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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 2015)
6A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 12, 2015 Polk County News Bolt: Reserve champ brings $9 per pound Continued from 1A Not all the goats in Jenna’s herd are as big as Bolt. Jenna said the smallest figured out how to squeeze through the fence, while Bolt used a tac- tic similar to a battering ram. He would give himself a running start and smash through. There’s much more to raising an auction-worthy goat than building a better pen and feeding them. Jenna had to balance food con- sumption with exercise to make sure Bolt and his counterparts developed muscle and the ideal com- position. That meant walking — a lot — in addition to feeding them twice a day. If she didn’t, the results wouldn’t have been favorable come fair time. “Fat doesn’t weigh as much as muscle … and he would just be all fat,” Jenna said. “We took them on real- ly long walks.” Bids are placed on market goats by the pound, and Jenna was hoping Bolt would bring in $5 to $6 per pound, which would be a good return on her invest- ment. Once show time got clos- er, Jenna simply shrugged her shoulders when asked if she was nervous. MaKayli Laizure, who raised grand champion goat Elvis, offered Jenna last- minute advice on showing Bolt in the auction ring and interacting with his buyer. “Shake their hand and smile big,” she said. MaKayli has taken ani- mals to auction for the last several years. “I don’t how to explain it,” MaKayli said of her first time in the auction. “It was nerve- wracking and exciting at the same time. It was nice to have people bidding on my animal and it was fun to show him.” Within minutes, Jenna JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer Bob Young cuts a board to size for Falls City’s covered stadium on Friday. Stadium: Falls City fans to have covered seating Continued from 1A Young, who also serves on the district’s school board, said this is the first time the field will have a stadium. “I think it’s going to be re- ally nice for the fans, espe- cially when we’re getting into November when it’s rainy and windy,” Young said. He said the frames for the bleachers were donated JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer Jenna Tompkins and Bolt await having their photo taken after Thursday’s market goat show at the county fair. would have the same experi- ence, the final lesson in her four-month project with Bolt and company. “I’ve learned how to feed and exercise them,” she said. “And definitely not to get too attached.” MaKayli, followed by Jenna, were the first two to show their animals in the auction. Grand Champion Elvis pulled in $12.50 per pound. Jenna watched MaKayli carefully while waiting her turn. As the auctioneer said her name, Jenna urged Bolt for- ward into the ring. Guiding him through a handful of turns in front of the audi- ence as the bids quickly rose beyond her goal of $6 per pound. The eventual buyer pur- chased Bolt for $9 per pound, meaning he fetched $1,224. “ Yo u d i d a w e s o m e , Jenna,” Kathy Tompkins said. “I’m so proud of you. You were so good with Bolt.” Jenna wasn’t the only one who was won over by Bolt’s sweet personality. Kathy, too, was having mixed feelings about the possibility of their buddy leaving the farm. De- pending on the wishes of the buyer, sometimes families can “buy back” the animal. Kathy said Saturday that whether or not they would try to do that was yet to be determined. If not, there’s always next year. MaKayli said she’s learned to not think about that much. “I do one every year,” she said. So will Jenna. “She knows we are going to have a lot of kids (baby goats) this winter, so she will make another friend,” Kathy said. “But that doesn’t make it any easier.” JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer Bob Young watches as a board is set in place Friday. Come to Me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest — Matthew 11:28 Grief Support Workshop presented by Rev. Terry L. Mott, CT, BCPC, with Gentiva Hospice. Sponsored by Dallas Retirement Village. Tuesday, Aug. 18 & Aug. 25 • 3:30 to 4:30 at Dallas Retirement Village in our Chapel. Call Christine to reserve a spot, 503-623-1831. All are welcome. 377 NW Jasper, Dallas when Central High School remodeled its stadium, and Weyerhaeuser donated the lumber for the benches. The final step — building the cover — has been tak- ing shape slowly over the summer. Friday, the crew was fin- ishing the roof and sides of the structure. The final touch will be white metal siding with purple trim to coincide with school colors and match other buildings sur- rounding the field. “We’ve been working on it on and off for two or three days,” Young said. “We probably have another day to go on it. We took the day off today and donated the time.” Gilbert acknowledged Mike McConnell, Mike Mayfield, Sid Hobgood, and the Falls City School Board for supporting the project. Gilbert also put in plenty of time on the stadium, Falls City Superintendent Jack Thompson noted. Thompson said with only the siding left to installed, it looks like the project will be done before summer is over. “That is their intent, to have it ready for the first (football) game,” he said.