GRANTS PASS, Ore. — The Leadership Association operating under the Oregon State University’s Extension Office packed up and removed pig pens from the Josephine County Fairgrounds and locals aren’t too happy.
Earlier this month the Josephine County Commissioners voted to stop funding Oregon State University’s extension service after cutting funding for the program last year.
Multiple calls came into NBC5 saying $76,000 worth of pig pens at the Josephine County Fairgrounds were being hauled away just 10 days before the fair.
According to Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel, this action couldn’t be stopped as the Leadership Association claims to own them.
Jennifer McGowan, who has been actively serving on the Josephine County Fair boards for seven years, says she helped raise those funds for the pig pens in 2016.
We wanted to give people a write-off and so we ran the money through the Josephine County 4H Association and because they’re frustrated with how things have been going in Josephine County, they decided that the way to get back at us is to take the kids’ pens.
Sheriff Daniel says it’s the Leadership Association’s intention to store them somewhere else so that they won’t be used for the fair.
McGowan and Sheriff Daniel say this fair is for the kids and removing the pig pens right before the fair was just petty.
“There certainly will be a legal battle involved. Probably not before the fair, but we’ll take care of our kids, we’ll rally and we’ll get them taken care of,” said Sheriff Daniel.
McGowan says she won’t let this interfere with the fair as she’s already contacted other counties to borrow pens for this year’s fair.
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