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/ // I . W 136 <2 ^rtuiftc isfe wNiiuSfoer 44 ' USES64<K3O0 Gouverneur, ,ffew York Thursday;,Jiily 31, %0($ ; &0;|peycc»j»y| 157 th annual Fair to kick off next week Fair dates Aug. 4-10; The Road Hammers featured Saturday By Dick Sterling It's one of the oldest traditions in St. Lawrence County. Since the mid-1800s families have converged on Gouverneur for the annual Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair. This year's fair will open next week for a seven-day run that should feature plenty of fun for the whole family. From bears to rides, food, agricultural exhibits, fireworks and, of course the annual demolition derby, to a Saturday night show by The Road Hammers, this year's fair promises to offer a little something for everybody. ROAD HAMMERS With a diverse sound, a history that was born in 2005, and includes a stint on a reality television series, and being named the Canadian Country Music Association's Group of the Year in 2005, the Canadian group The Road Hammers, who continue to please audiences on both sides of the border, will bring their unique act to Gouverneur on Saturday, August 9, as the headliners for the 2008 Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair. The Road Hammers have flown a lot higher than anyone, even the band members themselves, ever expected. Those band members - Jason McCoy, already an established force in the Canadian country music scene, guitarist/vocalist Clayton Bellamy and the world class, rhythm section of bassist/vocalist Chris Byrne and drummer Corbett Frasz - may have come together on camera, under the unforgiving reality-TV lights of CMT Canada's \Making the Band,\ but onstage and in the studio the Road Hammers quickly formed the kind of greater-than- the-sum-of-its-parts bond that every musician dreams of. With the exhilarating musical and vocal tension between Bellamy's go-for- broke, rock 'n' roll heart and McCoy's deep-fried country soul providing the creative fuel, and the Bryne/Frasz rhythm section hammering it all home, the band's self-titled debut album quickly ascended to the upper reaches of the Canadian country charts, with four songs - \East Bound and Down,\ \Nashville Bound,\ \Girl On the Billboard\ and \I'm a Road Hammer\-hitting the Top 10. Word of the band's success at home quickly drifted south to Nashville, and The Road Hammers eventually signed with indie upstart Montage Music Group and headed into the studio to record some additional tracks and fine-tune their debut for American release. Their reality television series is now featured weekly on Nashville's CMT, which is aired on Time Warner Cable for its digital customers. Don't miss the Road Hammers on Saturday, August 9, in front of the grandstand at • the Fair. Tickets and \Ryan's Wish\ Golf Tournament Sunday at GCC By Dick Sterling A tournament designed as a great time for all golfers, from scratch to weekend duffers, will take place Sunday, with the proceeds going to a wonderful cause. The third annual Ryan's Wish Foundation Golf Tournament will return to the Gouverneur Country Club, located in Hailesboro, on the Country Club Road. The event is scheduled for Sunday, August 3. Ryan's Wish Foundation is named in honor of Ryan Saidel, who was the son of Dr. Rob and Rita Saidel, of Gouverneur, and was only 19 years old when he lost his battle with cancer on February 7,2004. Continued on page 2 Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair officials Emery Webb, Lyle Hotis and Bob Ritchie, were applying the finishing touches to their renovation project under the grandstand on Monday morning. The old structure has undergone a much-needed facelift over the past several months. (Dick Sterling photo) information are available ($20 track and box, $ 15 grandstand) by calling the fair office at 287- 3010. FREEADMISSION Once again this year free admission will be offered to the fair. Last year, for the first time in memory, admission charges to enter the grounds were eliminated. There will be admission charges for some grandstand events, and a parking fee will be collected for those who wish to park inside the fair gates. DREAMLANBRETURNS Gone this year will be Reithoffer as the midway company. Back in place will be Dreamland Amusements, who provided the midway for the 2005fair. This year's fair will open on Monday, August 4, but Dreamland will not have all of their midway in place until Tuesday, August 5, at 5 p.m. \We'll have the midway open Wednesday through Friday from 1 p.m. until 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 11 p.m.,\ said Robert Ritchie, President of the Fair Board. Supersaver ride passes are available until the opening of the fair. Passes ($20 value) can be purchased for $14, which allows the pass holder to unlimited rides during any one day (and night) of the fair. GRANDSTAND RENOVATION Mr. Ritchie said early this week that renovations to the grandstand are being finished just in time for the fair. He and Fair Directors Lyle Hotis and Emery Webb have been busy rebuilding the area under the grandstand. Monday morning sawdust was flying and the sound of power drivers could be heard securing boards as the finishing touches were being applied to a much-improved grandstand. \We've gotten a lot of local help in making structural improvements to the grandstand. Dave Blevins handled the engineering of the project, CIVES managed to find us the steel we needed and Ritchie Brothers has done a great job getting it ready,\ said M-. Ritchie. The local fair boards needed to raise just $5,000 towards the $90,000 project. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets committed $50,000, St. Lawrence County budgeted Headliners for the 2008 Fair will be The Road Hammers, a unique country group that was formed in Canada and is now making a name for themselves in Nashville. The show is scheduled for next Saturday night. $20,000 and the Sweetgrass Foundation, based in Hammond, kicked in another $15,000. HARNESS RACING DAYS CHANGED Another change this year will involve the dates for harness racing, a long-standing tradition at the fair. \Because of a conflict with the Franklin County Fair, in Malone, which will be presented the same week, harness racing will be featured on Monday and Tuesday this year. FAIRLINEUP A talent show is being planned for Tuesday evening and Band Day and the Firemen's parade will, once again, be held on Wednesday. ATV time, trials return for a Thursday performance that will have area ATV enthusiasts tuning their machines in preparation for the event. Monster trucks will be featured for an