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Joe
Uecker
State
Representative
07/23/06
Summer Festivals Become Family Summer
Traditions
Sunday marked the opening of the 157th annual
Clermont County Fair. When you picture the county fair
depicted in the musical “Music Man” with Forest Tucker and
Shirley Jones, you have a very close picture of Clermont’s
fair, lots of good family traditions and fun. The fair
started this year again with a good old fashion parade
that never seemed to end. It was a dentist’s nightmare
(or dream depending on your view) with about every parade
entry throwing many pounds of candy. I alone tossed out
over 35 pounds of Tootsie Rolls and bubblegum. The streets
were lined with children from about 9am until the parade
started at 1pm. This has to be one of the first parades
where I actually heard children say “thank you”.
Moreover, I heard on several occasions parents reminding
their children to say “thank you”. To set the record
straight, I am not in collusion with the area
orthodontists. If you have never been to the parade that
opens the county fair, you HAVE to let your children
experience the more common aspects of Clermont County
tradition.
The Clermont County Fair is one of over 100 county fairs
that occur in Ohio every summer. From 88 county fairs to
the many other “specialty” fairs like the Pumpkin
Festival, Apple Festival, Sauerkraut Festival to many
others, surely one or several will become part of your
family’s summer tradition. My family’s favorite “out of
town” festival was the Pumpkin Festival in Barnsville (far
northeast corner near Cambridge) while I always enjoyed
the Sauerkraut festival every fall in Waynesville.
Through the county fairs we show our community’s support
for Ohio’s number one industry, agriculture. At the same
time, the youth of our community have the opportunity to
learn what it takes to have a future in agriculture. As I
wonder through the several buildings at the fair, I see
the kids that take part in 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of
America) and how proud they are over their particular
entry at the fair.
Lastly, since I am an elected official and it is “expected
of me” (and without ANY arm twisting) I partake in the
cake and pie auction. This is where the entries for the
competition of the baked items are actually auctioned to
the highest bidder. Now one year I was the highest bidder
on the number one apple pie at the fair. I have to tell
you, it was without a doubt the best apple pie I have ever
tasted. This year’s fair is featuring “carrot cake”
entries. Of all my extremely limited culinary talents, I
happen to make a killer carrot cake and have every
intention to enter it… probably under a different name so
as not to intimidate the judges (!). Maybe you’ll read
about it next week.
Keep your summer full of family traditions! See you at the
fair.
Joe
Uecker
State
Representative
Ohio’s
66 District
Representing
Batavia, Goshen, Miami and Union Townships as well as the
Cities of Loveland and Milford and the Villages of Batavia
and Amelia.
Columbus Phone:
614-466-8134
Email:
Joe@JoeUecker.com
Website:
http://JoeUecker.com |
