Area residents were highlighted in a wide variety of divisions – from raising a paint brush to raising a herd of cattle – during competitions at the 2015 Washington State Fair in Puyallup.
The fair, one of the largest of its kind in the U.S., concluded a 17-day run Sept. 27.
A handful of local photographers were among the winners during the Washington State Photography Exhibition at the state fair.
There were eight categories in all and the winning photos were on display for the duration of the fair.
• Maurie Conner of Lake Tapps took second place in the General category with her photo “SuperMall-SuperGirl.”
• Ian Mcrae of Buckley received “judges choice” recognition in the Nature division for his photo entitled “Loggin’ Road Street Lights.”
• Molly Williams of Bonney Lake was honored three times in the People division. She received judges choice recognition for both “The Lost Boy” and “The Fairy Elf,” and earned honorable mention for “Red Lips.”
• Roger Young of Buckley received honorable mention in the People division for “Magic Umbrella.”
• Stephanie Brons of Buckley took third-place honors in the Places and Travel division for “Springtime in Washington, D.C.”
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Gardeners and florists bloomed at the state fair, with plenty of area residents receiving honors.
Jennifer Konoske of Black Diamond received three awards for pansies, one for coreopsis, two for feverfew, two for violas, two for sweet peas, one for roses, one for sunflowers, two for flowering vines, one for chrysanthemum and one for nasturtiums.
Julie Hemminger of Lake Tapps received first place for rudbeckia, three blooms; third place, cut flower (perennials), one for cosmos, one for marigold, two for sweet peas, one for sunflowers, two for zinnias, one for basket of cut flowers and one for sedums.
Randa McRobie of Sumner received two awards for rudbeckia, one for marigold, one for zinnias, one for crocus, one for hydrangea, one for sedum, two for geranium, one for calendula, one for zinnias and one for sedums.
Carole McRobie of Sumner received one award for hydrangeas.
Lynnie Sperring of Bonney Lake was voted best in show, with three dahlia blooms, best in show; dahlia basket, best in show, five-bloom dahlias; and 67 other awards, all for dahlias.
Lonnie Sperring of Bonney Lake won 22 awards, all in dahlias.
William Sexton of Sumner received six awards in dahlias.
Jason Sperring of Bonney Lake won 20 awards in dahlias.
Neva Sexton of Sumner received six awards in dahlias.
Jennifer Ulmer of Bonney Lake received 18 awards for dahlias.
Nathan Sperring of Bonney Lake won 17 awards for dahlias, including best in show (novice single dahlia).
Kat Hentsch of Sumner received four awards for dahlias, one for African daisies, four for geranium, three for flowering branch of tree or shrub, four for flowering vine, two for violas, one for mini herb garden, one for outdoor patio/porch container, one for indoor succulent garden, six awards in roses, one for African daisies and one for fuchsia
Joan DeVries of Lake Tapps won one award for fuchsias and one for geraniums
Sebastian Cox of Buckley won six awards for orchids
Richard Harvey of Buckley received one award for spider plant and one for prayer plant
Joleen Dreyer of Enumclaw won four awards in professional fresh floral design.
Susan Turnbull of Lake Tapps, received 10 awards for roses.
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HOME ARTS/FOOD
Philip Beerman of Buckley placed second for sweet rolls.
Annike Neubauer of Sumner placed third for coffee cake.
Sierra Witkowski of Sumner received honorable mention for berry jam, honorable mention for dill pickles, third place for syrup and third place for pickled fruit.
Kat Nentsch of Sumner, placed third for sweet pickles and received honorable mention for pickled fruit.
Elizabeth Dobbs of Lake Tapps placed firs for tablesetting.
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The judges were put to the test in the dairy barn during the state fair, as the dairy cattle competition was extremely tough this year.
Winners of each show were awarded ribbons and cash premiums. Top local finishers included Stan Holy of Buckley, who took first and second place for spring heifer calf, first for winter heifer calf, third for summer yearling heifer, first for fall yearling heifer, second for junior best three females, second for junior two-year-old cow and senior two-year-old cow, second for four-year-old cow, third for five-year-old cow, second for aged cow, six years and older, third for senior best three females and third in exhibitors herd.
Cayden Boyovich of Enumclaw took first for fall heifer calf and senior two-year-old, second for junior best three and four-year-old cow, third for spring heifer calf, exhibitor’s herd and spring yearling heifer, and fifth for six-and-older cow.
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Participants in Brown and Haley’s Baking and Confection Contest, part of the Washington State Fair, wowed the judges with their sweet treats.
In the ROCA Elegance and Baking Confection Contest, the “Party for Parents Ice Cream Cake,” made by Lisa Parkerson of Bonney Lake, earned the first place title. She was awarded a first-place ribbon and $100 for her delectable creation.
Judges based their decision on taste, appearance, creativity, ease of preparation and the story behind the recipe in this annual fair contest.
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Competitors got crafty in a variety of Hobby Hall contests at the Washington State Fair. Entries in categories ranged from Lego building to woodworking and wowed the judges with impressive beauty and skill.
A grand champion and reserve champion were chosen in each division. Area residents among the winners were: Michael Wendt of Bonney Lake, grand champion in lapidary arts and reserve champion in ceramics/pottery; Jerry Stowe of Sumner, reserve champion in beadwork.
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A trio of area residents were honored by judges in the Fine Arts competition at the Washington State Fair.
Hyang Overland received honorable mention in the water media division for “Evanescent Deception.”
Margie Sheeley of Enumclaw took honorable mention in the oils category for “Peony Explosion.”
Larry Krackle of Buckley earned honorable mention in mixed media for “Catch and Release.”
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The Junior/Senior High school Art Show, hosted as part of the Washington State Fair, featured a number of winners from the local area – including two who garnered “Best in Show” honors.
