Demo Derby puts out call to drivers

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The ever-popular Demolition Derby runs for two nights at the Columbia County Fair, Thursday and Friday, September 2 and 3, starting at 6:30 p.m. Drivers must sign up before the August 27th deadline -- to win trophies and prize money.
Drivers should sign up now for the opportunity to crash their car. Sound crazy? Not really. It is the ever popular Columbia County Fair Demolition Derby, presented by Lebanon Valley Auto Racing. The annual smash-em-up is sponsored by Hudson Valley Newspapers at 6:30 p.m. opening night, Thursday, September 2, and by Stan Martin Ford on Friday, September 3. Four, six and eight-cylinder cars bump and smoke and smash before a packed grandstand until only one car is still running. Trophies and cash prizes -- $50, $75 and $100 - are awarded. Registration forms are now available and drivers are encouraged to sign up early, to avoid disappointment. The $40 registration fee includes one fair admission ticket for the driver and one for a pit crew member. These tickets are mailed and no entries are allowed without them. Among the rules all drivers must follow are: Drivers must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver's license; Front car doors must be painted white for car number, supplied before the derby. All drivers, mechanics and cars must be in the staging area two hours before derby time. All stock hard-top autos and station wagons are allowed. No trucks, Jeeps, hearses, ambulances or four-wheel-drive vehicles are allowed. All glass, including the windshield, as well as all plastic and chrome must be removed before entering the fairgrounds. Tires must be stock size, four-ply only with no inner liner, and filled only with air, no fluids. All wheel weights must be removed and no snow tires are permitted. Gas tanks may be moved to the trunk, and only unleaded gas, five-gallon maximum, is allowed. The entire rear seat or a firewall must be in place if the tank is placed in the trunk. The tank is not allowed in the driver's compartment. Only one stock battery is allowed, and it must be in the engine compartment or securely fastened and covered in the driver's compartment. The only reinforcement permitted is to the driver's side door. Standard exhaust systems must be as intact as possible. No headers, stacks or custom manifolds are permitted. Hood and trunk lids should be wired shut, not bolted down. All doors must be welded shut or securely tied. If the driver's door opens during the derby, both car and driver are disqualified. A 12 x 15 inch hole must be cut into the center of the hood and all insulating material removed from the underside of the hood. All fan blades must be removed, except in those cars that have a slip fan clutch blade or fan shroud. Safety belts and helmets are required, and the car must have shoulder harness and lap belt. During the derby, all drivers must maneuver forward and backward. Any deliberate head-on collision or ramming of a driver's door can lead to disqualification. The driver must make arrangements for the removal of the car from the fairgrounds immediately after the derby. For a registration form and a copy of the rules, call Fair Secretary Angelo Nero at (518) 392-2121 or write to: Columbia County Fair, P.O. Box 257, Chatham, NY 12037. Forms are also available at Speed's in Mellenville, Broadway Auto in Stockport, Lebanon Valley Speedway in New Lebanon, Davis Tractor & Turf in Chatham as well as at Stan Martin Ford, Hudson. Registration forms, payment and a signed waiver are due by August 27. Late-comers will be charged an additional $10 per entry and will only be accepted if there is still room in the heat. Both before or after the Demo Derby, fair-goers can enjoy looking at the photo gallery, hat contest, quilt show and all the exhibits. They can see animals up-close, browse 4-H exhibits and hear great live music - everything from country music star headliner Aaron Tippin to bluesman Ernie Williams, the Ghent Band, the Ghent Playhouse Players singing show tunes, the Judah Band playing gospel music and lots of classic rock as well as some folk music. New this year is a dog agility show and a pony vaulting show as well as a professional rodeo with loads of heart-pounding action. The Monster Tractor Pull to decide the state champion promises lots more motor madness. Fair-goers can enjoy a cold beer or down a hot meal, see a gymnastics demonstration and watch the annual Fireman's Parade. Amusements of America runs more than 30 rides, some sure to please the most adventurous thrill-seeker. The five-day fair runs from Thursday, September 2 through Labor Day, September 6. Admission is $8 every day except Sunday, when it is $10. It includes all stage entertainment-a great family value. Children 12 and under are free. Discounted advance tickets of $6 each are good all five days. They are available now via mail order at the fair's web site and at Hudson River Bank & Trust branches, Price Chopper markets and Agway stores. Youth Day with free admission for ages 18 and under until 4 p.m. is Thursday. The fair entrance is on Route 66. Handicapped parking is available. For schedule and other details, visit www.columbiafair.com. For information call (518) 392-2121. Sponsors are: Hudson River Bank & Trust Foundation, The Independent, National Union Bank of Kinderhook, Columbia Memorial Hospital, Hudson Valley Newspapers, Hudson Valley Orthopedic Associates, Taconic Technology Corp., Davis Tractor and Turf, Stan Martin Ford, R.H. VanAlstyne Fine Jewelry, First Niagara Bank, DeCrescente Distributors, Wildflower Horse Treats, St. Lawrence Cement, Chatham-Claverack-Millerton Agway, Pepsi Cola Bottling Group, W&B Golf Carts, Price Chopper Markets.
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Friends of Great Barrington Libraries Holiday Book Sale

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Friends of Great Barrington Libraries invite the community to shop their annual Holiday Good-as-New Book Sale, happening now through the end of the year at the Mason Library, 231 Main Street. 
 
With hundreds of curated gently used books to choose from—fiction, nonfiction, children's favorites, gift-quality selections, cookbooks, and more—it's the perfect local stop for holiday gifting.
 
This year's sale is an addition to the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce's Holiday Stroll on this Saturday, Dec. 13, 3–8 PM. Visitors can swing by the Mason Library for early parking, browse the sale until 3:00 PM, then meet Pete the Cat on the front lawn before heading downtown for the Stroll's shopping, music, and festive eats.
 
Can't make the Holiday Stroll? The book sale is open during regular Mason Library hours throughout December.
 
Proceeds support free library programming and events for all ages.
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