VOL. 8 NO. 2
Aug. 21, 2013 Inside This Issue ...
THE GREAT GEAUGA COUNTY FAIR H By Jenny Hershberger
Middlefield Village Page 7
“Out ‘N’ About” Page 13
Community Calendar Page 21
ave you been to The Great Geauga County Fair in Burton, Ohio? An individual would be hard pressed to hear a “no” from anyone who lives in the vicinity of our quiet country landscape. The fair has been a faithful mainstay to our community for nearly 200 years. It is one of the oldest, continually running events of its kind in the United States of America. That is why “National Geographic” magazine included our steadfast event in their October 1997 article “County Fairs” (http://photography. n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c. c o m / photography/enlarge/geaugacounty-race_pod_image.html). Personally, I have long suspected that The Great Geauga County Fair is indeed great. Born and raised just 5 miles from its entrance, I am very familiar with the details of this “jollification” (as it was first referred to in its early days before formal organizing bodies were established). The fair is chock-full of activities, exhibitions, demonstrations, live entertainment, vendors, games, rides, food and friendly competitions. If you are bored, it is not for a lack of things to do.
anticipate this occasion. I may look forward to it more than Christmas morning. There are certain expectations that I trust will be fulfilled
every year. This fair does not disappoint. It is assumed that being fun and reliable is an unlikely combination. The Great Geauga County Fair has proven otherwise. Since my early days of being pulled down the thoroughfare in a little red wagon, I have been developing a list of favorites things to see and do. Thankfully, the list of musts persist from my youth and have not been faded out as “old” or “out of fashion”. To this day, I drag a friend through the goat and sheep barns, where I resist exiting before petting every creature. The flower barn is another favorite of mine. It is important to stop and smell the blossoms, and I do. As a youngster, I entered baked goods and volunteered my time at the honey tasting booth in the honey barn. I continue to make a point of inhaling the scent of fresh hay and allowing my eyes to behold the walls of color in the produce barns. The Great Continued on page 2
Middlefield Chamber of Commerce Supports Cardinal School Safety Program
See inside Plain Country
By Lori Gorrell
PreSort Std U.S. Postage PAID Middlefield, OH 44062 Permit No. 77
Postal Customer Local / ECRWSS
H OR CURRENT RESIDENT
Middlefield Post P.O. Box 626 Middlefield, OH 44062
Giddy is the word that comes to mind when I begin to
ave you ever participated in a golf scramble? It happens to be my favorite way to golf because it doesn’t matter if my ball goes in the right direction or into the woods. In a scramble, each player tees off on each hole. The best of the tee shots is selected and all players play their second shots from that spot. The best of the second shots is determined, then all play their third shots from that location and so on until the ball eventually goes into the cup. I ride the coattails of my teammates and get all of the joy that comes from hitting the ball with zero pressure of staying on the fairway. Some golf outings are held as a way for companies to thank their customers and some outings are held to fundraise and to support charitable organizations.
The Second Annual Middlefield Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing on Aug. 23 is about supporting our local school district with all proceeds being donated to the Cardinal School Safety Program. Our 2012 outing allowed us to donate $3,000 toward safety cameras on the school buses and we are hoping to make an even larger impact this year. We are able to do this by having local businesses sponsor the outing by way of signage at each hole, donating prizes for the golfers and supplying the meal so that more of the money raised can go to the Safety Program. You don’t have to be involved Continued on page 2
Participants in the 2012 Middlefield Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing (l-r) Matt Smith, Radioactive Electronics; Diane Hall and Nick Hall, Ecowater Servicesoft.