Judges Select Somerset Fair Queen As State Fair Queen
(Continued from Page B 14)
panying family, the queen contes
tants leave their tables in the large
ballroom to go to prepare to be
introduced to entire audience, one
by-one.
All 44 contestants then took the
stage as they were introduced, and
were seated on risers on the stage.
After the entire group was pre
sented, five finalists were named.
In addition to Irwin and Sechler,
the other three finalists were Dana
Anderson, 16, daughter of Robert
and Carolyn Anderson of Kersey;
Trisha Gallagher, 19, daughter of
William and Janet Gallagher of
Uniontown; and Gretchen Foust,
20, daughter of Bud and Sherry
Foust of Sugar Grove.
All contestants, but the five
finalists, remained on stage. The
finalists were sent backstage, out
of earshot
One-by-one, they returned to
the stage where Principe asked
them each the same question, as a
final test of their ability at
impromptu speaking.
The question was, “If you are
selected ... how would you prom
ote and market Pennsylvania coun
ty fairs?”
State Fair Queen Scchlcr said
she would try to appeal to the
younger generation, those in 4-H
and FFA, and work to get the
younger generation interested in
the fair.
“Without the younger genera
tion, the tradition of county fairs
would be lost,” she said.
Runner-up Queen Fyock said
she would promote and market the
fairs as integral to community
cohesion and continuance, and
emphasize the importance of the
agricultural industry to the com
munity and nation, and how fairs
teach the community about
agriculture.
She indicated she would also
emphasize the family orientation
of the fairs.
After hearing all five give their
answers, the three judges then left
the room to convene in private and
select the winner and runner-up.
While they were away, outgoing
state Fair Queen Amanda DeSio,
of McKean County, talked about
her year serving as state fair queen.
DeSio said that, at first, she nev
er set out with the goal of becom
ing the state fair queen.
She said she became interested
in becoming a fair queen after
competing in a 1997 high school
contest and became Miss Kane
High, and attended county fairs
and parades and county events.
That led her to pursue the county
fair queen contest, which she also
won.
As a 1998 contestant represent
ing McKean Fair, she said that, on
the way to Hershey for the state
contest, she didn’t expect to win,
having seen some of the competi
tion while visiting other fairs.
When she arrived at Hershey
and met all of her competition, she
said she really didn’t think she had
a chance.
She said she was happy and con
tented when she was mimed Miss
Congeniality of the 1998 pageant
Then she was selected as one of
the five finalists.
She said she still was complete
ly surprised to hear her named
called as the new state fair queen,
because she was busy trying to fig
ure out who among the other final
ists was to be chosen.
The year, she said, began with
teats flowing and cameras flash
ing, and it went fast
She soon met with state legisla
tors, attended different events in
crown and sash, appeared during
Penn State’s Ag Progress Days,
the Butler Fair, helped judge the
queen contest at the Warren Coun
ty Fair, and had fun promoting
fairs at the Clarion County Fair. At
the Indiana County Fair she
walked around on stilts on the
grounds to help promote the event.
At her home fair, the McKean
County Fair, she had the chance to
crown the new fair queen, and she
met a lot of people who supported
her.
She especially thanked the
McKean County Fair Board for
being supportive and providing
help in preparing her for the role,
as well “as giving me a fair of
which to be proud.”
Her younger sister Ally, 10,
accompanied her on some of the
trips and that was fun, she said.
She especially gave thanks for
the support of Sarah Long, wife
and co-chairman with husband
Frank Long of the Fair Queen
Committee. Frank is outgoing
PSACF president
According to DeSio, she deve
loped a special relationship with
Sarah, upon whom she relied as an
advisor, helper and organizer.
Additionally, she had said that,
as state fair queen, she recently got
to go to her first Farm Show and
saw her first rodeo, both
memorable.
DeSio also said she tried to look
upon being state fair queen as an
opportunity to, ”... have fun and try
to take the most out of each
experience."
Other members of the state Fair
Queen Committee were Ken
Adams of Harford Fair, Luke
Bruckhart of the Manheim Com
munity Farm Show, and Thomas
Mikcsell of the Indiana County
Fair.
Outstanding Fair person
In addition to a new fair queen,
every year the PSACF recognizes
lifetime outstanding efforts in sup
port of Pennsylvania fairs through
its outstanding fairpetson of the
year award.
This year, Thomas Mikcscll was
the award recipient
Mikcscll has been involved with
the Indiana County Fair for many
years, serving on the board since
1964, when he was first appointed,
after serving as superintendent
A former member of the Pen
nsylvania State Grange, Mikcscll
said he dairy farmed until 1972,
when he went from milking cows
and part-time selling seeds for
Hoffman Seed Company in Land
isvillc, to working full-time for
Hoffman Seed Company as district
sales manager. Later he was prom
oted to regional manager, where he
continued until he retired in 1989.
Up until the Mikesells sold their
dairy cows, Thomas said he didn’t
have the time to volunteer as much
to the Indiana County Fair, or
attend the state fair conventions
every year. Since 1972, however,
he said he was able to spend more
and more time helping out with the
county and state &ir organization.
His wife of SO years come April,
Marjorie Mikcscll said, “I tell him,
I didn’t many you, I married the
fair."
Marjorie was an office manager
for the county Extension agency
for 16 years, and together they
spent many hours and consecutive
years helping to organize, market
and promote the Indiana County
Fair.
Also, after 1972, Thomas said
he had time to start attending the
state PSACF conventions every
year.
