Governor Daniels visits Riley Co. 4-H Fair

Mike Maune – Intern Writer

For a day, Miss Ripley County Amanda Harmeyer played second fiddle at the fair. She was upstaged when a giant, soy-diesel RV pulled into the fairgrounds parking lot with the seal of the state of Indiana painted on its side. Governor Mitch Daniels stepped out of RV One and greeted a crowd of around fifty adults and teens who then proceeded to give the governor a tour of this year’s Ripley County Fair.

After meeting with local representatives, the governor, led by his hostess Harmeyer, admired the work of 4-Hers in the exhibition building. Various 4-Hers who had presentations on display told the governor about how each project was accomplished.

Daniels commented that he hadn’t done 4-H when he was younger. “It wasn’t in my school. I wish it had been. I’ve seen how much good it does,” Daniels said.
At the crop display, Paul Anderson of Farm Bureau Insurance explained to the governor the variety of crops shown. “We have one of the most crop-diverse counties in the state,” Anderson said. He then gave Daniels a crash course on how to judge hay.

The photography exhibit garnered much praise from the governor. Harmeyer commented that it was one of the top projects for 4-Hers. Daniels replied, “You live in such a beautiful part of the state. You just walk outside and something’s there.”

Daniels delighted several 4-Hers as he related a story about his trip down to the fair. The RV barely missed hitting a turkey.
As the governor continued on to the St. Nicholas food stand, he met with reporters. He said, “I love this part of the state and try to come down as often as I can. We spend three weeks visiting county fairs.” He had already visited Park, Jasper, Vigo, White, and Jay county fairs earlier in the summer. He explained that he visits county fairs to be accessible to the public, to meet a lot of people in a short time, and to have “just plain fun.”

At the St. Nicholas food stand, the governor continued to talk to various Ripley County residents and government officials. As the crowd sat down to eat, another public figure stopped by and met with Daniels. Former 9th District Congressman Baron Hill and his wife Betty talked with the governor as they passed through Osgood.
Hill is the Democratic nominee for the 9th District in this year’s midterm election. Congressman Mike Sodrel is the Republican incumbent running against Hill in what several major media sources have called one of the most important races in the nation.

The governor told the Republican about the meeting: “[Hill] was fun, as always. I think he’s a nice guy and I like the fact that he gets out to talk to people directly. Of course, I hope my friend Mike [Sodrel] returns, but I think they’re going to have a clean, fair election.” Concerning the differences between the two parties, Daniels continued, “I try to work with both parties. In the end, we serve the same people.” The meeting with Hill also prompted the governor to remark that “people who put themselves in the public arena have a lot in common. We get along better than what people think.”

Perhaps the most comic difference between the two men, though, is their choice of fair food. The former Congressman Hill prefers chili, whereas Governor Daniels is partial to funnel cakes.

The governor then was led by Harmeyer and other 4-Hers to the horse barn where he took pictures with several youths and their horses. After that, he visited the other animal barns and was shown hogs, goats, and other livestock. He also made a guest appearance at the 4-H Beef Show.

The governor’s last stop was at the Farm Bureau building where he enjoyed a single dip of ice cream. After that, he returned to RV One to head off to Union County for yet another county fair.
MIKE MAUNE PHOTO
Governor Mitch Daniels, second from right, was in attendance at the Ripley County 4-H Fair on Wednesday, around noon. Also pictured is State Representative Cleo Duncan (right), and 4-H'ers who were eager to share information about their projects with the governor.