exciting show on Friday evening (admission will be charged for the show). The popular demolition derby will begin at 3 p.m. on Sunday, which will be followed by a fireworks display. ONTHEMTOWAY Entertainment featured on the midway this year will include: The Dazzling Mills Family, Jeff Boyer with his Secret of Magic show and Rosaire's Bear Show. AFAMILYTRADrnON SINCE 1859 The Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair is one of the oldest traditions in St. Lawrence County. The fair is presented annually at the Gouverneur Fairgrounds, located off Barney Street and Rock Island Road i behind the Gouverneur High School. In addition to all the flashy rides, games and shows, the fair is best known as a showcase for agricultural exhibits, with judging taking place all during fair week. From cows, sheep and chickens to vegetables and hand-sewn goods, the fair has been a source of pride for those in the agriculture community for generations. Richville man victim of Sunday accident By Dick Sterling A Richville man was killed early Sunday morning when the vehicle he was driving failed to negotiate a curve and struck a utility pole near his Town of DeKalb home. Gouverneur based state police reported that Brian M. Mitchell, 21, of Richville, a 2004 graduate of Gouverneur High School, was westbound on County Route 20, Town of DeKalb, at approximately 2:07 a.m., Sunday, reportedly at a high rate of speed, when he failed to negotiate a right hand curve, and exited the- shoulder of the road and struck a National Grid power pole. A passerby spotted the wreckage and notified authorities. Members of the Richville Fire Department and their first responders were the first to arrive at the scene, Police reported that no lifesaving measures were attempted as Mr. Mitchell, who was a member of both the Richville Fire Department and the Gouverneur Volunteer Rescue Squad, was obviously dead as a result of the crash. St. Lawrence County Coroner June Wood responded to the scene and pronounced Mr. Mitchell deceased at 3:23 a.m. She authorized the removal of Mr. Mitchell's body to E.J. Noble Hospital, Gouverneur. An autopsy was scheduled. A complete obituary for Mr. Mitchell appears in this edition of the Tribune Press. Our condolences to the family of Brian Mitchell. Bill Foster recalls service in the \Can Do\ 87 th Infantry of WW II by Sandy Wyman \It was Armistice Day, November 11,1943 and while the parade was taking place down Gouverneur's Main Street, a group of guys, me included were headed for the railroad station on a journey into World War 11,\ stated Bill Foster as he began to recollect the memories of the \Greatest Generation.\ The contingent of Army draftees pulled into Camp Upton, Long Island on a cold winter day and after processing, went on to basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Bill then was transferred to Fort Jackson, South Carolina where he j oined the 87 lh Infantry, the \Golden Acorn\ Division. In October of 1944, he sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 1 that had been pressed into service as a troop ship with almost a division score of soldiers, (15,000) landing in Glasgow, Scotland. Due to the ongoing war, nets were strung across the port entrance to deter enemy submarines and it was the next morning before port holes were opened to reveal what was then thought to be the whole British Navy in waiting. A small town in England named Leek' was where this soon-to-be 60mm mortar squad section leader found his next place of call for more training and then it was time for the crossing of the English Channel landing in LeHarve, France. From Metz to Paulen, across the German Saar border, through the Belgian Ardennes and Luxembourg, cracking the Siegfried Line, spanning the Moselle River and on to Koblenz, over the Rhine and racing though the heart of Germany to the Czech border. That was the battle path of the 87 lh Infantry Division during 154 days of action in the European Theatre of Operations, from December 6, 1944 when the 1 st Battalion, 345 th Infantry and Division Artillery moved in on Metz until May 8, 1945 when the German Armies surrendered. While up on the history of what he lived through, Bill stays reluctant to reveal much on personal service although he did say that he saw the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, up close and personal. Upon returning home, now Tech Sergeant Foster overstepped his qualifications at Fort Benning and ended his \Call to Arms\ at Fort Dix, New Jersey when higher ups in command found out he was a first class typist, finally being discharged in April of 1946. \I was not far from New York City and it was the Big Band Era, was pretty broke from one month to the next but got a chance to see the likes of Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and the Dorsey Brothers.\ Returning to Gouverneur, Bill went on to attend St. Lawrence University, graduating in February of 19 50 with a business degree. Ln April of 1950, he became associated with the Gouverneur Savings and Loan until 1966 and went on to SUNY Canton employment for 22 years. Bill married Joyce Peets of Massena, they met on a blind date, on May 16,1953 and they had nine children, Jill, Jay, Clark, John Stewart, Frederick, Tim, Wendy and Matt. Joyce passed way in 2002. Now with 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren to keep everything busy and up to date, this veteran certainly fits the \Bill\ofthe\CanDo\Division. !\ ' •'j •• O i ; OURDE&TTOTHE HEROIC MEN AND VALIANT WOMEN IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY CAN , NEVER BE REPAID, THEY HAVE EARNED OUR • UNDYINGGRATfTUDE, AMERICA WILL NEVER FORGET THEiR SACRIFICES. Bill Foster (right) of Gouverneur entered the Army in November of 1943 and served as a 60mm mortar squad leader in the 87 th Infantry Division in the European Theatre. In June of 2007 he traveled to Washington, DC to visit the World War II Memorial. He is shown at the site with son Clark. Summer Rec... fun in the sun! Some plastic coating and a water hose make for a giant \Slippy Slide\ that saw all age groups take to the hill at the Riverview Park on Tuesday for a chance to \cool\ off and have summertime fun, a continuing activity that \whets\ the appetite for more. (Sandy Wyman photo) \Up and Over\ is the general idea as a star member of the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show performs the aerial leap in a Chevy Corvair during the 1961 Fair. The vehicles may have changed but excitement will still be on the agenda, as the scheduled Monster Truck Show will take over next Friday in front of the grandstand.
