The fair – and the shows – must go on
There’s a point in time each year in Coshocton County, as the leaves start turning, the hummingbirds head south, the gardens have produced their last tomato, that many of us – I dare say most – start thinking about the Coshocton County Fair. The sights, the smells, the chance to meet up with friends old and new. Just walking around the fairgrounds is its own adventure. This year it is not to be. Making everyone’s health and safety the top priority is the prudent decision made by the fair board, but it will leave many with an empty feeling as we head into winter. But not an empty stomach.
Yes, the food will be there! Thank goodness! Not everything sadly – but many of your favorite food vendors will be at the fairgrounds from Friday, Oct. 2 through Tuesday, Oct. 6 serving up the good stuff. You can find the details in this week’s issue of The Beacon. Yes, the fair will look very different this year – as will the fairgrounds themselves. The youth will be judged on their livestock projects but there will not be showmanship classes or many of the extracurricular activities that accompany the livestock shows.
For most there will not be a fair – for those that do get to participate – let’s wish them all the best in what has certainly been a challenging season and be grateful for the fair that is.
Well, this is certainly not “new” news but the Big Ten has relented and with new medical testing and protocols in place the season will start on Oct. 24 with the game against TTUN slated for Dec. 12. It’s also a home game. The Buckeyes enter the polls at a solid number 10.
While you hear quite a bit right now about the unemployment numbers a drive around our community shows a lot – a lot – of help wanted signs. So, I thought, hmm, what is happening here. I reached out to our local Ohio Means Jobs contact and discovered that, according to the numbers posted as of last week, the state of Ohio has 156,507 jobs open right now. That has probably fluctuated a tad since last week. In fact, a conversation I had with a close family relative in another state tells me that jobs are out there – if you want to work, can pass the drug screen and have the skills necessary. In their particular plant, 400 jobs are open. Our local Ohio Means Jobs folks, working closely with community leaders, continue to work hard on behalf of everyone in Coshocton County. They deserve our appreciation and thanks.
Another little tidbit that I picked up from our local hardware store that I was unaware of is that Stanley Black and Decker is investing $90 million in a plant in Texas – a move that will bring a lot of the Craftsman tool (they bought the Craftsman brand in 2017) line manufacturing back to the U.S. It will employ about 500 people. Be careful, though, what you read on social media. Many posts on Facebook stated that Stanley Black & Decker was leaving China totally. Not true – but the plant in Texas is a fact. Use aap.com to verify your facts, especially during this period leading up to the election. You know, the Presidential one. Because we all know that everything on social media is true, right?
Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion
