North County Times from Oceanside, California • 19

(LYCO) AROUND NORIK COUNTY N.iKTH(ix-vn Timi WEDNESDAY. JrF 20, 2X1 B-3 fun at the Todays games of skill are a different animal Barbecue spot is longtime fair attraction Chuck Dugan, owner of the Chuck Wagon barbecue spot at the Del Mar Fair, pulls some pork ribs out of the barbecue box. RON RAPOSA Stuf VCkitik DEL MAR The food assortment at the Del Mar Fair these days includes Indian fry bread, low-fat yogurt and sausage links, but for 28 years Chuck Dugan has found that many people still believe you cant beat barbecue. As far as longevity, his Chuck Wagon probably ranks in the top five of the 102 food vendors at the fair, said the 61-year-old Dugan, who runs the place with his wife, Irene. Chuck Dugan didnt name the Chuck Wagon after himself.

It just seemed a good name for a barbecue spot. Dugan was a meat salesman when he bought the business from Joe Nevitt 28 years ago. It was called the Marlboro then, and it featured recipes from a cattle-drive cookbook published by the Marlboro cigarette company. Nevitt had the place for 10 years, giving two meanings to the term smoky flavor. It was a good way to promote the cigarette brand, Dugan I The Del Mar Fairgrounds is at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.

in Del Mar. Hours: Gates open daily at 10 a.m. Exhibit halls close 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Fun Zone closes at midnight. Admission: Adultsteens seniors 62-plus children 6 to 12 years Children under 5 years free. Fairgrounds parking $6 to $10. Free off-site parkingshut-tles at Horsepark Equestrian Center, one mile east of fairgrounds on Via de la Valle. Free parkingshuttles at three other sites.

For a full list of fair events, parking information: For NCTD bus information: All Day Design in Wood, Gems Minerals, Home Hobby, Student Showcase, The Farm, Animal exhibits Bicycle Dirt Jumping, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m Chevrolet Del Mar Arena GRANDSTAND SHOW 7:30 p.m. Natalie Cole 10 a.m. ANIMALS Llama Show. Ring 1 DURANTE AREA Del Mar Fair Car Show FAR HIGHLIGHTS JAMIE scon LYTLE VI Pill Giordan Ramos, 11, of San Diego carries a giant bulldog he won as he walks with his friend Trevor Estes, 10, at the Del Mar Fair.

Giordan won the dog at a game that involved shooting a basketball through a special hoop Tuesday. balloons with darts. The game operators arent called hawkers or barkers, a term that indicated a sideshow pitchman at a carnival, Guadagno said. Theyre now called agents. At a water pistol game, Mary Lopez on Tuesday was standing with a group of seven children she brought to the fair from the Camp Pendleton YMCA.

Natasia Mangels, 7, had a 6-foot caterpillar that she won with a $2 investment. Tyler Wessling, 7, had a small stuffed dragon. Others in group clutched several othei assorted animals that they had won. They didnt want to go on the rides, they wanted to play the games, Lopez said. Those wdio fail to wun a stuffed animal for a girlfriend, boyfriend or child, even with the change in game philosophy, do have an option.

They can buy a prize at several souvenir stands throughout the fair. Dandys Souvenirs has blue inflatable aliens for $10 and white stuffed dogs for $5. They get a lot of game losers who come by to purchase a prize, a sales clerk said. Its somewhat like stopping at a seafood market on your way back from a fishing trip. Contact staff writer Ron Raposa at (760) 9014067 or rraposanctimes.com.

Stuffed-animal game operators are set up to have more winners nowadays RON RAPOSA ''TUI A'RITIK DEL MAR Call them stuffed-animal games, because thats what many people try to win. Or call them games of skill, the fair-preferred term these days. Whatever you call those midway games, they have changed over the years. The goal of game operators these days is to have a lot of winners, said Annie Kastle, who grew up in the business. This year she and her husband are operating eight games at the Del Mai-Fair.

Those eight are among a total of 59 at the fair. Between them, they will give out $800,000 in prizes this year, about 30 percent of their total gross. Thats a figure that both game operators and fair officials seem comfortable with, said Tony Guadagno, the fairs midway coordinator. Kastles games include two powered by water pistols and one where the goal is to tip over milk bottles. In seven of her eight games, people can be guaranteed winners if they play three times for $5, Kastle said.

