LET THE FAIR BEGIN--Gov. Bob Taft, right, cuts the ribbon to officially begin the 146th Ohio State Fair, at the Ohio Expo Center, in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Aug. 6, 1999. Joining Taft from left: Harold Crowe, Chairman of the Ohio Expositions Commission; Rick Frenette, Mgr., Ohio Expo Center and Heath Eisele, Pres. Junior Fair Board. The Ohio State Fair runs through Aug. 22. (JACK KUSTRON/photoj.com)

POINTER FROM A PRO--Gov. Bob Taft, left, gets a pointer from former Gov. Jim Rhodes, who is considered the "Father of the Ohio State Fair," during the opening of the 146th edition of the fair, at the Ohio Expo Center, in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Aug. 6, 1999. The Ohio State Fair runs through Aug. 22. (JACK KUSTRON/photoj.com)

GLORY GLORY HALLELUJAH--Gov. Bob Taft conducts the All Ohio State Fair Youth Choir in a stirring rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, during the opening festivities of the 146th Ohio State Fair, at the Ohio Expo Center, in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Aug. 6, 1999. The Ohio State Fair runs through Aug. 22. (JACK KUSTRON/photoj.com)

EAST MEETS WEST--Gov. Bob Taft gets a tour of the Chinese Hubei Province exhibit by Bing Scott, left and Yigang Liu, during the opening of the 146th Ohio State Fair, at the Ohio Expo Center, in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Aug. 6, 1999. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Ohio's sister-state relationship with its conterpart in the People's Republic of China, Hubei Province, which represents the longest governmental relationship between an American state and a Chinese province. The Ohio State Fair runs through Aug. 22. (JACK KUSTRON/photoj.com)

SHOW TIME--Jr. Fair contestants show their lambs during competition on the opening day of the 146th Ohio State Fair, at the Ohio Expo Center, in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Aug. 6, 1999. The Ohio State Fair runs through Aug. 22. (JACK KUSTRON/photoj.com)