Last year, there was a significant amount of complaints about the Green County Fair. There were criticisms from Times readers (mostly expressed through online comments) about the price of the fair, the rides, the entertainment, etc.

There were fair board members then that vowed to take those criticisms constructively and try to address some of them for the 2009 fair.

I was impressed, then, when Judy Hanson from the fair board e-mailed me in late May, asking if the board could have some space in The Monroe Times to write news releases, or columns, about improvements to this years fair and to answer questions people might have about the event.

I was more than glad to accommodate.

Over the past few weeks, on a periodic basis, those columns have been published in The Monroe Times print and online editions. Hopefully, youve had a chance to read them. We may include some or all of the content in a Green County Fair preview section we are planning for next month.

The last of the series, which is published online and in Mondays newspaper, has a nice touch to it, I think. Its a Green County Fair trivia quiz, and the fair board is offering to people who submit answers an opportunity to win a basket of fair goodies that includes a season ticket to the fair.

I credit the fair board for turning last years criticisms into something constructive this year. Will the 2009 Green County Fair please everyone? No. You know the saying about pleasing all of the people all of the time ...

But I think the fair board is earnestly trying to make a fair that is pleasing to more people. It will be an ongoing process, Im sure, but its nice to see.

You should check out the trivia quiz and answer as many questions as you can. Hopefully, you will win the season ticket!

And if you do, you can use it to come watch me make what is sure to be a pathetic attempt to win the celebrity pedal pull event on July 25!