Grandstand project nears completion
August 15, 2019
Installation of the new arena grandstand, which is expected to be the star attraction at this year's Palouse Empire Fair, is expected to be finished this week. The new aluminum grandstand, funded with $1.5 million from county .09 sales tax for economic development, will provide 2,483 seats with most of them fold-down plastic seats.
Bill Tensfeld, fair executive director, said this week installation of the seats has been finished by the crew from Len Hufford Construction based in McMinnville, Ore.
Tensfeld noted up to six members of the crew worked to install the seats once they were shipped. The crew is now awaiting delivery of final parts to finish out the project.
Manufactured by Souther Bleacher, Co. of Graham, Texas, the grandstand features nine box seat sections with 48 seats in each section.
Three seating sections behind the box seats will feature the folding seats, and one and one-half sections at each end will have bench back bleacher seats.
Seven light standards have been positioned around the new grandstand project and were scheduled to be mounted on concrete stub poles that have been poured.
A crew from Avista was scheduled to be on the grounds Wednesday to lift the light standards into place.
Tensfeld said the light standards were manufactured by Musco Lighting, based in Oscalosa, Iowa. They were declared surplus from another lighting project and have been in storage at the fairgrounds.
A Musco representative has checked the lights in advance of Wednesday's mounting operation. One of the big improvements with the new LED lights will be the reduction in operating costs, Tensfeld noted.
The Palouse Empire Fair Foundation is footing the bill for the electrical installments connected with the grandstand project.
County crews Monday began demolition of the Hugh Huntley barn, one of the last buildings related to the horse racing days at what was known as Mockonema Downs.
The late Mr. Huntley, who farmed in the Diamond area, was the first president of the Horse Racing Association, according to the signs which identified the barn on each end.
Racing at Mockonema Downs began in 1949. Race meets were conducted in June in advance of the summer meet at the Playfair track in Spokane.
The Huntley Barn signs on each end of the building were removed and will be presented to members of the Huntley family.
One remaining barn from the horse racing days is the Urgell Bell barn which is now used by the Sheriff's Posse and marked as the Posse Barn. The barn is used as headquarters for Posse volunteers when they are conducting parking control during the four-day fair.
One other remaining remnant of the horse racing days at the fairground is the slight slope on what was once the south bank curve of the race track which fairgoers can discern as they walk in the parking area.
Horse racing at Mockonema in June included races on the track and quarterhorse races which started near the arena entry gates near the present horse barns.
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