By Don Jovich
Record-Courier staff writer
RANDOLPH " This year's "Still Great in 2008" theme of the Randolph Fair rang true Sunday with the final day of family activities, events and entertainment.
A southern gospel singing presentation kicked off the final day of the fair with performances by Nora Hunt from Brimfield, the Country Sunrise Special from Canton, the Loren Glick Family from Wooster and the Colonial City Quartet from Mansfield.
"It's been very busy this year," said a member of the Waterloo Athletics Booster organization. "We've really had a good week."
For the past 40 years, the Waterloo boosters have offered a variety of foods and beverages at the fair to support their athletic teams.
Other organizations at the fair included the Portage Park District and the "Biobus" educational vehicle and the Portage County Solid Waste Management District, which provides eduational programs and useful information about recycling and hazardous materials.
Director William Steiner of the Portage County Solid Waste Management District said this year the fair is "going green" and using recycling containers to collect plastic bottles, cans and cardboard.
"This is our first year and it's been very successful," he said.
Steiner said they will be participating in the program next year and he hopes to have even more recycle containers.
Jeff Ingram, a member of the Citizens for Portage Parks, said the attendance to the fair this year has been great.
Ingram also introduced visitors to the Living Earth Biodiversity Bus that teaches students about the environment and the many creatures living in it.
Rootstown resident Barbara May, a member of the Randolph Fair Auxiliary, said she's been involved with the fair for the past 33 years and looks forward to it each year.
"This year, everything's going great," she said. "We've had beautiful weather and the turnout has been wonderful."
As the fair came to a close, many fair goers remarked on the near-perfect weather they've enjoyed for the past week.
Cuyahoga Falls resident Bev Thompson said those camping at nearby Friendship Acres Park always look forward to the fair.
"We've had good weather all week and the campgrouds have been very busy," she said.
This year's 150th Portage County Randolph Fair also marks another great success for the many fair board members, volunteers and attendees from in and around Portage County. Happy Birthday.