Ledger-Dispatch

By Bethany A. Monk (bmonk@ledger-dispatch.com) =

Jackson business owner Kam Merzlak is = designing a=20 booth to represent Amador County at the state fair.

Photo by: Bethany A.=20 Monk
Kam Merzlak, a longtime Amador County = resident=20 and owner of Merzlak Signs in Jackson, will design a carousel-style = booth to=20 represent Amador County at the California State Fair in Sacramento this=20 summer.

The annual fair, held at the Cal Expo fairgrounds, will = run from=20 Aug. 15 to Sept. 3. On the morning of the fair's opening day, judges = will visit=20 the booths, which represent counties throughout the state, and award = each one=20 with a gold, silver or bronze, as well as separate awards based on = attributes=20 like animation, marketing and other qualities. The booths will remain on = display=20 during the fair.

"It's an honor to be the one person out of the = county to=20 be in charge of creating the booth," said Merzlak, who has lived in = Amador=20 County since 1982.

This year's booth representing Amador County = will be=20 16-feet by 16-feet and will feature a carousel sporting large = photographs=20 submitted by local photographers of various Amador County locations, = such as the=20 Sutter Gold Mine, lakes, golf courses, wineries and more, Merzlak told = the=20 county's board of supervisors Tuesday morning.

"I had seen these = fair=20 booths before," he said. The most notable and memorable booths were the = ones=20 that were animated or had some movement. "I remember one that had a = logging=20 truck with motion," from 10 years ago, he said, adding that it made a = lasting=20 impression.

The Amador County Chamber of Commerce gave him $1,000 = for the=20 project fees and construction of the booth began two weeks ago, he said. = The=20 county's board of supervisors will collectively give him $5,000 and each = of the=20 four supervisors present at Tuesday's meeting offered to give Merzlak an = additional $1,000 after his presentation. Board Chairman Richard Forster = was not=20 present at the meeting. Merzlak has also received $2,500 from a private = citizen,=20 he said.

Amador County has fared well in the booth competitions = over the=20 years, according to the county's Chamber of Commerce executive director, = Jacqueline Lucido. Last year, the county's booth took home a gold medal = and a=20 "best animation" title for its booth featuring Arnold=20 Schwarzenegger.

"Each year, it's a challenge to come up with = something=20 new," said Lucido, who's worked at the chamber for 15 years. But = creating a=20 booth for the state fair is a great way to get people curious about the = county=20 "and get them to come visit," she said, adding that 130 Amador County = volunteers=20 will meet and greet booth visitors in successive 2-hour shifts to talk = to people=20 about the county.

"They love it," Lucido said, when asked what = type of=20 feedback former volunteers have given her about their experiences = volunteering=20 at the state fair. Lucido called Merzlak a "talented business man" and = called=20 his approach to this year's booth project "very modern."

His idea = for the=20 carousel, which will slowly turn in circles to show visitors its various = photos,=20 is a quick and effective way to showcase the county. "It's gorgeous," = Lucido=20 said.

Merzlak designed the booth himself and will construct it = with the=20 help of volunteers, Lucido said. He got the idea for the carousel-style = booth=20 after he saw a water tank with vertical slats while driving from the Bay = Area.=20 "It made me think of slats on a carousel," he said. "We're going to have = people=20 in front of this thing the whole fair."

In its 155th year, the = fair=20 features an array of attractions, including live entertainment, = Magnificent=20 Midway carnival rides and myriad exhibits. For more information and = pictures of=20 the booth, visit www.merzlaksigns.com. For more information about the = state=20 fair, visit www.bigfun.org/fair or call (916) 263-FAIR.

Bethany A. = Monk