"How come Superman could stop bullets with his chest, but always ducked when someone threw a gun at him." ~ Anonymous
Fairs Year-round Information	F.Y.I. Volume 8, Issue 6 March 27,1998

IN FOCUS

Tune Up Your Fairgrounds with These Timely Tips from CCA

As the rainy season gives way to fair season, maintenance departments at fairgrounds statewide are preparing their Major Maintenance Plans (MMP) while surveying their grounds for areas of improvement. To help with the survey, Ken Hamilton from the California Construction Authority (CCA), offers this mini-checklist of some of the areas that play an important role in your grounds' overall safety and operation.

• Electrical projects are often a major area of focus this time of year. While underground installations are preferred, sometimes they're not practical at many of California's older fair facilities. Instead, Ken notes, fairs need to do all they can to modify and upgrade existing electrical installations. For example, when fairtime concessionaires start plugging in, you'll be better equipped to handle the inevitable power drain at dusk if you know your concessionaires' electrical needs in advance. How about having them jot down their electrical requirements on their applications for space? (Building pedestals in the off-season for electrical hookups is helpful.) Simple tasks such as checking battery packs for emergency lights, cleaning out electrical panels and tightening breakers also helps head off preventable problems.
• Plumbing maintenance is another area for you to take a close look at, as is cleaning out grease traps and maintaining sewer lines, particularly those near tree roots.
• Trips and falls, the most common public hazard during a fair, may be reduced with new pavement and patching done as close to fairtime as possible (without impacting setup, of course). Slips on wet, slick floors also occur, so be sure to check all buildings for leaky roofs, especially with the abundance of rain El Nino has brought.
• Another area to look at: All "panic" hardware on doors should be functional so that chains are never used.

For further information on tuning up your fair facility, please contact Ken Hamilton of CCA at 916/263-6114.

"Everything must go!" says Surplus Warehouse Manager Graeme Stewart when asked about CFSA's soon-to-be-discontinued Surplus Program. And to make sure remaining stock is sold quickly, he's reduced the already low surplus prices even further. In the same breath Graeme warned, all merchandise is available in limited quantities, on a first-come, first-served basis.

NOTE: If your fair is on record at the General Services Surplus Department, your fair can continue to shop, on its own, at the General Services warehouse in Sacramento. To shop one of California's federal or military surplus yards, you must have a Screener's Card or be accompanied by a State Buyer.

To find out if your fair is eligible to shop the General Services warehouse, check with Graeme. If it isn’t, he’ll help you with the registration process. In the meantime, here’s all that’s left in CFSA’s South Sacramento surplus warehouse (at press time):

• Shade cloth - approximately 85 percent shade; measures approximately 28’ x 32’ hexagon
• Office desks - four remaining
• Picnic tables with four attached chairs
• Shop work tables - four remaining
• File/safe cabinets - fireproof with wheels; three remaining
• Printer cover and stand - one remaining
• Five-shelf lateral storage cabinets with door

For more information, call Graeme at 916/765-3673. Please note: CFSA’s Surplus Purchasing Program is only authorized to obtain surplus property for California’s fairs.

Applications are now being accepted for the position of Manager/Chief Executive Officer for the Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show in Boonville, California. Selection emphasis is on administration and management experience, financial accounting, planning, marketing, facility enhancement, community outreach and public relations skills. Salary is $3,289 to $3,558 monthly.
For a full job description and application information, please contact:

Manager/CEO Selection Process
Mendocino County Fair & Apple Show
P.O. Box 458
Boonville, CA 95415
Phone/fax: 707/895-3011

Applications are due April 24, 1998.

1997 was a trend-breaking year for total paid attendances at California’s fairs — up 1.53%, compared to an average 4% drop in the past three years. As you peruse the comparison chart, right, keep in mind each year had its own set of attendance-influencing challenges — many out of the fairs’ control — such as bad weather and power failures. Seventy-three fairs are included in the 1997 tally, compared to 75 in 1996.

Changes in fair status that affected 1997’s paid attendance tally were: Two fairs with paid gates joined four other fairs to offer free admission. Another fair that was previously free, charged admission, and another fair was cancelled.

Look for these informative articles coming up in F.Y.I.:

• Printing tips from CARF’s print shop
• Computer tips from CFSA’s computer techs
• Fairtime sponsorship ideas from WFA’s Resource Development Director
• And much more!

Attention Fairs! Share your ideas and accomplishments with your friends and fellow fairs in F.Y.I. The Fair Exchange column is dedicated to articles from and about California’s fairs. Simply give Melissa Thurber a call, a fax, or make life really easy for yourself and add her to your fair’s press release mailing list. (She’ll even write the article for you.) Contact her at: