Bill Gillespie and Sonoma County Fair Directors on the 1966 Fair Flower Show, "'Burbank Bonanza"

program that you didn't get a chance to hear for the simple reason that the day that this program was played on K. R. O. N. T. V. You were pretty busy running a big horse race over there at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. This came on at

3 30 in the afternoon and of course that was one of the busiest times of all. Now Bill will cut right into the program itself and I think I'm introducing you as one of the world's. No, not greatest. Well, listen to the table, we'll see what

it says. Bill. Well, our flower show this year is considerably larger than it's ever been before. We spent a lot of money and increase the size of our buildings. We have modern buildings now to hold the show have a lot of water, lot of waterfalls, a

little bit of back now for many people as Bill for any one of the counties all over northern California is an outstanding artist, outstanding artists in many ways. He can do just about anything. He can paint a real good picture, He can Do sculpture work we

have in our show two pieces of sculpture that he has put in there. One is a giant sculpture of Luther Burbank. The theme of the show this year is Burbank bonanza. And we also have a sculpture, a life size sculpture of santa rosa indian for whom

our town was named. Both of those are going to be in the flower show. And I think you should really look at those things that you can sit there and look at that Indian girl and look at Burbank and they just look like they're alive. Oh

my now bill, I'm just a little bit worried here in the next few days. Next another week or so up to 300,000 people will see these statues created by will. But what happens after the show's over? Where will those statues go? Well, one of the statues

probably will go out to our new county administrative building or the Hall of Justice and be permanently placed out there as property of the county of Sonoma. The other statue will remain on the fairgrounds and we have a little look for it in our directors area

where it will be in with a a fish on the motif. Well, now I hear conflicting stories. Some of your colleagues on your board of directors claim that water will be in that pond and others claim that vintage juices from your county will be flowing. Well,

maybe Jack Wyland can fix it up. I don't know. I don't know how long the vintage juice will last when it's subjected to the sunshine. Every day might be vinegar in a little while. Well, we'll see if anything crossed over in front of you. Let's get

a couple of questions here. Here's Guy King, Guy Chairman of the flower show. You ride herd on it and say no to all the bills that come in. How come? Well, I think you mentioned exactly my position when you said I knew nothing at all the

flowers. The reason that I was appointed chairman so that I was not could not be in a position to criticize or tell you what to do. So I just simply sit back and let on like I know what's going on and let you and mr little,

Well you don't want me to say this, but I do say we'll say it, our show is going to be, in my opinion, the best this year that's ever been. And it's going to be the best in the whole state of California I believe. And that

the whole world The biggest share of the credit goes to. Mr that's about all I have is a team effort of a lot of people. Why don't you tell folks about the money that you spent and this large building which makes the flowers flower land itself?

There is one of the finest pavilions. Well, I believe our president just told you that in large the flower pavilion 50 ft and it's a big building and also another 50 or more to the south of it where the uh amateurs will exhibit there. But that

has been done. That has been planned by our great manager Mr Little and I can't say too much of him. You and Mr Little and Mr McConnell are the ones that will be should have the biggest share of credit for what success might we might have

enough flower show and I know we're going to have a good, well, it's nice of you to say this. You said the same thing last year and if you're raised and you said no, we're going to spend all the money building. The reason I say that

because we can't give her another, let me come on over here in a minute. Thanks very much. Jim. You're kind of on the spot here with very warm, very much appreciated. And I realized that we don't have too much money. So the words appraisal supply, I

do have a very fine not only board of directors, but a very fine board of supervisors and a very cooperative group of nursing men in our county and garden clubs people and amateurs. I've got a real fine staff when you add it all up, you've got

a couple of 1000 people backing this whole effort and they do a wonderful job. You know, our, our flower show is they said California. I say it's the best in the country, especially this year. And one thing that's unique about it, This flower show is put

on entirely by local Sonoma County people. Most of your flower shows draw from a dozen counties, but it's Sonoma County. We only have two foreigners. You're the top one, Of course, I guess no flower show would be complete without Rod McLellan's organ and he's the only

outside exhibitor and he does a great job. Let's take a second here. Take a look at some of the pictures of the Great 1965 show. Well, there's a front look at the main waterfall that we had in 1965. Now this year we still have this waterfall,

but at the other end, the enlarged portion of the building, we have one about fights that high this year and it was about three times the water coming out of it. This is a sample of what our garden clubs do. We call them amateur, but they

really give the professional the push when it comes to putting on a fine exhibit. And we have about 14 of these people out in our, we call our garden club area, uh, that have buried gardens and they do a wonderful job that's under mrs Milton pleasure

of She's a great lady when it comes to arrangements and so forth. And you'll see another section this year that we have added where she has plenty of room to put on these arrangements and it's going to be a beautiful part of the show Also. These

are some of the moms from green tree who put on a very fine exhibit. They have about two or three exhibits in our hall of these are some of the fine gladiolas that mr Middleton from Healdsburg As exhibited in 65. And he'll have, he has some,

as you've seen this year. Very fine Tony camp is one of our oldest floors up there and he does a very fine job of ranging flowers you see here in the foreground, some beautiful moms and then with the exotic tropicals around the edges and so forth,

about five floors exhibiting this year. And I think they all do a very fine job. They're all local people. That's right. Here's another, another panoramic view of a lot of the gardens foreground there. You have a four piece, I think that was by Bancroft last year

And with the other flowers in the background there, the other garden, about 4, 5, 6 acres of wonderful floral exhibits to see. I think we started the redwood tree which the Oakland flower show started about five years ago and we went up in slow Makani two

and stole some branches and made some trees out of them. They're the simple guy. King was telling me a little while ago that our own Will Forney is going down to the great pomona fair, Los Angeles county Fair in september and recreate for those people in

southern California some of these great redwood trees, which would be great. This is another shot of a waterfall as I mentioned before. We have the two of them this year. They're very beautiful and will corny is the top part of who can really make the real

rocks and make them look more natural than the rocks are. Now you have the double fall actually this fall has another fall, small fall on the other side. It's a triple waterfall. Now this was that. Now, we'll have a shot here. Close up of the 1966

waterfall. This is at the opposite end of the building. A couple of 100. Get away from the one that you just saw. This is a great big show with thousands of gallons of water cascading, lots of color on the main floor and lots of exhibits from

the amateurs as well as a professional. I think I think will forni really outdid himself on this. This is the waterfall to stop all waterfalls. Oh, it is a beauty. We intend to keep this for some years. It's a beautiful fall. It's a knockout. No question

of that. Jim, I forgot to bring out some of the family benefits, people will have a chance to have a chance to see when they visit santa rosa. Well we have one of the largest bears and we like, I believe it's the best rounded out there

and the friendliest fair in the state and one of the largest in northern California 75 cents and you get $10 worth of enjoyment and entertainment. We have, we have outdoor theater with free free entertainment twice a day, Starting the first half of the cleaner sisters of

radio tv fame and of course gale Garnett is on the second half of And I think everyone knows her having put up record that's in the top 10. We have full circuit for the first time this year, I think the first time any northern California fair

has had it. Uh we have horse shows, horse races, rodeos, one of the greatest Midway's carnival areas and they combined foley in the West Coast shows. This is what I want to bring out the fact that here is a show that family and isn't going to

cost you a lot of money and of course it continues until July 30 has got off to an auspicious start here just a couple of days ago. As matter of fact, this theme this year is Burbank's bonanza Jim Little General manager. Don't you agree that our

colleagues here should each be awarded a Burbank potato. Here comes a big Burbank potato to take home to, to Bill McConnell President, the guy king, chair of the floral division and we can't leave you out. As a matter of fact, Burbank was also responsible to something

called the Shasta daisy Marlowe slogan, front and center real fast. Here also is something that we hope that people will remember and these would go to home. Bill McConnell, the chief daisy daisy daisy is Bill McConnell, little daisy, little daisy, my goodness manager Manager type daisy

and we hope you'll see some real days. Alright, let's let's pick this up. Maybe we can catch a close up of this one of yours jim, this is to bring out the story that the big show with santa rosa dedicated to Luther Burbank lake and great

world figure in the world of horticulture, Burbank bonanza and fellas, the potatoes. Since they are little carbohydrates, proteins and so forth. We hope that you'll enjoy yourselves and thanks for coming by to welcome all northern California.