Demolition Derby

pepperb@herald-mail.com It was a romantic gesture, but when Ernie Reese drove his beat-up station wagon onto the Demolition Derby's mud-filled pit Monday night, the message "Happy Anniversary Cookie" painted on its back soon was dented, caked with dirt and far from lovey-dovey. Reese, in his first attempt, plowed and rammed his baby blue 1986 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon against 10 other cars at the Ag Expo's annual Demolition Derby. Before long, the Fairplay man was stuck in the mud, lifting a white towel above his face as his competitors spun mud into his car's windowless cabin, revving their motors and crashing his car like it still had a wheel to stand on. The biggest instigator was a dull painted black 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme driven by Tracy Abbott.

In the evening humidity, Steven Taylor's head was covered in a layer of sweat, and he was breathing heavily. But his broad grin told the story of his win in Friday's demolition derby at the Washington County Ag Expo & Fair. First, his Chevrolet Corsica - a battered rainbow of orange, blue, pink and green - survived a battle among six-cylinder cars. Then, his Little Car That Could smoked the competition in a final "frenzy" among every car still running after the three preliminary heats.

WASHINGTON COUNTY - It cost $8 on Friday to get into the Washington County Ag Expo. The night's most anticipated event, the demolition derby, lasted about that many minutes, prompting a few in the crowd to boo and contemplate asking for refunds. "That's the sorriest excuse for a demolition derby I've ever seen," a man in the parking lot said after the derby, which lasted less than 10 minutes. Six cars entered the derby - compared to 17 last year. Because of a rule change, only four-cylinder, compact cars were allowed to enter, demolition derby coordinator Lisa Bragunier said.

McCONNELLSBURG, PA. -- As a longtime spectator of demolition derbies, it didn't take much to convince Dennis Richards to volunteer a few cars for the cause. "A little arm twisting," said the 62-year-old owner of Richards Auto Sales in McConnellsburg, Pa. "The cars were sitting in the back lot - parts cars. But they still ran. " The question was: Could they still run after the full-size car demolition derby Wednesday night during the fourth night of the 88th annual Fulton County Fair?

The Washington County Ag Expo will be from Friday, July 30, through Friday, Aug. 6, at Washington County Agricultural Education Center, seven miles south of Hagerstown on Sharpsburg Pike (Md. 65). Weekly passes can be purchased for $20 at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center, building No. 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, 8 a.m. to noon July 30 and at the gate throughout the week. Events include: Friday, July 30 Admission - $8, 3 p.m. to closing; ages 8 and younger are admitted free 5 p.m. - Open class home arts open to public, building 1 5:30 p.m. - Ag Expo Queen contest, main show ring, building 3 6 p.m. - Milking demonstration, milking parlor 6:30 p.m. - 4-H and FFA cake auction and open class baked goods auction, main show ring 7:30 p.m. - Demolition derby, track Saturday, July 31 Admission - $5, 9 a.m. to closing; ages 8 and younger are admitted free 9 a.m. - Alpaca demonstration, horse ring 10 a.m. - Barnyard Olym-pics, ages 3 to 14, horse ring 4 p.m. - Garden tractor pull 6 p.m. - 4-H and FFA fashion review, main show ring, building 3 6 p.m. - Pedal tractor pull, main show ring 6 p.m. - Milking demonstration, milking parlor Sunday, Aug. 1 Admission - $2, 9 a.m. to closing; ages 8 and younger are admitted free 9 a.m. - Church service, Redmen pavilion ...

bonnieb@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, PA. You start with a good, working car. Then, you remove all the glass, cut out the air conditioner, move the gas tank and the battery into the passenger compartment, and tear out all of the seats and inside door panels except the driver's. Now, the car is ready to be smashed into other cars until only one is left running. Jerry Seylar of Chambersburg modified his 1988 Buick station wagon, hoping it would be the last car alive at the Demolition Derby at the Franklin County Fair.

FALLING WATERS, W.VA. - Alex "Alpo" Garvin enters tonight's demolition derby at the 60th Berkeley County Youth Fair with no shortage of destruction-minded tactics in mind. "When I go out there, I'm ready to bust 'em up," the 38-year-old Falling Waters man said Wednesday. "I'm thinkin' of my dad, the money and havin' fun. " The Hagerstown native said his father, the late Frank D. Garvin, was known on the area derby circuit known as "The Demolition King. " Garvin has kept his father's trophies from events dating to the early 1970s and has more than a few of his own. Garvin's father died at age 60 in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Berkeley County in 1996, having raced and competed in area competitions for 25 years, Garvin said.

Cars ramming into each other, souped-up tractors pulling tons of weight, classy cars and amateur crooners taking their turn in the spotlight. There's plenty of fun to be had at Washington County Ag Expo even if you don't own a farm animal or know a winning cake recipe. Entertainment highlights include: Friday, July 21 · 7:30 p.m.: Compact car demolition derby. Track. Call 301-582-0640. Saturday, July 22 · Approximately 12:30 p.m.: Square-dancing demonstration and dance, Red Men Pavilion at Ag Center.

Three county fairs are under way in the Tri-State area and will continue through Saturday. Here is a schedule of upcoming highlights for the fairs in Franklin and Fulton counties in Pennsylvania, and the Jefferson County Fair in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia: Franklin County, Pa. The Franklin County Fair is held at the Chambersburg Rod and Gun Club off Pa. 995 in Williamson, Pa. Today's events include: 4 p.m....

