2016 -- H 8346

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LC006072

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

JOYOUSLY CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WASHINGTON

COUNTY FAIR

     Introduced By: Representatives Price, Giarrusso, Roberts, Filippi, and Costa

     Date Introduced: June 14, 2016

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, The Washington County Fair, owned and operated by the Washington

County Pomona Grange, will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2016 from August 17th to the

21st. The Fair is Rhode Island's largest agricultural event and includes daily concerts, many with a

country music flavor, along with a giant midway area, a kiddy land area, rides, games, and an

abundance of agricultural events including tractor and horse pulls, exhibits and displays, and a

farm museum; and

     WHEREAS, The Washington County Fair, had its beginnings in 1967, when it was held

on the grounds of the Perryville Grange in Wakefield. The fair was held in Wakefield for two

more years before it moved to its current home in Richmond, when a large tract of land was

purchased to serve as the home of the Washington County Fair and as a recreational area for other

organizations to use. Soon after the purchase was made, many Grange volunteers got to work

making the land suitable for holding community events. Additionally, over the years these

volunteers made numerous improvements and added many amenities to the fairgrounds, including

the addition of a new sheep and goat barn, a museum holding a vast array of agricultural

equipment and artifacts from the past, and a third ring for pulling events; and

     WHEREAS, The Washington County Pomona Grange is a dedicated group of volunteers

who donate much of their time in service to the community. In addition to running the

Washington County Fair, they knit hats for newborns at hospitals, donate new dictionaries to

elementary schools, give food to local food banks, provide financial scholarships to high school

students, and support the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs, FFA, and other agricultural

organizations; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby joyously celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Washington

County Fair; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Clyde S. Fish, II, Chairman, The

Washington County Fair.

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LC006072

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