Fair Board, Visitors Committee and City Council Meet Over Past Week

SIDNEY--The Cheyenne County Fair Board met Monday evening, and went through a full agenda. The entertainment lineup is set, the music acts have been announced, and the Fair Board members are now at the stage of nailing down the final details and implementing the marketing and sponsorship plans.

After hearing the Treasurer's report that indicated the fair's finances are in good shape, Treasurer Kip Miller said, "We've done very well getting sponsorships." A lot of phone calls and follow-up discussions are involved, and Miller and the fair board have put a lot of work into getting sponsors on board. Board member Ryan Filsinger said that the Fair Board is fortunate to have someone like Kip Miller securing sponsorships, as he has been very diligent in getting commitments from area businesses to sign on as sponsors. Miller also noted that many sponsors have increased their level of financial support from last year, indicating that people are seeing the results of the Fair Board's work and expect are very well-attended and successful fair this year.

The board members also heard from two potential new alternate members, Kevin Challburg and Travis Sprenger. Challburg is a current member of the Sidney Board of Education and helped with some of the activities of the fair last year. He said his kids are active in 4-H, and he is looking to get more involved in the community. He also said his Information Technology background could be helpful with the Fair Board. Travis Sprenger was also at the meeting and was also interested in becoming an alternate member, although his travel schedule might prevent him from meeting in person. He also looks to get more involved in the community and believes helping with the Fair Board would be a good way to serve. The board members voted to accept Challburg as an alternate member, and Sprenger said he would like to attend a few more meetings before committing to alternate membership. Alternate Members have the same duties as Fair Board members, except they do not vote on Fair Board issues.

The members discussed sponsorship banner placement, focusing on getting sponsors as much exposure as possible, and went outside to the Beer Garden area to discuss modifications of the space to provide a better experience for fairgoers. They discussed moving the fence that is currently adjacent to the Beer Garden area to provide better lighting, and a larger area for patrons and to create easier access to restrooms.

Shelby Roelle and Heather Shaw discussed the Open Class Horse Show, confirming that it will happen this year and that they just need to determine prize amounts and hire judges. Each class will have four separate divisions, except Reigning, which will have three. The board members discussed adding additional prizes for participants. The members also discussed details of the track dimensions for the Rubber Check Race, and have been in communication with Fair Board members in Scottsbluff, the originators of the Rubber Check Race. They also talked about some track modifications that would be necessary to accommodate the Combine and Lawn Mower races, and member Zach Oliverius said he had been in discussions with the racers and that he would be able to make the modifications necessary. Finally, the members would like to stress that discounts and special deals on tickets are available by ordering tickets in advance from the cheyennecountyfair.com website. These special deals only last until July 1, so fairgoers should order their tickets early to take advantage of the special prices.

  On Tuesday afternoon, April 23, the Cheyenne County Visitors Committee had a special meeting to make final decisions on brochure and billboard designs proposed by Maly Marketing. The members approved the brochure designs with a few wording and font changes, and went through the proposed billboard designs and narrowed them down to five different designs. The first new billboards will appear on Interstate 80, with two signs on the eastbound side and three on the westbound side. The new designs are bold and very easy to read, using a combination of white and red colors and simple slogans, such as, "Stop in Sidney or Go Hungry" and "Stop in Sidney or Drive 100 Miles More". The members said that the billboards should be up soon, hopefully as early as the summer.

Also on April 23, the Sidney City Council had its regular meeting and all members were present except Brock Buckner. The council approved a proclamation for National Youth Week, sponsored by the Sidney Elks. Elks member Cindy Bartling, with four students who participate in the Way Out West theater productions, addressed the council about the importance of National Youth Week, which is designated to take place the first week of June. She spoke about events the Elks sponsor for youth throughout the year, and Mayor Brad Sherman read the proclamation.

Parks Superintendent Tom VonSeggern addressed the council concerning the approval for a new Tree Board member, as Tanasia Goodrich, who had served on the board since 2017, was stepping down. VonSeggern proposed Alicia Heidemann as the new member, and the council unanimously approved the appointment. City Manager David Scott then spoke with the council, telling them how he had attended the Developer's Expo in Lincoln last week, and was able to network and speak with developers who had an interest in building in Sidney. Scott said that by the time he got back to Sidney, he had received two emails from developers interested in pursuing development deals in Sidney. Building and Zoning Official Marshall Hall said that approvals would be happening shortly on footings for five new homes in the Prairie Winds subdivision and that more are expected. Also discussed was The Farmers' Market, which takes place on the last Saturday in June, will be moving forward and the Sidney landfill is now open on the third Saturday of each month.