AS I SEE IT
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
A big “tip of the hat” goes out this week to all of the organizers and volunteers that spent countless hours making the Arnegard 4th of July Celebration and the McKenzie County Fair such huge successes this year, as well as to the thousands of people that attended these events.
Like so many people who are able to just enjoy these two back-to-back events, I can honestly say that thanks to the hard work of these organizers and volunteers, the residents of McKenzie County were treated to five great days of family fun.
What can you say about Arnegard’s 4th, but “wow!” From a parade that saw a record number of float entries to an outstanding fireworks display, Arnegard put on one of the best celebrations in that community’s history.
And of course as usual, the McKenzie County Fair was packed with fair-goers who enjoyed everything from a draft horse competition to a demolition derby and a rodeo, as well as a variety of other entertainment, 4-H exhibits and a carnival.
It goes without saying that most of us have no concept of how difficult it is to organize a one-day event like the Arnegard 4th of July let alone understand the complexity of putting together a county fair.
Suffice it to say, that while there is more work involved than any of us would care to know about, we were able to enjoy the hard work that each and every one of the organizers did to make it all come together seamlessly.
So to everyone who had a hand in making the Arnegard 4th of July Celebration and the McKenzie County Fair a success, “thank you!”
BE CAREFUL WITH FIRES AS COUNTRYSIDE BEGINS TO DRY!
While the countryside around McKenzie County is still very green thanks to a rainy month of June, we can expect to see the low fire danger conditions to begin rapidly changing with the forecast calling for hot, dry conditions in July.
That means that everyone needs to closely monitor the fire danger index throughout the month of July and into August to make sure that we avoid any accidental wildfires. If you are unsure of the current fire danger index, it is posted daily on the McKenzie County Emergency Management’s Facebook page.
Thanks to the help of Mother Nature, we’ve been able to avoid any serious grass or pasture fires so far this year. Let’s do our part to prevent fires as the countryside starts to dry out.