Poli (Sigh): Fair Board Leader Critical Of Mediation Hearing
Members of the Kosciusko Fair Board of Directors clarified a few issues earlier this week ahead of Monday’s association membership meeting.
A representative of the fair board said Monday, Nov. 11, that they had not been seeking to race every weekend during the summer, as has been widely reported.
The comment came from Randy Shepherd, the first vice president on the fair board, during a conversation with Rick Snodgrass at the fair board’s monthly meeting. Snodgrass became a fair association member last month and chided the directors for appealing a judge’s ruling that reinstated a ban on motorized racing at the fairgrounds. He then noted that talk of a 17-race season surfaced in a mediation hearing held in December of 2018.
Shepherd said the mediation hearing did not go as planned. The 17 races was a pie-in-the-sky starting point and that they were prepared to “come down as needed,” Shepherd said.
“I think we were led a little bit astray by our mediator because he never really came back with any counter offers. We probably upset the other side because we went after it that way, but we were expecting to be able to haggle back and forth and come to some grounds, but it never got to that point,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd said the talk of 17 races is a “big misunderstanding” and that they were hoping to have six to eight events a year.
Snodgrass raised the idea of allowing motorized racing during fair week. Fair officials said that that’s not enough.
There’s also apparently been an effort underfoot to get the two sides talking as the two-year stalemate lingers over an appeal by the fair board and the unresolved issue involving the nuisance charge that fair members contend is an effort to shut down the fair.
“We’re willing to talk any time they want to talk,” Shepherd said.
Fair association members will meet Monday to vote on changes in the bylaws that some contend would make it easier to remove members who speak out against the fair board.
Snodgrass had been hoping to talk with other association members about the proposals but was denied a list of members Monday. He said he plans to attend the meeting.
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ONLINE DISCUSSION — Third District Congressional district candidate Dr. Chris Magiera, a Republican from Warsaw, hosted a live stream Facebook event Thursday night that is available online here.
Magiera is challenging Republican US Rep. Jim Banks, of Columbia City, and is building his campaign around themes of the US Constitution.
The live stream includes an introductory talk and questions from the audience. Magiera touches on numerous issues including his thoughts on President Donald Trump and his wife, Pam Galloway, who previously sought to represent the 3rd District.
He was also asked about vaccines and said it comes down to individual choice.
“Individual liberties have been infringed in this area and it seems it’s going to be an uphill battle,” Magiera said.
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Dan Spalding is the editor at InkFreeNews.com.
He covers city government and politics and always welcomes your input.