Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Fair Association sets rental rates for buildings

Rental rates for the buildings at the Nevada County Fairgrounds were discussed and approved.

Mary Godwin, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, told the Association, at its regular monthly meeting Monday, Feb. 13, she had talked to Paul Henley, director of the Hope Parks and Recreation Department, about the rental rates of the Southwest District Coliseum and arena, getting copies of those rental agreements. She urged the Association members to pass the rates she suggested as there are several groups wanting to rent buildings over the next few weeks.

Godwin said she will get the deposit from those renting the buildings and hold their checks until she gets the key back. However, the buildings will first be checked to make sure they are clean. Otherwise the deposit check will be used to pay for their cleaning.

Trash, she said, is a big problem with renting the buildings. It needs to be put in a container with a lid outside, and picked up weekly. I dont know what it would cost to build one. She added this is also a problem with the rental of the rodeo arena.

A possible solution to this problem could be with teams in Leadership Nevada County. Each team in the class must complete a community project during the year. One or more of these teams could do work the Association needs as their projects.

John Henderson, Association president, said the rental agreement for the arena needs to stipulate the Association will not be responsible for furnishing a tractor. The renter must make their own arrangement for this.

The Association approved the rates as follows: Potlatch Building, $150 per day rental, $150 deposit, $50 for half day rental; show ring, $150 rental and $150 deposit, this includes two barns; Stewart Building and Economic Homemakers Building, $100 rental and $100 deposit; and rodeo arena, $150 rental and $150 deposit.

Edie Greenwood, with the Nevada County Health Unit, was next on the agenda, speaking about the annual Prescott-Nevada County Health Alliances Health-A-Rama. Last year, she said, the PNCHA used the Potlatch Building to house the Health-A-Rama, leaving it clean once the event was over.

However, the PNCHA has to schedule the Health-A-Rama a year in advance, and after last years event, set the 2006 date at Sept. 16  the start date of the Nevada County Fair. The original idea, she said, was to avoid a conflict with the fair, as it had been held in late August and early September.

She suggested announcing the Health-A-Rama as part of the fair to get people to come to the earlier events. In addition, Greenwood said the PNCHA would clean the building and help set up for the gospel singing.

Lisa McClure, pageant director, said the stage will be decorated and will need to be blocked off from traffic. The Association agreed, saying adding the Health-A-Rama would give it an extra fair day.

A new set of bylaws were approved by the Association members. The bylaws explain who can be members and who can exhibit at the fair, as well as spelling out the duties of the officers.

Godwin said the Chamber received a grant from the Arkansas Department of Economic Development (ADED) for a project, but had money left over. The ADED was called and approved using the remaining funds to purchase an air conditioner and refrigerator for the concession stand at the fair. The fridge has already been installed, with the a/c unit to be installed soon.

There was talk of changes to the fair book. Ruby Wicker said the Association needs to raise the point system on the exhibits, something that hasnt been done in a long time.