Country Life Visible At The Clark County Fair

By CORINNE MESSER

The Progress

“Country Life” was the theme of the Clark County Fair Exhibit Hall this year, and upon entrance to the building, country life was evident everywhere. Hand-made quilts hung from the ceiling. Artwork was plentious ranging from amateur to professional. There were crafts galore. And the Country Store, and Sugar Shack just sweetened the deal.

The Country Store was filled with handcrafted items such as jewelry, wooden and embroidered wall art, handmade soaps, handcrafted quilts, candles, an assortment of kitchen accessories, and Clark County Fair T-shirts.

A new vendor, set up near the south entrance was called Sarah’s Old Fashioned Candy Store. Sarah Muhlestein, a Moapa Valley youth, tended this old-fashioned “penny and dime” store fashioned after candy shops of yesteryear. Glass jars held rootbeer barrel candies, strawberry candies, salt water taffy, and other small treats starting at five cents. This proved to be popular with children and adults alike.

The Horticulture Arts Exhibit area contained the agricultural entries, and an area set up by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Master Gardeners were on hand to answer any questions, offered lectures, and displayed tips on raising flowers and gardens in this dry, arid desert.

“The uncommon wet and cold spring has prevented some of our typical entries from being ready, like roses and spring crops,” said Nikki Fessler, Horticulture Exhibit Manager. “This year we have more winter crop entries like cabbage and cauliflower.”

However, despite the colder spring, Fessler was pleased to have more entries than last year.
One local gardening couple, Vaughn and Susan Evans had several prized vegetable entries. Their Danver Half Long carrots won best of class, and Oregon Giant Snowpeas won Director’s Choice and Reserve Champion. The Best of Show, Best of Class, and Champion awards went to Jenny Ritchie of Las Vegas for her healthy, plump, lime-green Romanesco Cauliflower.

Home Science Exhibit manager, Megan Canfield said the Judges Choice and Champion winner in non-perishable foods was teenager Summer Rice. “She had read on Pinterest how to make Mixed Berry Jam and decided to give it a try,” said Canfield. “This was her first time making jam and the judges were crazy about it!”

Best of Show, Best of Class, and Champion winner in perishable foods went to a Cheddar Jalapeno bread entered by Pledger Solomon.

Canfield was greatly appreciative that Virgin Valley High School’s FCCLA teacher required her students to enter a baked food item. “She brought boxes full of goodies, and her students really delivered with creative entries such as macaroons!” Canfield said.

Canfield mentioned that local Rhonda Pulsipher’s ribboned homemade rolls “were amazing.” Pulsipher, helping in the Sugar Shack, was willing to share her recipe from memory (see below). She said the key to good rolls is to leave the dough sticky.

The Home Arts section was filled with beautiful handcrafted items like afghans, table runners, quilts, clothing, crochet stuffed animals, needlepoint, quilted bags, and Christmas stockings. Jeaneen Belcher earned a Director’s Choice award for her adorable Minnie Mouse-themed afghan. Best of Show, Best of Class, and Champion went to Darin Martin for the stunning and intricately appliqued ocean-themed quilt which caught the eye of many onlookers.

Industrial Arts Best of Show, champion, and Best of Class awards went to local Cindy Shakespear for her attractive leather-crafted rope bag decorated with stamped flowers and carved cowboys roping a steer.

Annually students are encouraged to enter science projects. The Best of Show and Best of Class was awarded to Nicole Patterson for her project titled, “What is Digestion?” She had a miniature model of the digestive system with explanations of each organ’s function.

Judges Choice in photography went to Shelby Brandon for her adorable photo of chubby baby feet standing in mud called “Baby Toes.” Best of Show, Best of Class, and Champion honors in Photography were awarded to David Macias for his outstanding entry called “Selfie with Best Friend.” It was of half a man’s face and half a horse’s head close to each other.

Best of Class, Best of Show, and Champion in Fine Arts were awarded to Kelly Robison for the striking painting of pomegranates in a rectangular bowl. For the onlooker, it was difficult to know if it was a painting or a photograph.

Best of Class in Creative Arts was vested to local Alan Werner for creating a ceramic dragon’s eye so realistic it looked like it had been plucked directly off from a dragon.

The creatively decorated walls constructed by the juried exhibit managers are worth mentioning. With the Country Life theme, there were trees, hills, and farm scenes including a red barn, pigs, and chickens creatively created with rolls of colored paper. There was even a paper replica of Bunkerville Mountain and Mormon Mesa. That itself was a magnificent sight to behold.

Juried Exhibit Director Robin Maughan commented, “Locally, we had a good amount of submissions, and we are happy with that. But Las Vegas submissions were lower this year so we are already making plans on how to make more contact with them.”

Maughan mentioned she would also love to see more entries from Mesquite and in other outlying areas.

Rhonda Pulsipher’s award-winning rolls

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups lukewarm milk
3 packets of yeast
1 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Mix yeast and sugar together. Add milk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Add 4 beaten eggs and mix well.
Add approximately 2 cups of flour to create a medium batter. Let it sit 15 minutes until it bubbles well.
Add 4 teaspoons of salt and 1 cup of Crisco oil.
Mix it all up.
Put the mixture in a bowl and allow it to rise with a warm damp towel over it. (The key is to leave the dough sticky.)
Spray hands with cooking spray. Form balls from the dough and put them in sheet cake pans. Sheet cake pans are better than cake pans because the rolls spread out a little more and brown better.
Bake 350* for 10-12 minutes, depending on the oven.