over the years set the criteria for what the new Fair Family award should be.

—Board member Chad Startin reported on a cleanup project which removed a long-time pile of refuse from the north area of the grounds. The pile included all types of debris which was deposited there over the years.

—Stan Riebold reported volunteers from the Palouse Empire Rodeo have started work on installation of a new rodeo announcer’s booth. Riebold said they estimated the new booth will be about twice the size of the present which has been located next to the bucking chutes on the east side of the arena.

—Manager Reynolds reported 120 new chairs have been purchased for the box seats in the fair arena. He added the fair plans to store the seats in the community building after the rodeo events to extent their longevity.

—The fair board voted to drop the 4H Skillathon competition for this year. The event attracted just seven entrants this year and requires extended supervision. Shannon Buckley, who supervised the event last year, will undertake a new fair assignment this year.

—Jamie Hedlund of Palouse was named as assistant superintendent of the fair’s horse barns this year. She will assist Kurt and Cindy Kimberling, former Garfield residents. The Kimberlings have headed the horse barns for the past 10 years after taking over the job from Janet Hedlund, Jamie’s mother.

—Reynolds reported the fair expects delivery this week of new directional signs which will be posted on the grounds. The signs are designed to route livestock exhibitors on the hectic entry day of the fair.

—Board members decided to accept the offer of an out house from Jack Ensley of Colfax. The out house was constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps members during the Depression. It will be located for display near the Jones School building on the grounds.

—Fair secretary Terry Jeffries reported to the fair board that all 42 interior and outside commercial spaces have been booked. Also, the fair has booked all of the camper-RV spaces on the grounds for the four day event. The fair now has a total of 130 spaces on the grounds with 20 of them available for self-contained campers.

Jeffries noted reservations include some turnover for the occupants of the spaces this year after some long-time campers failed to respond to repeated notices to reserve their spaces.

—Jennifer Morris asked the board to consider adding a Lil’ Guys rodeo events to the fair agenda next year. She was asked to provide contact information to the rodeo committee for consideration in the planning for next year.