Fun — this way
There is something for everyone at Payette County Fair
By Johna Strickland
Argus Observer
Friday, August 8, 2008 10:32 AM PDT
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| Johna Strickland | Argus Observer
Caleb Johnston (left) 9, and Nathaniel Nesbitt, 6, spent Wednesday afternoon at the Payette County Fair with Johnston and his brother’s 4-H sheep. Johnston said his favorite part of the fair is ‘sitting around eating slushies.’ Nesbitt likes meeting people and laying on sheep, he said. The fair continues at the fairgrounds in New Plymouth, 310 East Blvd., through Saturday. |
New Plymouth—It’s a secret passed from mother to daughter and served up at the Payette County Fair.
Years ago in high school, Jessica Ross played flute in Payette’s marching band.
“I always wanted to play trumpet, but I couldn’t get the lip thing right,” she said Thursday afternoon at the fair as she puckered her lips in demonstration.
While Ross was in the band program, her mother made cinnamon rolls and frosting from a secret recipe to sell at booster functions.
Now Ross, mother of nine and vice president of the Payette band boosters, has brought her mother’s secret to the Pirate marching band’s food booth at the fairgrounds in New Plymouth.
With about 15 boosters and 30 students, the band parents, as they call themselves, are manning the food booth they purchased from the Oddfellows some years ago, Shannon Zuercher, mother of three and a 14-year band mom, said.
“I got shanghaied somewhere and they just keep me around,” she said, noting her title could be “just general slave” especially with the pirate theme and skulls and crossbones head bandanas they wore.
Selling a variety of burgers, corn dogs, chicken nuggets, nachos, fries, baked potatoes and drinks, the group earns about $6,000 each year from the booth, booster treasurer Tina Reed said. About half of the money goes to expenses, Reed, a mother of eight, said.
The majority of the rest of the money goes to student and family accounts based on how many hours the student and/or parents worked in the booth.
“It allows the kids to raise money to put into their own band accounts,” Reed said. The musicians spend it on band related expenses — instruments, shoes, T-shirts and trips. One student put her money toward attending a prestigious band camp, Reed said.
“We even make our band director come out and take a shift,” Zuercher said.
Mark Reed, president of the boosters and Tina Reed’s husband, said working at the fair gives the students an opportunity to meet the public and learn some business skills.
This year, Ross, who has two kids in high school band and two in middle school band, corralled the food to be served under the pirate sign she painted for the booth. Simplot gave 40 cases of fries. Purdum’s produce stand sent corn. Parents brought condiments. And Ross purchased $880 worth of soda, 10 pounds of chorizos, four cases of nacho cheese, 10-gallon cans of chili, among other foods.
Then she whipped up about 42 cinnamon rolls to sell Wednesday and Thursday and estimated she will have baked six or seven dozen by fair’s end Saturday night.
Tina Reed said they had been concerned about business since they had to raise prices to combat the increased price of meat, but the three counters at the booth were nearly filled around 2 p.m.
“I’ve seen a lot of the same faces come back,” Ross said of people who like to support the band.
“‘Course we have good food, too,” Mark Reed countered.
Many parents of the approximately 45 band members and 15 colorguard donate time or money.
“Some donate children,” Zuercher said, looking at Ross and Tina Reed, whose various offspring were helping out Thursday.
“We usually have at least one child or spouse here,” Ross said.
Her husband, Chad, took a week of vacation time from work as did Tina and Mark Reed.
“It’s a great chance for us adults to get to know the kids,” Tina Reed said. Tina Reed has been a booster for eight years, since her oldest started high school. Mark Reed joined this year, and both plan to continue for another 13 years as their youngest will start kindergarten in the fall and wants to do band in high school.
With about 10 active booster parents, Tina Reed said the group is looking to grow, especially with incoming freshmen and sophomores.
“If everybody does a little bit, than no one does a ton,” she said.
Ross agreed.
“We would always love more — more kids, more support,” Ross said.
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