For more on the arena situation, see Mona’s column

I’m going to set the record straight and do some explaining of background, so bear with me.

What you read in the March 18, 2021 Custer County Chief and March 12, 2021 on www.custercountychief.com about the Demo Derby was not Fake News.

Fake News is deliberate. Fake News doesn’t bother with accuracy. Fake News doesn’t bother with corrections or explanations.

I’ve gone over it a thousand times - did I get it wrong? If I got it wrong, why did no one call me on it? Did I get it right? What happened?

In case you didn’t see it, I reported that the Custer County Ag Society voted at their March 11 meeting to partner with the Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce in bringing a demolition derby to the Custer County Fairgrounds this summer.

Here’s what happened. At the meeting, Michelle Nelson, Fairgrounds Administrator, asked the board if she could discuss with the Chamber of Commerce bringing a demolition derby to the Fairgrounds. The event would generate revenue as well as bring people to the fairgrounds that otherwise might not use the facility.

There was a lot of discussion. There was concern expressed for the safety of the livestock - especially horses - that perform in Trotter Arena. It was said a local contractor had a magnet that could be dragged across the ground to collect metal parts. It was said people would walk and rake the grounds. It was not a subject anyone on the board takes lightly. They don’t want to cause an animal pain and injury and, to boot, some of these horses cost way more than my vehicle or home, or both of them combined.

Somewhere in the discussion, a motion was made. My notes on the motion read “to move forward with the demo derby, with other events including the demo derby” for Trotter Arena. All members of the board voted yes, except one.

“Cool,” I thought. “The derby is on.” Logical assumption, isn’t it, based on the question, the discussion, the motion and vote? So I think I was pretty close to right. Baring no obstacles, I’d still be right. Obstacle #1. The motion which was offered, seconded and voted on was something that wasn’t on the agenda.

Obstacle #2. A lot of people don’t want a demo derby in the same arena where livestock events takes place.

The Ag Society had planned to call a special meeting to follow up on installation of camper pedestals at the fairgrounds. They want to get the pedestals installed as soon as possible to be available for this year’s fair. When I got the agenda on Thursday, it also listed discussion/ decision on rescinding the motion to use the arena for events other than livestock events.

What?

That’s when I learned about the concern that the motion and vote never should have taken place because it wasn’t on the agenda. Since it wasn’t on the agenda, the public didn’t have due opportunity to attend the meeting and weigh in. Well, then, you might think, why in the heck did it come up for a vote anyway?

There’s no good answer to that except to say as the discussion progressed that night, board members became very involved about thinking about the fairgrounds and how can revenue be generated to help lessen the burden on the tax payer. They got involved, so involved at some point it seemed natural to make a motion and take a vote. It may not been in line with Open Meetings rules but it was not intentional.

So what does an organization do when that happens? At the next available opportunity, the motion is rescinded. Take a deep breath and start the discussion again.

A lot of people attended the special meeting on Friday to ask that a demo derby not be held in the same arena as livestock events. After the meeting, one person said they were glad everyone spoke up because it helped get the motion rescinded.

No.

It would have been rescinded anyway, because the Ag Society Board is comprised of good people trying to do the right thing by the fairgrounds and the people of Custer County.

I’ve followed the Ag Society for more than five and a half years. One of my first assignments was to take notes written by someone else, talk to fair board members and write an article about proposed changes at the fairgrounds, changes that eventually brought about Trotter Arena as well as a new horse barn, new goat/ sheep building and many upgrades to other buildings. It’s a volunteer board of nine people and those nine people probably put in more time for and at the fairgrounds than anyone else, save for people who are paid to work there.

Those nine people plus the administrator are looking for ways to make the fairgrounds attractive to a wider audience. There are a lot of horse events and livestock events and, of course, the county fair. Yet there are some folks who maybe haven’t set foot on the grounds in years, if ever. What events could bring them to a great facility and provide some entertainment. A demo derby? A truck pull? A mud drag? Concerts? If the arena were open to other events, there are a lot of possibilities.

Several people have said hold any event you want, just not a demo derby which will leave behind broken metal and plastic that can slice into the foot or leg of a horse or steer or other animal.

But there’s a better answer. Two arenas. Custer County Supervisor and fairgrounds liaison Dwain Bryner was the first to say it at Friday’s meeting, but was not the only one thinking it.

The arena is not in the best location. Right in front of the grandstands, it catches water, doesn’t drain well and doesn’t dry out. Bryner suggested moving it to the west and north with portable bleachers, closer to the horse barns. That would leave the area in front of the grandstands open for a motor sports/multi-purpose arena. The grandstands could be part of the safety features of protecting spectators from runaway vehicles.

Most everyone thought it was a great idea. There are some concerns that you’d have to bring in a lot, and I mean, a lot of portable bleachers for the Custer County Classic Bull Riding. That event is one of the few that currently comes close to filling the grandstands.

And there’s another obstacle. Cost. How would it be paid for? It’s a topic for further discussion.

Out of all the misunderstanding, tension and anger of horse people v. non-horse people, derby v. no derby, something good is going to happen. A conversation has started. It will continue. A lot of good changes have happened at the Custer County Fairgrounds over the past five years and there are more yet to come.