By PARRY TEASDALE
THE BIG NEWS is that the Columbia County Fair is up and running (and mooing and clucking and oinking and entertaining and smashing and spinning and parading and you get the idea) for 182 years at the Chatham Fairgrounds. The main entrance is state Route 66.
There’s enough to keep kids and their grown-ups busy for a day or more—the fair runs through Labor Day. Kids old enough to know about such things understand that the fair literally makes way for the new school year. Some may plead for that one last ride and risk wandering off only to remember that they need the ride home.
After nearly two centuries the fair hasn’t been swamped by cuteness. Its traditions endure and adapt. It’s how this county relaxes.
As for us, two weeks ago The Columbia Paper staff shut down for a week for our annual summer “double issue.” We added a few extra pages and published the issue of “August 17-24.” We also advertised the August 17-24 issue on the front page and in earlier issues before we took that week off.
The calls started coming in as soon as subscribers didn’t get the paper that wouldn’t be arriving. Callers wanted an explanation. We explained. And then something happened. All of these callers said they were relieved that they would receive this paper. We were too.
Some said they were embarrassed at missing the published alerts. Many of you also told us you loved this newspaper.
We said, please don’t be embarrassed. Everybody misses stuff and we love talking with our readers. And don’t worry, we don’t plan to take another break until the end of the year.