Mikesell said winning the award
came as a surprise, since be, as a
member of the selection commit
tee, didn’t know he was being con
sidered. The other members of the
committee led him to believe they
were all in agreement in selecting
another person.
He said he knew the other per
son whom he thought was to be the
award recipient, and was briefly
confused when they said the reci
pient had raised sheep and dairy
cattle.
The couple has two grown daug
thers, both of whom were involved
in 4-H and exhibited dairy catde
and home economics projects at
the Indiana County Fair and at the
state Farm Show.
Thomas said that over the years
there have been many changes in
fairs replacing old buildings,
adding attractions, events, and
having to learn how to use new
Cost-Cutting Measures
Can Help Farm Families
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Many
farm families are experiencing
financial difficulties due to low
commodity prices. While fluctu
ation in income is nothing new
for farmers, this year is a partic
ular struggle for many, especial
ly pork producers who face a
market price for hogs that is less
than what it has taken to feed
the animals.
Carolyn McKinney, family
resource management specialist
Centre County Dairy Princess Billl Jo Bird and Mike Fedi
son, high school student teacher, make homemade vanilla
ice cream with the Bellefonte Area High School Preschool.
Students were instructed on the importance of drinking at
least three servings of milk daily.
New Weigh
SPRINGFIELD (Delaware
Co.) Looking for a program
that helps you make healthy food
choices resulting in permanent
weight loss? “My New Weigh of
Life“ has been developed by nutri
tion specialists at Perm State Uni
versity and is based on the most
current research into theories of
obesity, weight loss, and coping
(relapse) plans. Most participants
lose '/> to 2 pounds a week. This
12-week program will teach you
bow to cut calories, increase your
activity level and improve your
technology in order to maintain
records and premiums.
The bigger an event gets, the
mote activities involved, the more
need to rely on such things as com
puters, he said.
Attending the PSACF annual
convention has been something he
has always looked forward too, he
said, for the chance to re-establish
aquaintenances, to find out what is
new in the industry, and, if needed,
complete the booking of entertain
ment and services.
The convention is held in con
junction with the Pa. Showmen’s
Association convention. The Pa.
Showmen’s Association is for
those people who put on shows,
not the entertainers, per se.
During the several-day conven
tion, entertainment acts from
clowns, musical groups, to demoli
tion derby organizers and equip
ment suppliers rent rooms in
the hotel or set up tables in the
associated trade show, and wel
come fair officials to visit, in the
hope of getting jobs at fairs.
in the College of Human Ecology
for Ohio State University
Extension, says basic family
budgeting recommendations
might help get farm families
through the lean times Some
suggestions:
• Make a list of all your fixed
and variable expenses, including
rent or mortgage, utilities,
insurance, credit payments, food
expenses, clothing, gifts, trans
portation, charity, personal and
Of Life
nutritional status without giving
up all of your favorite foods.
Classes will be held at Dela
ware County Cooperative Exten
sion, 20 Paper Mill Road, Smed
ley Park, Springfield. Classes will
be held on Wednesday mornings
from 10 a.m.-noon beginning
February 17. A $65 registration
fee will include a workbook of
supporting materials. Light exer
cise is also included in the class.
Preregistration is requested by
February IS. For registration and
questions, call (610) 690-26 SS.
Mikesell said representing
Indiana County Fair at the conven
tion and in his involvement with
the state association has always
been fairly easy. “I have a fair
board that really docs their job,” he
said.
He said he has made an effort to
continue to attend the convention
because, “I make a lot of friends,
and it’s a good experience for
meeting people. Working for
Hoffmans gave me experience, but
this helps too.”
Mikesell said he might not be as
popular as his daughters think,
however.
The evening prior to the queen
coronation luncheon the associa
tion held its annual banquet, where
he received the award. There were
1,100 people attending (including
the couple’s two daughters), repre
senting not only the fairs in Pen
nsylvania, but from surrounding
states as well.
He said his daughter asked him,
“Do you know all of these
people?”
He said he just laughed.
other expenses. Estimate
expenses where you must. You
can’t cut spending until you fig
ure out where the money goes in
the first place.
• Trim food expenses as much
as you can. For example, plan
meals two weeks or a month in
advance, make a list of what
you’ll need, and stick to it. By
shopping in advance, you’ll cut
your stops at the store, reducing
the costly habit of impulse buy
ing. Try planning at least some
meals around less costly pro
tein-rich foods, including eggs,
beans, pasta and dairy products.
You can also plan meals around
store specials to take full advan
tage of your food dollar. Use
coupons only when the item is
already on your list; using
coupons for “extras” doesn’t help
you reduce spending.
• Look carefully at your bud
get for gifts and charity. Can you
reduce expenditures by offering
services rather than money or
gifts?
• Study your insurance cover
age. You might be able to lower
your costs by reducing coverage,
increasing deductibles or chang
ing companies.
•If you can’t pay all your
bills in a given month, you need
to decide how-to handle the situ
ation. Whatever you decide, you
must contact each of your credi
tors, explain the situation and
how you plan to rectify it. Follow
up telephone calls with a writ
ten letter confirming the agree
ment. Better yet, visit the office
of each creditor, if possible.
Some creditors have special
counselors for customers who
can’t pay their bills, and some
utilities offer special assistance
for families who qualify. Be sure
to ask for assistance when you
contact creditors; they are more
likely to reduce payments or
keep bill collectors at bay if they
know you are making an honest
effort to pay what you owe. Also,
contact your local office of the
Consumer Credit Counseling
Service, which can assess your
financial situation and, possibly
arrange a debt management
program for you to repay credi
tors over a longer period of time.