Daily Press 1 Vol. 17 No. 2 Printed daily 157th Franklin County Fair Proudly produced and printed by: Home of the Hampton Chronicle and Sheffield Press 2016 Franklin County Fair Queen Katelynn Baltes (Photo by Mackenzie Serbus) Thursday through Sunday during fair FREE
2 John Michael Montgomery hits the stage tonight John Michael Montgomery has turned an uncanny ability to relate to fans into one of country music s most storied careers. Behind the string of hit records, the roomful of awards and the critical and fan accolades that have defined his phenomenal success lies a connection that goes beyond his undeniable talent and his proven knack for picking hits. Since the days when Life s A Dance turned him from an unknown artist into a national star, John Michael s rich baritone has carried that most important of assets believability. Few artists in any genre sing with more heart than this handsome Kentuckyborn artist. It is readily apparent in love songs that have helped set the standard for a generation. Songs like I Swear, I Love the Way You Love Me and I Can Love You Like That still resonate across the landscape pop icon and country newcomer Jessica Simpson cited I Love The Way You Love Me as an influence in a recent interview. It is apparent in the 2004 hit Letters From Home, one of the most moving tributes to the connection between soldiers and their families ever recorded, and in The Little Girl, a tale of redemption that plumbs both the harrowing and the uplifting. It is apparent even in the pure fun that has always found its way into John Michael s repertoire songs like Be My Baby Tonight and Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident), where John Michael s vocal earnestness takes musical whimsy to another level. John Michael s origins lie in deceptively modest beginnings. He was born in Danville, Kentucky, to FRIDAY, JULY 15 UNITED BANK & TRUST COMPANY DAY United Bank & Trust - serving FREE Pork sandwiches noon until gone - Phelps Implement Tent 8 a.m. Beef show; Rehder Pavilion 8 a.m. Rabbit show; Livestock Tent 9-11 a.m. Clover kids veggie 500 race; Exhibits Building 9:30 a.m. Old Time Farming; Grandpa s Farm 9:30 a.m. Garden tractor show; Grandpa s Farm 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Commercial exhibits & Pleasant Hill open 11 a.m. Clover kids veggie 500 race; Exhibits Building 11 a.m. THE RHINESTONE ROPER; North Fairgrounds 11 a.m. El Gato, dancing horse and Kelly; Pleasant Hill Noon United Bank & Trust Company serving FREE Pork sandwiches, until gone Noon -5 p.m. Franklin Farmhands; Grandpa s Farm Noon Musical chairs; Phelps Implement Tent 1 p.m. Summer Jo s dance academy; Phelps Implement Tent parents who imparted a lifelong love of music. The family band played on weekends throughout the area, and John Michael and his brother Eddie eagerly soaked up everything about it. John Michael took over lead singing chores after his parents divorced, and he performed for a while in a band called Early Tymz with Eddie and their friend Troy Gentry. Nashville talent scouts began hearing about and then seeing John Michael perform and by the early 90s he had a record deal. The hits followed steadily, with songs like Rope The Moon, If You ve Got Love, No Man s Land, Cowboy Love, As Long As I Live, Friends and How Was I To Know establishing him as one of the elite acts of the era. He received the CMA Horizon award and was named the ACM s Top New Vocalist, setting off a long series of awards that included the CMA s Single and Song of the Year, Billboard s Top Country Artist, and a Grammy nomination. Today s Schedule of Events Franklin County Veggie 500 Franklin County ISU Extension & Outreach Clover Kids program is hosting the Veggie 500 race on Friday, July 15 in the Youth Exhibits Building. The event is sponsored by North Central Building Supply, Inc. and Franklin County 4-H Foundation. To partic- i- pate in the Veggie 500 race, individuals or teams will create and decorate race cars using supplied vegetables, craft materials, wooden wheels and axles. The cars will race in pairs down a 16 foot wooden, 4 lane ramp. The event is limited to 40 racers. The Veggie 400 is open to all youth ages 5-9, accompanied by an adult. Registration and construction of the veggie racer will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the Youth Exhibits Building. Race cars are allowed to practice down the ramp during the construction period between 9:00-9:45 a.m. Judging of decorated