FAIR: Changes leave patron in the dust

The North Idaho Fair is fast approaching but unfortunately I'm not very excited. For more than 30 years I've looked forward to entering exhibits in the fair and then taking the family to enjoy all that the fair had to offer and to see how my entries were judged. Not this year... maybe never again.

I was first concerned when someone or maybe a committee decided to change the entry tags. I've always kept entry tags to fill out for the next year's entries... not this year. I along with countless others had to throw away perfectly good tags in favor of the "new" tags that included an e-mail address.

That's it, no other part was changed. I would say in this economy that that was a pure waste of our hard-earned dollars. The North Idaho Fair has also tried to get a cookbook put together and has entreated locals to submit their recipes to include in this book. The committee must not have had a very good response since a prerequisite for entering any baked or canned good in the fair is to include the recipe. The handbook makes it clear that unless the recipe is included you can't enter. Well, that's it... you won't see my entries at the fair. I won't be made to give up my recipes. I hope that I'm not the only person that feels this way. Maybe some empty tables, pie coolers and display cases will be instrumental in bringing back the "old" rules... I sure hope so. I'm going to really miss the fair.

M. GAYLE BAXLEY

Dalton Gardens