LEETOWN, W.Va. - People headed to the 54th annual Jefferson County Fair this week will get to enjoy a new expanded area at the rear of the property which fair officials say is a better venue to view events like bull riding, tractor pulls and the demolition derby. The fair along Leetown Pike, which opened Sunday and runs through Saturday, was able to acquire roughly 20 acres for expansion, said fair spokesman Locke Wysong. The expansion took in an area where about 20 feet of dirt was removed and used to cap the former Jefferson County Landfill nearby when it was closed, Wysong said.

Her poise, smile and confidence were not the only reasons Chelsea Carey of Harpers Ferry, W.Va., was named Miss Jefferson County Fair 2012 on Saturday night at the Jefferson County Fair. When she was asked why she wanted to become a registered nurse, Chelsea, 17, said she told the fair judges that her grandmother died two years ago and she helped take care of her. “I knew then I wanted to be a nurse,” she said. Chelsea wants to study nursing in North Carolina because “I'm a beach person,” she said.

The 2012 Franklin County Fair runs through Saturday night at the county fairgrounds off Warm Spring Road (Pa. 995) west of Chambersburg, Pa. Admission is $10 a carload most nights or $5 for walk-ins and single admission. Upcoming highlights of the week at the fair include: MONDAY 4 p.m. - 4-H rabbit show 5:30 p.m. - Little miss contest 6:30 p.m. - Princess contest 7 p.m. - Truck and tractor pull 8 p.m. - County fair queen contest TUESDAY 9 a.m. - 4-H dairy roundup 5 p.m. - 4-H junior steer show 6:30 p.m. - ATV dirt drags 7:30 p.m. - Karaoke youth and adult contest WEDNESDAY 7:30 p.m. - Demolition derby 7:30 p.m. - Talent contest 7:30 p.m. - 4-H/FFA animal dress-up parade THURSDAY 6-9 p.m. - Old-fashioned county fair day 6:30 p.m. - Holstein dairy show 6 p.m. - Antique and farm stock tractor pull 7 and 9 p.m. - Junk Rock on the midway stage FRIDAY 9:30 a.m. - Jersey and brown swiss show 7 p.m. - 4-H/FFA dairy cattle showmanship contest 7 p.m. - Truck and tractor pull SATURDAY Noon - Youth barnyard Oympics Noon - Open horse event 6:30 p.m. - Demolition derby For more information and a full schedule, go to the fair website at www.franklincountyfair.org .

1. Fun for the family Berkeley County Youth Fair kicks off Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Berkeley County Youth Fair Grounds, off Golf Course Road, Martinsburg, W.Va. Amusements and entertainment, including truck and tractor pull, 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5, Monday, Aug. 6, and Tuesday, Aug. 7, at the track area; entertainment by David Nail, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, amphitheater; bull riding, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, track area; demolition derby, figure eight derby and flat track enduro, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10, and Saturday, Aug. 11. For admission fees, go to www.berkeleycountyyouthfair.org . 2. In memory of Tyler Tyler Trot 5K walk and run will be Saturday, Aug. 4, at Antietam National Battlefield, 5831 Dunker Church Road, Sharpsburg.

Franklin County (Pa.) Fair officials are compiling data from last week's fair, but they expect they reached the 20,000 visits of an average year. The total number of visitors will be finalized by midweek, Fair Board chairman Robert Eckstine said Sunday. “Things went pretty well until Saturday night when we were rained out,” Eckstine said. The fair, which was held from Aug. 21 to 27, switched to a $10-per-carload fee this year, rather than per-person admission. Eckstine said revenue was down, but attendance appeared to be up. “The food stands seemed to have more revenue,” he said.

Adrenaline and excitement went hand-in-hand as the demolition derby drew hundreds to the Franklin County Fair Wednesday night. After being on hiatus for several years due to the rising costs, fairgoers saw the return of the Full Power Demolition Derby inside the arena on the fairgrounds, and it didn't disappoint. “People like anything that crashes, booms and bangs,”  fair President Robert Eckstine said. “They just enjoy seeing one vehicle hit another and bounce around.

In the evening humidity, Steven Taylor's head was covered in a layer of sweat, and he was breathing heavily. But his broad grin told the story of his win in Friday's demolition derby at the Washington County Ag Expo & Fair. First, his Chevrolet Corsica - a battered rainbow of orange, blue, pink and green - survived a battle among six-cylinder cars. Then, his Little Car That Could smoked the competition in a final "frenzy" among every car still running after the three preliminary heats.

LEETOWN, W.Va. -- The fourth time was the charm. In her fourth year showing a steer at the Jefferson County Fair and fourth time competing in the fair queen pageant, 18-year-old Natasha Dawson-Kable of Charles Town won the title of Miss Jefferson County Fair 2009. And while Rocky, her 1,238-pound Angus cross bovine, finished third in the market steer division and fifth in showmanship Monday, the longtime 4-H'er still has a chance to snag another big ribbon today with her 247-pound Hampshire cross hog, Spammy.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. -- Professional basketball player Shaquille O'Neal can make a free throw about half the time. During a free throw, there are no opposing players blocking the shot and the shot is made with the hands. Now imagine trying to drop a basketball in a 55-gallon drum using the wide bucket on a 5,500-pound skid loader. A skid loader is a small vehicle with a bucket attachment to carry dirt, gravel or similar loads. For the average person, the first obstacle would be figuring out how to operate a skid loader.

High-flying motocross riders and jet-powered ATVs are joining the entertainment options at this year's Washington County Ag Expo & Fair. Mike Vaters, who drives the Black Stallion monster truck, is bringing his Vaters Motorsport Thrill Show to the fair and to his home county for the first time. The Ag Expo & Fair begins Friday and runs through Thursday, July 23, the night of Vaters' show. Four motocross riders will compete in freestyle motocross, doing jumps and tricks as they compete against one another, said Vaters, who lives in the Downsville area.