Vaughn resigns from fair board

Karla Vaughn has resigned her position on the Great Northern Fair Board, board member Chelby Gooch said Tuesday night at the group's monthly meeting.

Gooch said she received an email from Vaughn last week, in which Vaughn said she was stepping down from the board because of personal matters.

Vaughn was not at the meeting.

Hill County Commissioner Diane McLean said at the meeting that Vaughn told her about her departure last week when she stopped by the Commissioners' office.

"She said that she was going to try to wait until the end of the year, but she just couldn't," McLean said.

Board Chair Paul McCann said Gooch's announcement was the first he heard about Vaughn's departure.

Board Vice-Chair Tyler Smith said he heard about Vaughn's resignation from his wife, who saw the news on Facebook.

Vaughn had been on the board since April 2015, including for a period as its vice-chair.

Hill County Commission Chair Mark Peterson said this morning that people who want to apply for the vacant position should bring a letter to the commissioners' office expressing their interest in the position. The commissioners will then interview potential candidates before appointing someone to fill the seat.

Peterson said the commissioners do not have a timeline for when they want to begin interviews to fill the position, but the sooner people can submit their letters the better.

McLean said at the meeting that Vaughn suggested to her that someone with a background or interest in the 4-H Club be appointed to take her place on the board.

"That was her request," McLean said.

McCann said although 4-H is important and uses the fairgrounds as a resource, the board needs to look out for the interests of all groups and look at other criteria, too.

"It's more their lifestyle or their skill set is what I am thinking more than a passion for one entity," McCann said.

In other business, Fair Manager Dave Brewer said that he heard from entertainers and business owners at this year's Rocky Mountain Association of Fairs Convention, which he and board member Scott Doney attended Nov. 7-11 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Brewer said he talked with Riley Cook, owner of Dreamland Amusements, which provided the carnival at this years' Great Northern Fair, about possibly bringing a mobile drive-in movie theater to the fairgrounds this summer.

Brewer said Cook wanted him to see if the board would be interested in the idea.

Doney said Cook would use three or four white shipping containers stacked on top of one another as the movie screen,

A portable food booth would also be included and people would listen to the movie on their vehicle radio.

Doney said he and Cook discussed stacking the containers up against the Bigger Better Barn and having people park out on the midway to watch the movie.

Smith said instead of using shipping containers, pulleys could be placed on the top of the Bigger Better Barn to hoist up some white vinyl for the screen.

"That's worth looking at," McCann said. "The community might enjoy the thing."

Brewer said in his fair manager report that he was thoroughly impressed by Michael Mezmer, a magician and hypnotist from California who was at the convention.

Mezmer has previously performed at the Great Northern Fair and was looking to negotiate a deal because he wanted to perform at this year's fair, Brewer said.

He added that Mezmer will perform at fairs next year in Lewistown, Helena and possibly Blaine County.

The next board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, in the Timmons Room in the Hill County Courthouse.