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P/SUNNY Temp: 62 °F Wind: NW at 4 mph Monday, August 5, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend July 17, 2002 The kids are topsy-turvy on the Energy Storm, one of several stomach-churning thrill rides at the Jackson County Fair this year. Brittany England, 15, and James Gerritz, 16, both of Medford say they miss the old standbys such as Scrambler and Chaos. Click the photo to see a larger (35k) version; use your Back button to return to the story. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli It’s ‘Senior Day’ at the Fair The fair runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Jackson County Expo in Central Point. Cost is $8 for adults. Shuttles ($1) run every half-hour (every 15 minutes after 5 p.m.) from the Rogue Valley Mall and Scenic Middle School. 8:45 a.m. — FFA Swine Showmanship. 9 a.m. — 4-H English Equitation Showmanship. 10 a.m. — Old Time Fiddlers. 11 a.m. — 4-H Swine Showmanship. 11:30 a.m. — Senior Activities. 1 p.m. — 4-H Trail/Western Equitation, Southern Oregon Songwriters Showcase, Pool Shooting Demo by Mike Bromahem. 1:30 p.m. — Rogue Drifters. 2 p.m . — Pirates Parrot Show. 3 p.m . — Chip Wright Champion Karate. 4 p.m . — Pirates Parrot Show, Steve Bayner, hypnotist, Rogue Valley School Of Gymnastics. 5 p.m. — Southern Oregon Songwriters Showcase, Lost River Band, Kamikaze Karaoke. 6 p.m . — Pirates Parrot Show; Pool Shooting Demo by Mike Bromahem, Bubble Blowing Contest, Pork Buyer's BBQ, Steve Bayner, hypnotist, 4-H Bareback Equitation/Walk Trot Equitation. 6:15 p.m. — Parade Of Swine Banners. 7 p.m. — Tracy Byrd, Celebrity Stage ; 4-H Horse Fun Night, Amateur Karaoke. 7:30 p.m. — 4-H/FFA Swine and Goat Auction, Chocolate Cake Contest, Southern Oregon Performing Arts. 8 p.m. — Fools Forgiven. 8:30 p.m. — Mercy Blues Band. 9 p.m. — Tracy Byrd, Celebrity Stage. They know the rides inside-out Twisting, turning, stomach churning, upside down and spun around, teens rate what’s great By CHRISTIAN BRINGHURST Mail Tribune With Disneyland almost 800 miles away, sometimes the best summer thing going for Southern Oregon teenagers is the Jackson County Fair. Yes, it’s here again, parents ... brace yourselves. And remember, whatever else you might have in mind to taste, touch and see while you are there, your kids have eyes for one thing, and one thing alone — RIDES. "The Zipper’s the best," gushed 15-year-old Jimmy Spence on Tuesday. Friend T.J. Holmes agreed. They and three other friends had just emerged from a blood-boiler called the Inverter. No, the girls in the group contradicted, the Ring of Fire takes the cake. The Medford teens were also at odds over the ride they had just tottered off. "It’s awesome," said Jimmy, of the aptly named gravity-teaser. "It hurts your legs," complained 14-year-old Chelsea Stone. Another group of teens agreed with Chelsea. "Get rid of the Inverter," said 15-year-old Olivia Krebs, freshly flushed from a lulu of a ride called the Energy Storm. The latter, it seems, was a hit. "It was a lot of fun," said Olivia’s friend Lacie Lenich. The Energy Storm is a multiple car ride with a capacity of 24 passengers, according to Butler Amusements Inc. "There are four cars supported on each of three hydraulically lifted sweeps," reads a ride description from the company. Each sweep rotates at about nine revolutions per minute, while the attached passenger cars rotate at 18 RPM in the opposite direction. So by the time the cars tilt to their 170-degree maximum, their screaming, wide-eyed occupants look like little guinea pigs aboard some mutant, NASA training prototype. The young group of friends had a few words of criticism for the rides this year. "I say, bring back the Chaos," said 16-year-old James Gerritz. "And there was no Scrambler," lamented 15-year-old Brittany England. When kids were not volunteering for centrifugal torture, they milled about the various vendor stands, imbibing the "carnie culture" so integral to the flavor of a county fair. Perhaps a surprising choice for a county fair is a giant, inflatable replica of the sinking of the Titanic. Young children waited their turn to reenact the tragedy by climbing up the interior of the "ship" and then sliding down the deck like the doomed passengers portrayed in the 1997 Oscar-winning picture. "I don’t think that they’re really thinking about political correctness," said Butler Amusements Marketing Director Candice Pendergrass. "I think it came out about the same time as the film," she explained, "and it was really popular, so they’ve just kept it." Other notable attractions, according to Pendergrass, include staples like the carousel, a Ferris wheel, and a roller coaster for all ages called the Zillerator. A new ride for younger children named the Dizzy Dragon also has been very popular, she said. And, of course, don’t miss that stomach-blender, the Energy Storm, say the kids — although you may want to think about missing breakfast before you go. Reach reporter Christian Bringhurst at 776-4459. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S