September 9, 1965
Dirk Vander Wyk Named Corn King In Close Contest
Dirk Vander Wyk will reign as Corn King at the Fall Fair and Corn Festival on Saturday.
He finished first in a close competition that saw only four points separate the six contestants. Second place went to Bill Doeve and third to Jake Hertgers. Others in the contest were Leo Van Tol, Pete Olesky and Jake Hoogendoorn. Walter Bartel dropped out because he could not have attended the fair had he won.
This was the first year that the competition was based on silage corn instead of canner corn.
W.E.P. Davis was the judge. Last year’s king, Lloyd Tranmer, did not compete, but he will be supplying the corn for sale at the grounds.
The Advance was in error last week in naming Garet Whorly as 1964 King. He was the king the year before.
Mr. Davis states that the corn crops judged were exceptionally fine this year, with the closeness of the competition indicating the high degree of management given the crops by each of the contestants.
Choice of silage corn for the judging emphasizes the intensive dairy enterprises in the Agassiz valley.
Judging was done on the basis of uniformity of stand, freedom from missing plants, weed control, lodged plants, number of plants and cobs per acre, filling and uniformity of cobs and general appearance of the required on-half acre.
Central Fraser Valley Pipe Band To Lead Fair Parade Saturday
Three new features have been added to the Fall Fair program this year and for the first tie there will be two pipe bands. The parade will form up for judging as usual at 10 a.m. and will march off at 11 a.m., led by the Central Fraser Valley Pipe Band from Abbotsford. The new Agassiz Junior Pipe Band will also be in the parade.
4-H judging will take place at 10 a.m. at the Fair Grounds.
Prizes for entries will be as follows: commercial entries ribbon awards; Senior groups, junior groups, national groups and decorated cars, cash prizes of $10 for first, $7 for second, and $3 for third. Juvenile group entries, decorated bicycles and decorated tricycles, cash prizes of $5 for first $3 for second and $2 for third.
Each child participating in the parade will get 25 cents.
Official opening will be performed by A.B. Patterson MP at 11:30 am. Followed by welcoming addresses by Harrison Hot Springs Chairman Mel Geyer, Agricultural Association president Lloyd Tranmer and Chamber of Commerce president Harold Appleton.
Reeve Wes Johnson will crown Corn King Dirk Vander Wyk at noon. Master of Ceremonies will be Rev. Ian Dingwall assisted by Fred Maurer.
Parade winners will be announced at 12:15 p.m. and then the fair buildings will open. Dinner will be served by the WA of All Saints Church.
New features on the program include demonstrations of amateur radio operations by members of Agassiz Radio Club, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; a demonstration of creations in straw by Mrs. Kathe Groese of Rosedale at 2 and 3:30 p.m. in the main hall, and demonstrations of English smocking by Minnie McCullough in the main hall at 3 and 4 p.m.
Livestock judging will take place at 12:30. Children’s races will not start until 1:30 and the gymkhana at 2:30.
Evening entertainment will be starting at 7 p.m. Exhibits will be auctioned at 8 p.m. There will be a fireworks display at 8:45, a dance at 10 with Saunders Bros orchestra and the draw for the calf at noon.