Lions Fair Again Takes Top N.C.Honors

The 2009 Lee Regional Fair sponsored by the Sanford Lions Club has again won top honors from the North Carolina Association of County Fairs. The group recently held its annual convention in Raleigh and representatives from the local service club were present to accept two of the most prestigious awards give by the association.

Lions President-elect Marvin Joyner and Fair Director Ronnie Turner displayed the plaques for club members at the weekly meeting Thursday, Jan. 14. For the third year the Sanford event won the Image Award for overall excellence among county agricultural fairs in the state. It also captured the Agriculture Award presented each year by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler for outstanding service in representing the state’s farming and agri-business economy.

Turner said the repeated wins by the Lee Regional Fair demonstrate the hard work and commitment by the Sanford Lions Club to this project that provides funds to help the blind, sight and hearing impaired, and disadvantaged youth. And for another year it means that other fair sponsors across North Carolina will be shooting to knock the Lee Regional Fair off the top perch, Turner added. But planning never stops for the local fall event and the 2010 fair will be bigger and better than ever.

The club heard a fascinating program on one of the country’s largest growers and suppliers of fruits and vegetables to consumers. Program Chairman was Dale Hulsey who has spent a long career in the poultry industry while the guest speaker was his son, Nicholas Hulsey, a sales specialist with L&M Companies based in Raleigh.

L&M operates internationally growing, harvesting, processing, packaging and shipping fruits and vegetables all over North and South America. Whether its apples, eggplant, corn, peppers, melons, beans, strawberries, cherries and even some produce many have never heard of of, this company brings it to major markets and grocery stores for the consumer.

Hulsey, a graduate of Lee County High School and N.C. State University, showed a slide and video presentation illustrating several aspects of the companies work. He discussed the important objective of getting fresh produce from the field to market as quickly as possible and the latest technology used. Of course, Mother Nature always has an upper hand such as the recent frigid weather that will limit some produce from Florida thus leaving suppliers dependent on California or Central American yields where added transportation costs result in rising prices.

President-elect Marvin Joyner presided at the meeting. Dale Hulsey gave the invocation and Bucky Phillips led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Sanford Lions Welcome 2010

The Sanford Lions Club returned to its regular weekly meeting schedule Thursday, Jan. 7, with President Richard Hendley presiding. Program Chairman Art Coleman delivered the invocation while Jimmy Bridges led members in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Hendley remembered all those on the sick list, asking members to keep them in their prayers, and he welcomed back three Lions, Don Dollar, Dale Hulsey and Preston Spence, out recently due to sickness.

Announcements included an important board of directors meeting planned for Jan. 25 and Hendley urged all members to attend. Dues for the first half of 2010 are now being collected and should be paid as soon as possible. Lions are urged to complete the annual sale of raffle tickets that benefits Camp Dogwood for the blind and sight impaired. The one dollar ticket gives the holder a chance to win a new Chrysler vehicle to be given away at the N.C. Lions State Convention on May 30.

Each Lion has thirty tickets to sell, so the public is urged to support this statewide fundraiser. Proceeds support the upkeep of this recreational facility for the blind located on Lake Norman at Sherrills Ford, N.C. Each summer hundreds of North Carolina blind and sight impaired citizens are sponsored by local Lions Clubs to spend a week at Camp Dogwood where they enjoy many outdoor activities.

The evening’s program was given by Bill Kempffer, owner of Deep River Sporting Clays, located north of Sanford on Cletus Hall Road. This 21-year-old sporting facility attracts shooting and gun enthusiasts from a wide area ranging from the Triangle to Pinehurst. The sport itself consists of a one-mile course containing 10 to 15 shooting stations. Teams of two to six people traverse the course keeping score of the accuracy of shots at moving clay targets. The targets are of various sizes and shapes to simulate various hunted game from birds to rabbits.

“It’s often referred to as golf with a shotgun,” Kempffer said with a laugh. Sporting clay courses came to America in the 1980’s from England and now are very popular here. “It provides the hunter with the skills and competitive challenges of hunting, but without the blood and guts of actually killing animals,” said Kempffer who is a senior shooting instructor at the business. Every spring the local firm hosts an internationally-known competition that attracts shooters and exhibitors from across the nation and around the world. The 2009 event hosted over 1,800 persons.

Anyone interested can call 919-774-7080 or go to www.deepriver.net. There are programs for both experienced shooters and beginners.