“I have been a fan of Travis since his first column” wrote Sandra Mullins of La Monte.
I’ve always liked the idea of being the sort of local media celebrity that gets to give out tickets to the events at the Missouri State Fair. Last year I got the opportunity to do just that for the first time and over the last few days I’ve been reviewing entries for the second annual “Go to the Show With Travis”.
kAm%96 492==6?86 H2D C6=2E:G6=J D:>A=6i :? d_ H@C5D @C =6DD[ E6== >6 H9J J@F H2?E E@ 8@ D66 !2F= #6G6C6 2?5 E96 #2:56CD 2?5 v2CJ {6H:D 2?5 E96 !=2J3@JD H:E9 J@FC 7C:6?5=J ?6:893@C9@@5 @A:?:@? 4@=F>?:DE]k^Am
kAmx’> :>AC6DD65 H:E9 E96 C6DF=ED 2?5 E96 6?EC:6D E92E H6C6 E6>AE:?8 7@C 2 H:56 G2C:6EJ @7 C62D@?D]k^Am
kAmp== C:89E[ =6E’D D66 H92E H6 92G6ik^Am
kAmxE D66>D E92E E96C6 H2D @?6 4@?E6DE2?E H9@ H:== C6>2:? 2?@?J>@FD E92E >:DD65 D@>6 @7 E96 7:?6C A@:?ED @7 E96 AC@>AEik^Am
kAm“x H@F=5 =@G6 E@ D66 #2?5J #@86CD q2?5 H:E9 J@F 3642FD6 x =@G6 =@G6 E96> 2?5 x’> DFC6 J@F 5@?’E <?@H? 9@H 8C62E E96J 2C6]]5@ J@F <?@H H9@ E96J 2C6 2> x HC@?8” ,D:4.k^Am
kAmx <?@H @7 E96 #2?5J #@86CD q2?5 3FE E92E’D ?@E C62==J >J <:?5 @7 >FD:4] x 5:5 DE@A 3J E96 8C2?5DE2?5 @? E96 6G6?:?8 @7 E96 7:CDE ?:89E @7 %96 |:DD@FC: $E2E6 u2:C[ E@ D9@H D@>6 >@C2= DFAA@CE 7@C a_`` $E2E6 u2:C x5@= (:??6C #J2? |2F?6=[ H9@ H@? E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ @A6? E96 D9@H H:E9 2 D@?8] w6 5:5 8C62E[ ?2EFC2==J]k^Am
kAm(92E 6=D6nk^Am
kAmpD 2 E66?286C[ x 76== 2D=66A H:E9 >J EC2?D:DE@C C25:@ F?56C >J A:==@H A=2J:?8 D@?8D =:<6 !2F= #6G6C6’D “z:4<D” 2?5 v2CJ {6H:D’ “%9:D s:2>@?5 #:?8]” x E9:?< %C2G:D H@F=5 6?;@J =62C?:?8 H92E :E H2D =:<6 E@ 8C@H FA :? $652=:2 :? E96’e_D H96? E9:D >FD:4 H2D A@AF=2C[” HC@E6 s633:6 }@=2?5]k^Am
kAmx H@F=5 =:<6 E@ =62C? E92E 2?5 x >:89E 92G6 E@ DA6?5 D@>6 E:>6 5@:?8 E92E :? E96 7FEFC6 3FE E96C6 H2D 2?@E96C 6?ECJ E92E H2D 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 2AA62=:?8]k^Am
kAm“x 86E 9:D D6?D6 @7 9F>@C 2?5 :C@?J 2?5 H@F=5 6?;@J >2E49:?8 9:> H:E9 3:K2CC6 G:6HA@:?ED @7 E96 4@?46CE[” 4@?E:?F65 |F==:?D’ 6\>2:=] $96 AC@466565 E@ E6== >6 6I24E=J 9@H @=5 WG:2 286X 2?5 6I24E=J 9@H D>2CE WG:2 96C 244F>F=2E65 568C66DX D96 H2D]k^Am