veggie cars will begin at 9:45 a.m. The races will begin at 10:00 a.m. Participants will draw numbers before the first race to determine matchups for each heat. Eliminations continue until a winner is determined. First Heat: 10 races of four cars each. Single elimination, winner advances to next heat. Second Heat: Winners of the first 10 races and 2 Wild Card slots will be drawn from those racers previously eliminated. Third Heat: The three winners of Second Heat will race, best of three races wins! Prizes to be awarded include: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, place Racer; Best Decorated, Most Colorful, Funniest, and Most Original. All participants will receive a participation ribbon. Veggie 500 racers will remain on display throughout the fair. 1-4 p.m. Harriman-Nielsen house open for visitors 1 p.m. 4-H Educational presentations; Exhibits building 1 p.m. Old Time Farming; Grandpa s Farm 1:30 p.m. El Gato, dancing horse and Kelly; Pleasant Hill 2 p.m. THE RHINESTONE ROPER; North Fairgrounds 2-6 p.m. The Bobby Cool Band; Mort s Water Gazebo 2 p.m. Smith s Amusements on Midway open 2 p.m. Hampton-Dumont cheerleading camp; Phelps Tent FRIDAY, JULY 15 - Continued 2:30 p.m. Blacksmith demo; Pleasant Hill 3 p.m. Ray Thompson, hypnotist; Phelps Implement Tent 3 p.m. Spelling Bee; Pleasant Hill School 4 p.m. Apple peeling contest; Phelps Implement Tent 4 p.m. 4-H Working exhibits; Exhibits Building 5 p.m. Ray Thompson, hypnotist; Phelps Implement Tent 3 p.m. Water balloon throwing contest; Pleasant Hill 6 p.m. El Gato, dancing horse and Kelly; Pleasant Hill 6 p.m. THE RHINESTONE ROPER; North Fairground 7 p.m. Grandstand gate & beer garden open 8:30 p.m. JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY; Grandstand
3 Granger Smith hit the main stage on Thursday evening. (Paul De La Cerda photo)
4 There s also entertainment on Pleasant Hill s Main Street. Kelly Christine and her dancing horse, El Gato, perform daily along with the Dragonfly Dancing Horses. The fair is a good place to take the kids in your family to experience agriculture today. Franklin Farm Hands is a hands-on exhibit for kids up to 12 years old. Located on Grandpa s Farm, the goal is to help teach kids the importance of agriculture in their daily lives as they go through an agricultural progression from farm to store. The CAL and Hampton-Dumont FFA Tall Corn Chapter built the activity and will run it along with volunteers from AGWSR, West Fork, and Belmond-Klemme FFA s. At the beginning of the activity each child gets a booklet to place stickers from each station they have completed. They first visit a field and help plant a seed. Then they go to a grain bin where the grain is stored after harvest. Kids will then see the animals that the grain is fed to chickens, sheep, dairy, beef cattle, and pigs. Each child will get to pedal around the farm on a tractor to help the farmer. When their book is completed they get to go to the grocery store and get a treat with the earnings from their work on the farm. Franklin Farm Hands will be operating Thursday through Saturday from 1-5 pm. And Sunday 1-3 p.m.
5 Steven Kozidis, 22 months, takes his turn at the wheel of one of the many antique vehicles on the fairgrounds. Kozidis and his family may have earned the award for those who have traveled the farthest to attend the fair. Steven and his family are from Maine. (Mackenzie Serbus photo) TRY OUR FREE CONVENIENT SERVICES. We re here for you! Joe is reviewing his monthly estatement - 24 Hour Banking Online - estatements - Debit Card - Identity Theft Protection - Mobile Banking - Mobile Deposit - Video Bankers available 66 hours! Kelsey is depositing her paycheck Kate just paid Sarah back for coffee 1stsecuritybank.com Member FDIC
6 Your 2016 Franklin County Fair Queen and her court. Pictured from left are Brooke Benning, Miss Congeniality Caleigh Sutter, Queen Katelynn Baltes, First Runnerup Mallory Wohlford, and Second Runnerup Morrigan Miller. (Mackenzie Serbus photo) Franklin County EMS will be giving daily demonstrations of CPR at 4:30 p.m. at the Doctor s Office in Pleasant Hill.
7 A handful of folks were found milling around Pleasant Hill on a picturesque night at the fair. (Ryan Harvey photo) Elise Mason of Nashua chows down on a slice of watermelon during the watermelon feed at the fair on Thursday. (Mari Ann Wearda photo) Kaden Abbas shows his champion chicken during the poultry show on Tuesday. (Mackenzie Serbus photo)
8