Be sure to play
midway games
Wise carnival-goers might
warn the uninitiated not
to walk too close to any
of the booths along the midway, for
fear of running the risk of getting
drawn into a game and giving their
spendy tickets
to a fast-talk
ing worker
(don’t call
them
“camies,” they
don’t like
that).
Of course,
the point of the
Funtastic Car
nival at the
Lane County
Fair is spend
ing money on
frivolous
games, so take
a risk, if you like to pop balloons or
go on the popular rides.
The Funtastic Carnival is “just
possibly... the world’s first carni
val,” as its slogan reads.
Fair spokesman Ron Burback,
who worked at the information
booth, is a lot like a human ency
clopedia, and is well-placed.
Burback, upon request, impart
ed a little carnival history.
Funtastic has been around since
1969, and started working the
Lane County Fair about 10 years
ago. Burback explained that the
fair and the carnival are at their
best together.
Burback said the first carnival
took place in 1893 at the
Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Daley
Reporter
It was at the Exposition that Harry
Houdini performed for the first
time. Houdini (Ehrich Weiss) per
formed with his friend Jacob Hy
man in an act they called “The
Brothers Houdini.”
Back in the early 1900s, some
carnivals also featured semi-nude
females dancing in the midway,
which no longer has a place in the
family-oriented entertainment of
current fairs.
The days of Houdini and the
dancing girls have given way to
today’s mechanized rides, which
get riders giddy with adrenaline,
and help pass the days in the ago
nizing sun.
The “Sling Shot” is a two-person
ride that is exactly as it sounds. If
you like this one, go ahead and
sign up for NASA’s astronaut pro
gram because this will test your
equilibrium — if you like that sort
of thing. Watch out, though, it’s
$50 for two people!
For a good scream, and maybe a
few shoulder or shin bruises, try
the ever popular “Zipper,” which
rapidly spins happy fairgoers in a
Ferris-wheel-type rig with cages
instead of benches. Each cage flips
the rider upside-down and
around, turning independently of
the enormous contraption
whirring around. Highest recom
mendations, but acrophobes
should skip this one.
One of the more popular rides for
children and gooey romantics is
still the Ferris wheel, which is pret
ty much the same wherever you go.
Mini-children might want to fry
RECYCLE/ J
COMPOST/ I
GARBAGE f
Adam Jones Emerald
Waste centers located around the Lane County Fairgrounds provide disposal and recycling
services for the visitors throughout the event.
Adam Jones Emerald
Try your luck at Skee-Ball or throwing rings; the midway offers a plethora of gaming booths and carnival rides for the fair purist.
the relatively new “Dragon Wag
on,” which gives the impression of
a roller coaster in training or a
large toy train set.
However, it isn’t just the rides
or the games — sometimes chil
dren just eye the prizes and try to
knock down a few pins if they see
something they like. One child
was tempted to pop a few bal
loons by the lure of a chrome tri
cycle, but his dad pulled him
away from the game.
This is the kind of sight that
makes carnival workers sigh, as
they are constantly scanning the
passing hubbub for fresh business.
Some of them watch just for kicks,
rather than for business prospects.
Sabrina McNamara, a carnival
worker, said her favorite part of the
job was “people watching,” but that
she hadn’t seen a lot of people com
ing to the games in the midway.
The wild rides might be more of
a draw at the midway carnival.
There are a few carnival ticket
specials for the savvy folk. Thurs
day and Friday the “Kiddie Ride
Special,” offers carnival ride
bracelets for $18 until 5 p.m.
Contact the reporter
atjilliandaley@dailyemerald.com.
Her opinions do not necessarily
represent those of the Emerald.
Officials strive to educate public,
reduce waste at Lane County Fair
By Jan Montry
Oregon Daily Emerald
Lane County Waste Management
and the city are continuing a recy
cling campaign to educate the public
and reduce waste at the Lane County
Fair. Campaign organizers hope that
through this program, their main goal
of zero percent waste will be
achieved in five to seven years.
This year, the program is in part
nership with Sanipac and Rexius to
help recycle and compost materials
from the fair.
Lane County’s waste reduction
specialist Pete Chism said many peo
ple don’t realize a lot of materials
used at the fair — such as napkins,
chopsticks and vegetable waste
—can be recycled or composted.
“The whole idea is to instruct a
thought process to get you to zero
waste,” he said.
Chism added that running the cam
paign at the Lane County Fair is chal
lenging because many vendors come
from other areas and aren’t accus
tomed to recycling. This lack of recy
cling experience makes it difficult to
instruct vendors to avoid waste.
Another obstacle for the program
is the availability of biodegradable
plastics for vendors. Although these
plastics are available, companies
providing them are frequently out
of stock.
“We’re patient in that we’re wait
ing for biodegradable foodwares to
become a commodity in this area,”
Chism said.
At the fair, volunteers are running
two different recycling stations in or
der to educate people as they recycle.
These education and recycling vol
unteers are essential to the program
because they inform others about re
cycling and composting.
“I think the most important thing
about recycling at any event is that
you get to talk to thousands of peo
ple,” Chism said. “You show people
there is a lot of caring in this commu
nity about the environment. ”
In addition to the manned recycle
stations, more volunteer crews are
collecting additional recycling and
picking up trash on the fairgrounds.
University Campus Recycling pro
gram manager Karyn Kaplan, who is
helping with the campaign, said edu
cation is the most important aspect of
any recycling system.
“The key is making sure eveiybody
watches the recycling stations,” she
said. “You must have consistency in
the system.”
Contact the reporter
at janmontry@dailyemerald.com.
Los Angeles artist set to visit Eugene
Tamaras, a musician on tour
promoting her newest CD, will
make a local appearance Aug. 23
Passion, music and sweetness will
visit downtown Eugene on Aug 23.
Guitarist, vocalist and songstylist
Tamaras (her last name is Oshea,
but Tamaras is her stage name) is
scheduled to play at 10 p.m., Aug.
23 at Joe’s Bar and Grill, located on
21 West 6th Ave.
Tamaras plays acoustic guitar and
writes her own music. She also plays
lead guitar in a rock trio with bassist
Hideaki Kazui and drummer Zoltan
Szentkiralyi for a heavier sound.
Born in Hollywood, California,
the Los Angeles-based musician is
touring solo to promote her new CD
and play a few favorites. Tamaras
will visit old haunts on the West
Coast after playing spots across the
country. The tour kicked off in
Sacramento and will move all the
way up to the Alaska Women’s Mu
sic Festival in Anchorage.
Tamaras’ latest album, “Ordinary
Super Girl,” is a live, acoustic
recording of songs like “Wish U the
World,” “Millionaires,” “Bethany”
and “Good Night,” which fans can
purchase when they catch her act
and take it home, or listen to it live,
as the album represents the main
sets for the tour.
She will also be a featured per
former at SummerFest in Port An
geles; Washington, and at'(the Her
i '
land Retreat in Oklahoma City.
Tamaras’ music is wild, warming
and cathartic. Her lyrics are inspir
ingly complex.
The music’s power and the word
ing’s passion combines to create mov
ing lines like “Please don’t say you
can’t see any beauty here,” in “Mil
lionaires.” The song submerges inside
the deeper emotions, and questions
those who can see nothing extraordi
nary or pleasureable in the world.
Tamaras sees it, and she presents
her tender tunes Aug 23.
Tickets for the concert cost $2.
For further information see
www.tamarasrocks.com.
Contact the reporter
atjilliandaley@dailyemerald.com.
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Courtesy Photo