The student show attracted more than 1,100 entries in media ranging from pen-and-ink to collage. The annual show is for students in sixth grade through high school.
The “Best in Show” recipients were Katie Lasko of Bonney Lake High, who won in the colored pencil division for her drawing of Helena Bonham Carter, and Amaia Nguyen of North Tapps Middle School, who won for her relief print entitled “Squiggle in Peach.”
Other winners were Alyssa Hill of North Tapps Middle School in 3-D art; James Taeschner of Sumner High School in wire/metal work; Petra Martinez, Maddie Johnson-Walker Sydni LaRoche, Emily Paris and Faith Charpentier, all of North Tapps M.S. and all is drawing; Ayleen Piteo-Tarpy, Lakeridge Middle School, in colored pencil; Kjersti Ericksen, Mountain View Middle School, in pen-and-ink; Amy Lee, Bonney Lake High School, in pencil/graphite; Kerrigan Brewer, Bonney Lake H.S., in pen-and-ink; Stephanie Rosendahl, Bonney Lake H.S., in scratch board; Brynn Feroy, Mountain View M.S., painting; Heather Wilcox, Sumner Middle School, tempera; Adaline McCormick, Mountain View M.S., watercolor; Ellie Steadmon, North Tapps, M.S., watercolor; Katlyn Daniels, Bonney Lake H.S., acrylic; Zeph Creary, Bonney Lake H.S., acrylic; Gillian Schaerz, Bonney Lake H.S., watercolor; Dreakeanna Adair, Bonney Lake H.S., watercolor; Claire DeFrancesco, Bonney Lake H.S., watercolor; and three students from North Tapps M.S. – Makenna Taylor, Skylar Salazar and Logan Sherwin – all for relief prints.
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Several area residents took honors during the Home Arts textile competition during the Washington State Fair.
Recognized for their creative endeavors were: Kay Jenness of Wilkeson, honorable mention in the “coiled and knotted” basketry division; Terri Standley of Buckley, “best in category” and a second place entry in the “twined” basketry division, two honorable mention entries in hand-knit wearing apparel and a pair of first place awards in weaving; Sandra Cancro of Enumclaw, second place and an honorable mention in the creative stitchery division; Mark Carlson of Bonney Lake, “best in category” and two second place entries in creative stitchery; Grace Bannink of Buckley, second place for a crocheted scarf, stole or shawl, third place for a crocheted afghan and third place for lace/open work; Sheila Crawford of Sumner, second place for a knit afghan; Heather Spence of Sumner, one third place and an honorable mention among professional/master quilters; Tani Adams, a pair of second place entries in spinning; and Barbara Bitetto of Sumner, second place in weaving.
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Green thumbs were put to the test during the state fair and several area residents walked away with honors.
Dave Hauge of Enumclaw, two first-place awards and one third-place entry in Asian pears, a first-place honor for cabbage, second place for baby carrots, second in celery; Todd Fosness of Sumner, first place in cabbage, second place in beets, second in onions and third in tomatoes; Kat Hentsch of Sumner, second place in bell peppers, second place in pickling cucumbers, first place in burpless cucumbers, second in onions, third in potatoes, first in chives, first in tomatoes; Kirstie Fosness of Sumner, second place, cucumbers; Sara Ricks of Buckley, third place in hot peppers, two second-place awards for onions, third place for horseradish and two awards (second and third) for potatoes; Sondra Lundquist of Enumclaw, first place for largest zucchini; Clint Montague of South Prairie, third place for summer squash; Randa McRobie of Sumner, third in tomatoes.
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Ron Barker of Sumner placed two entries in the top 10 during the giant pumpkin contest at the state fair in Puyallup. He had the No. 2 entry at a whopping 1,081.5 pounds and landed at No. 5 with another weighing in at 554 pounds.
In the junior division, Carlie Howell of Lake Tapps had the No. 4 entry at 77 pounds.
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A gluten-free chocolate chip almond coffeehouse coffee cake, created by Annike Neubauer of Sumner, took the third-place ribbon and a $25 premium at the state fair.
The winning entry came in the Dillanos Quick Bread Coffee Cake Contest.
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Buckley’s Perry Patson took four second-place award and five third-place awards in the amateur winemaking contest.
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Brian Gallagher, of Enumclaw’s Gallagher Farms, took third-place honors for his spring yearling bull in the hereford cattle show. He also took fifth for a spring bull calf, sixth for a spring yearling heifer and sixth for “best six” head of calves. He had the reserve champion yearling bull.
Bonnie McLarty of Enumclaw’s Blueberry Meadows Highlands, took second- and third-place honors in the cow/calf division of the Highland Cattle Association Regional Show. She also was second for a heifer calf, third with a heifer and had the bull calf champion. She took first for pair of calves and fourth in the “best of five.”
Paul Nelson of Enumclaw’s Diamond Pen Ranch was second with a spring heifer calf, fifth for a cow/calf pair and seventh for a pair of calves.
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The sheep and wool competition was a popular event again this year. Entrants competed for top honors in wool, meat, and fleece categories. Local winners included Bill Dubray of Enumclaw.
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The state fair’s poultry show brought a flock of area winners.
Sumner’s Victor Sanchez took a pair for first-place awards and one second for Old English chickens.
Enumclaw’s Lehann Nelson took first for her Delaware chicken; also took reserve champion honors for a Blue Andalusian.
Buckley’s Gary Parkert took first and second with his Blue Laced Rhode Island Red chickens.
Julie Parkert was second and third with her Brahma chickens
Tobias Cox of Buckley was third with his Maran chicken.
Elaine Juhn was honored for the best peacock.
Kassidy Cox of Buckley took second with an Orpington.
Ryder Popke was honored in the turkey division.
