Hope for the state fair

[eomaha]

STATE FAIR PARK - Officials pinned a comeback ribbon on the 2004 Nebraska State Fair as it ended Monday with sunny weather, better crowds and a slap on the hind end of a fat steer.

"Look at all the people here," said Chris Goodburn of Omaha as she, her husband, Eric, and son, Chris, slalomed through people en route to the livestock barns.

"If this goes away, we're going to lose something. It's a tradition," said Goodburn, a former Bennington, Neb., farm girl.

The comments were a common refrain at the 2004 State Fair.

The fair has been threatened with closure because of continued declines in attendance and mounting debts.

But people hoping it wouldn't be the last fair in 136 years appeared to vote with their feet. From the dirt aisles between the livestock pens to the concrete streets in front of the funnel-cake stands, several people said they came this year for the first time in several years to show their support.

"It's been very encouraging. It's like they've rediscovered the State Fair," said Gov. Mike Johanns, a fair advocate who closed his short speech Monday at the 4-H beef "Parade of Champions" with a pep talk: "Don't forget to vote 'yes' on amendment number four."

Amendment 4, if approved by voters Nov. 2, would earmark about $2 million a year in state lottery proceeds to help fix up the aging fairgrounds and improve fair programming.

The governor, as well as interim Fair Manager Joseph McDermott, said they hoped the better attendance and more positive attitudes across State Fair Park were a good omen for the amendment.

Final attendance figures will not be released until Tuesday morning, but McDermott said he was certain that this year's fair will end with an increase from 2003, when gate admissions dipped to 238,000.

"I think we made a good start this year in turning it around," McDermott said.

Another comeback story of sorts played itself out in the show arena Monday afternoon.

Kevin Benes, 17, of Albion, reclaimed the fair's top livestock prize for his family. He showed a 1,345-pound crossbred steer named Lucky to win the 4-H Market Beef Show's "Parade of Champions." The victory is signified by a slap on the rear of the black steer by the judge.

Benes, whose older brother, Mark, won the top award in 2002 and whose uncle Mike won in 1978, claimed a $2,000 savings bond and $2,000 in cash.

The reserve champion was 18-year-old Mitch Daake of Kearney, who also had placed second to Benes in their qualifying division.

Benes' winning steer came from the Wagonhammer Ranch near Albion, where his father, Myron, has worked for several years.

"He's got a great look to him," Kevin Benes said. "He just sticks out in a lot of ways."

Benes said that the steer got the name Lucky last December, after he'd clipped it to show to a prospective buyer.

"We were lucky that fella never showed up," he said. "We took another look at him and decided we didn't need to sell him."