Fair Board elects Nelson chair, Suckow vice-chair

By MEGAN HUGHES

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — The Gogebic County Fair Board held a reorganization meeting on Monday and approved the hiring of a rodeo for the 2025 county fair. A carnival is still pending.

During the reorganization, the board elected Linda Nelson as chair and Shelley Suckow as vice-chair.

Initially, both women were nominated as chair, but a written vote resulted in a tie.

After some discussion, Suckow stepped down from the nomination.

The board also voted to approve the hiring of Rice Rodeo Company of Medford, Wisconsin, for the 2025 fair.

The approval is pending review of the fair’s spending limit, with the understanding that nothing will be paid until the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners receives required paperwork from rodeo officials.

According to board member Jim Lorensen, in order for board members to take any action, and to get approval from the Gogebic County Board, the rodeo must submit required safety forms.

“There is something that suggests that county purchases in excess of $5,000 should probably go to the county commission for approval,” said Lorenson. “Not sure if that relates to the fair board, but that is in the general appropriations act. The other part that is in here is that no official in the county can cause or create a debt or incur a financial obligation on behalf of the county unless authorized by the general appropriations act. If we have a rodeo, I know at one time we talked about paying for the rodeo through donations. Do we have any donations at this point?”

The board clarified that, at this time, they do not have any donations made for that specific purpose. Members inquired whether that cost could be pulled from the fair board’s general fund.

The approximate cost to bring the rodeo to town is $25,000.

Rice Rodeo Company also was hired for the 2023 fair. No rodeo was hired for 2024 due to the reduced venue at Ironwood’s Pat O’Donnell Civic Center during ongoing recovery from the 2023 fairground fire.

The board also held a lengthy discussion about the status of a carnival for next year’s fair.

Members of the board have sent out emails to several carnival companies, and Nelson has spoken with approximately 20 different carnival companies regarding the cost of them coming to Ironwood.

So far, no carnival has expressed interest, so no board action was taken.

In other news, the board:

— Heard Kyle Ramme report that his flea market in 2025 will be at the Pat O’Donnell Civic Center. In prior years, he had operated it at the fairground. Ramme added, however, that if plans develop for a market during the fair in the coming year, many flea market vendors wish to participate.

— Set the date for the next meeting for Dec. 2 at 6 p.m.

— Approved Nelson to attend the Wisconsin Association of Fairs convention from Jan. 5-8, 2025 at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

— Tabled review of the amended budget until December’s meeting.

— Approved the current cash balance of $46,304 as of Oct. 31.

— Approved claims as presented.