kAm“%C2G:D 4@F=5 AC6E6?5 x H2D 9:D DEC2?86 2F?E]”k^Am
kAm$96 E96? AC@466565 E@ ?@E6 E92E 96C 6?ECJ H2D ch H@C5D =@?8] %92E 5@6D >66E E96 C6BF:C6>6?ED H9:49 DE2E6 E92E E96 6?ECJ 92D E@ 36 d_ H@C5D @C =6DD 3FE x 5:5?’E 24EF2==J 92G6 2?J :?E6?E:@? @7 24E:G6=J 6?7@C4:?8 E92E CF=6]k^Am
kAmp?5 |F==:?D 925 E96 H:??:?8 6?ECJ 7@C 2 H9:=6]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 EH@ A9JD:42= 6?EC:6D E92E 42>6 2 =:EE=6 =2E6C H6C6 E96 >@DE 4@>A6==:?8[ 2?5 ?@E ;FDE 3642FD6 E96J H6C6 @? C62= A2A6C]k^Am
kAm%9:D H2D 7C@> y@9? |4r@C>24< @? 2 A:646 @7 A2A6C E2<6? 7C@> 2 !C:?E{J?I ?@E6A25ik^Am
kAm“x’> FD:?8 2 D>2== A:646 @7 A2A6C 3642FD6 x 42?’E 277@C5 2 =2C86 @?6] $:?46 %C2G:D 5@6D?’E D>:=6[ x H:== D>:=6 7@C E96 3@E9 @7 FD] x7 96 5@6D?’E 4=2A @C J6== @FE[ x H:== 7@C E96 3@E9 @7 FD] x <?@H H6 42? 92G6 2 H@?56C7F= E:>6 2E E96 72:C]”k^Am
kAmp?5 H9:=6 @776C:?8 E@ C6=:6G6 >6 @7 2== >J 6?E9FD:2D> 5FE:6D =2?5D J@F :? E96 E@A E9C66 E96C6 H2D @?6 =6EE6C E92E x 4@F=5 ?@E D2J ?@ E@[ 2D x 2> ?@E J6E 2 4@>A=6E6 >@?DE6C @C 2 >6C6 D96== @7 2 9F>2? 36:?8ik^Am
kAm“s62C %C2G:D[k^Am
kAmu:CDE @7 2==[ =@G6 J@FC 4@=F>?] x 2> 2 7:7EJ J62C @=5 >2? H9@ :D :? C6>:DD:@? 7C@> DE286 c E9C@2E 42?46C] x =@G6 E96 72:C 2?5 92G6?’E 366? 23=6 E@ 8@ 7@C E96 =2DE EH@ J62CD] x 2=D@ =@G6 >FD:4] |J H:76 92D 925 E@ AFE 96C =:76 @? 9@=5 2?5 E2<6 42C6 @7 >6 7@C EH@ J62CD] x H@F=5 =@G6 7@C 96C E@ 86E 2 492?46 E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 E9:D DA64:2=] w6C =:76 92D 366? G6CJ 3@C:?8 2?5 D96 56D6CG6D 2 =:EE=6 7F?] $96 :D 2 G6CJ =@G:?8 9F>2? 36:?8] x <?@H H6 H@F=5 92G6 E96 E:>6 @7 @FC =:76] %92?<D 7@C 4@?D:56C:?8 FD]k^Am
kAms2CC6? $EC2EE@?”k^Am
kAm%92?< J@F[ |C] $EC2EE@?[ 7@C HC:E:?8] |@DE :>A@CE2?E=J[ E92?< J@F 7@C DFCG:G:?8 2?5 C64@G6C:?8] %92?< J@F[ |CD] $EC2EE@?[ 7@C 36:?8 E96C6 H96? 96 ?66565 J@F] xE :D >J D:?46C6 A=62DFC6 E@ @776C E96 3@E9 @7 J@F[ 2?5 @?6 >@C6 8F6DE[ E9C66 |:DD@FC: $E2E6 u2:C 25>:DD:@? E:4<6ED 2?5 E9C66 E:4<6ED E@ D66 E96 “(96C6 %96 p4E:@? xD %@FC” @? %F6D52J 6G6?:?8] (6’== 92G6 2 8C62E E:>6 2?5 H6 H:== 36 :? 4@?E24E @G6C E96 ?6IE 76H 52JD]k^Am
kAm%92?< J@F 7@C J@FC 6?EC:6D 2?5 E92?<D 7@C C625:?8]k^Am
