By Ben Antonius | Daily Republic | August 12, 2008
Solano County facilities operations supervisor Mike Mitchell, bottom, and county employee Bob Paine, work on a 16-foot-tall animatronic chicken Tuesday, which is the centerpiece of the Solano County display at the California State Fair in Sacramento. Photo by Brad Zweerink
FAIRFIELD - A giant chicken will greet visitors to Solano County's outpost at the California State Fair as the county looks to extend its winning ways.
The county has won the award for best exhibit four years running and is intending to keep the streak alive when the fair opens Friday. The centerpiece for 2008 is a 16-foot-tall animatronic chicken, said Bob Meador, the chief coordinator for the county's state fair project.
It is a deviation from the fair's overarching 'Hollywood' theme, but Meador said Solano County wanted to play to its strengths.
'We stuck to what the county is best known for -- agriculture,' he said.
The California State Fair starts at 10 a.m. Friday at Cal Expo in Sacramento and runs through Sept. 1.
On Tuesday, Meador met with the employees who will volunteer at the booth. They will answer visitors' questions about the county, guide guests through the exhibit and, of course, hand out samples of Jelly Belly candy.
There are about 125 volunteers in all, each working at least one four-hour shift at the booth.
See the complete complete story at the Daily Republic Online.
