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Fairs Year-round Information	F.Y.I. Volume 7, Issue 22 October 24, 1997

CFSA’s Midterm Board Election Update

Ron Maraviov, CEO of the Yolo County Fair, was recently elected to represent fair classifications 1 and 2 on CFSA's board of directors. Ron steps in midterm to fill the seat relinquished by Gary McDonald when he resigned as CEO of the Cloverdale Citrus Fair.

The board elected Kelley Ferreira, CEO of San Benito County Fair, board chair, and Ethan Hirsch, CEO of Sonoma-Marin Fair, was elected vice chair.

Among his first responsibilities as board chair, Kelley is in the process of appointing directors to three committees: the Budget Advisory Committee, the Del Mar Fair Study Subcommittee, and the CFSA Board Study Subcommittee.

In addition to Ron, Kelley (representing fair classifications 1 and 2) and Ethan (classes 3-7), CFSA's board consists of Ron Lillard, Siskiyou Golden Fair (classes 1 and 2); Becky Bailey-Findley, Orange County Fair (classes 3-7); George Gomes, California Farm Bureau Federation (public member); and Matt Etzler, Division of Fairs and Expositions (Department of Food and Agriculture's appointed representative).

By assisting the fairs in the collection of PST (Part-time, Seasonal, Temporary) Retirement Plan employee contributions, CFSA helped the DAA fairs save $494,633, as of September 30, 1997. Had the fairs used the Social Security program, which requires employers to match their employee’s contributions, the fairs would have paid $559,097 to social security instead of $64,464 paid to the Department of Personnel Administration and CFSA.

Let's Go To The Fair

The positive trend is continuing. With 42 fairs reporting in, here's how the numbers add up:

• 1997: 4,490,316 visitors
• 1996: 4,312,704 visitors
• Up: +177,612 +4.12%

The Division of Fairs and Expositions’ 1998 Expenditure Plan includes a new, onetime $1.2 million funding category for the FAIRS 2000 program. The program is designed to provide each fair organization a onetime grant equal to 15 percent of the fair’s base allocation for nonrecurring, future-oriented expenses. The program’s goal is to support improvements to operational systems and/or explore opportunities to plan, collaborate, innovate and build on fair organizations’ core competencies.

Even though all California fairs qualify for a FAIRS 2000 program grant, only fairs that submit a proposal to F&E will be considered for a grant. The deadline for submitting this grant proposal is November 20, 1997. (Proposals from fairs which currently have, or have had an F&E appointed advisor will be considered on a case-by-case basis.) For complete information on how to apply for a FAIRS 2000 program grant, call Phoebe Stolfi at 916/263-2967 or Cheri Shaw at 263-2935.

If your fair has thought about how CFSA’s FlexNet services could save your staff time and your fair money, but were concerned about setup costs, a FAIRS 2000 program grant may be the answer.

For those unfamiliar with FlexNet, it’s a multi-option PC network of operational, financial and communicational services designed especially for today’s fairs.

Want to know more? Call Sue Leavitt at 916/263-6188.

Karen Galley, CFSA Purchasing, reports that Ultra Lite Core-a-Gator tables are available at special “overrun” prices. Ideal as exhibit display tables, they measure 30” x 72,” and come in gunmetal grey or almond. The tables are $110 each (includes shipping), with a minimum order of 12. Don’t need 12? Team up with a neighbor fair.
For more information, please call Karen at 916/263-6191.

Every week, different items are made available at military and state surplus yards throughout California. And every week, the surplus warehouse buyers visit these yards, looking for items fairs have requested, as well as items of use year-round on fairgrounds. How to get in on the savings? Give surplus buyer Graeme Stewart a call.

In the meantime, here's a sampling of items currently in the warehouse. Remember, items are limited to stock on hand, first-come, first served:

• Storage shelters for hazardous materials. The shelters move easily with a fork lift. Two available
• Four- and five-drawer file safes ~ on wheels, lockable
• 80-drawer cabinets ~ ideal for storing prize ribbons or small parts used in your Maintenance Shop
• Behind-the-cab tool box for small pickup trucks. Lockable
• Multiple level metal shelving ~ use for indoor and outdoor storage
• New Multi-meters ~ electrical tester/analyzers

For more information on these and other great buys, or if you'd like to arrange a tour of the South Sacramento surplus warehouse or accompany the buyer on a visit to a surplus yard, call Graeme Stewart at 916/765-3673.

Please Note: CFSA's Surplus Purchasing Program is only authorized to obtain surplus property for California's fairs.

Here's how this year's handle adds up after 10 days of racing at the Frsno District Fair, the eighth and final stop on the summer fair horse racing circuit:

• 1996 on-track: $39,073,190
• 1997 on-track: $37,678,926
• Down: -3.56%

• 1996 Northern California off-track: $95,561,897
• 1997 Northern California off-track: $96,204,685
• Up: +.67%

• 1996 Network total: $134,635,090
• 1997 Network total: $133,883,615
• Down: -0.55%

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F.Y.I. invites and encourages all fairs to contribute articles and article ideas for the Fair Exchange column. We’ll even write the article for you. For details, call Melissa Thurber at 916/263-6178 or Joan Bartosik at 916/663-9256.
To add F.Y.I. to your press release mailing list, send or fax releases to:

1776 Tribute Road, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95815
Attn: Melissa Thurber
Fax: 916/646-1238