Grant County improves fairgrounds stage

EPHRATA - Grant County is installing a roof and walls to the Carolyn Fisher Stage at the fairgrounds.

The improvements are the latest in a series paid for with a $12 million bond. The money was used to add septic systems, build new bathrooms, construct the 4-H building and move the path of Airway Drive.

The construction of the stage is expected to cost about $20,000, Fairgrounds Manager Jerry Gingrich said. They are adding the items on top of the location of the original stage, which was a concrete pad.

"It's been in talks prior to me being here," Gingrich said. "We got an engineer to design it ... We're just trying to improve the fairgrounds and make it a better place for everyone to come."

The stage is used during the Grant County Fair for hypnotists, comedians and magicians, he said.

"It was more or less a tent before," he said.

The commissioners are looking at future improvements using the about $583,000 remaining from the bond, including improving the Grant County sheriff's station, Commissioner Cindy Carter said. The money is also slated to be used to drill three monitoring wells to test septic systems at the fairgrounds.