They can win prizes ranging from 5-foot-tall inflatable aliens to 6-foot-long cuddly caterpillars to stuffed dogs in a variety of sizes. They are prizes that have wholesale prices ranging from $1 to $25, Kastle said. A lot of people think we buy these for pennies. Thats not true, Kastle said. Once many game operators tried to give away as few prizes as possible, but now the goal is to give away larger numbers, while being careful about controlling costs, Kastle said.

Were just in the stock business, Kastle said. Were just in the merchandise business. Still, midway banter from the game operators is about the same. Water fun for everyone, said a young woman at a water pistol game. Hey, whos next? Were open, said a man at a time-tested game w'here you pop Carlsbad The Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is set to host Geoff Fahring, manager of the San Marcos satellite office of the San Diego Lesbian and Gay Center, at 2 p.m.

Sunday at the Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 2020 Chestnut Ave. Fahring will discuss the centers services for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gen-dered community, including Common Ground, a youth group. Call (760) 726-7524. Czmflf MiraCosta Colleges Community Services Program is set to offer its Supervisory Academy, a series of nine one-day workshops, from 9 a.m. to noon Fridays in Room 401, San Elijo campus, 3333 Manchester Ave.

The workshops include: Supervisory Overview on Friday, Communication and Motivation on June 29, Developing Effective Teams on July 6, Dealing With Difficult Problems and People on July 13, Human Resources and the Supervisor on July 20, Problem-Solving and Decision-Making on July 27, Time and said. Now Dugan brings the Chuck Wagon to four fairs throughout the state, and he also has added an annex, Texas Style Barbecue Fit, which features meat with less sauce. Thats the way Texans prefer it, Dugan said. Business has been good, consistently good. I think people are more health-conscious today, but it doesnt make a difference, Dugan said.

People come to the fair to eat what they want to eat. That seldom includes salads, he said. The Chuck Wagon, right next to the Texas Sty le Barbecue Pit, seats 250 people at its red tables with red awnings. Daily, it senes up to 4.000 people from a menu that ranges from a barbecue pork rib dinner ($9.75) to a side of cowpoke beans That adds up to about 15.000 pounds of brisket, 8.000 pounds of ribs, and 500 gallons of beans during the fair. Bette Shupe, Pat Gallagher and Mary Reed all of San Diego, were eating a.i as TODAYS DEL MAR 10:30 a.m.

ANIMALS Bottle Baby Feedings, Barn DURANTE AREA Swifty Swine Racing Pigs 11 a.m. FINE ARTS Artists at Work FLOWER SHOW STAGE Shelly Stevenson, Easy-to-Build Retaining Walls O'BRIEN STAGE Best Animal Noise Contest WORLD OF HORSES Meet the Horses 11:30 a.m. ANIMALS Bottle Baby Feedings, Barn O'BRIEN STAGE Bill Cobb, musician Noon ANIMALS Spinning Weaving, Ring 2 PLAZA DE MEXICO STAGE Pie Eating Contest EAST GRANDSTAND TARMAC Aggressive Skaters Association demo team. 12:30 p.m. FLOWER SHOW STAGE Master Compostors Vermi-coast.

Recycling with Earthworms DURANTE AREA Swifty Swine Racing Pigs PLAZA DE MEXICO STAGE BARNIKLE A girlfriend who worked in Phil Jeffersons real estate office told me You ought to buy a lot in Del Mar. So I took my $500 and made a down payment. She married a mutual friend, but I paid off the lot and it became part of my dowry two years later. Compared with Los Angeles, the largest county fair in the country, Del Mar was a bush-league operation. But that was part of its charm.

The emphasis was on agriculture. I liked to go into Harvest Hall early in the morning to inspect neat piles of oranges, lemons and avocados county bounty from Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and elsewhere. The annual livestock auction for 4-H Club and Future Farmers was and, fortunately, still is a big deal. Ancillary activities at- death of Jose Flores-Cabrera, 35. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Michael Washington, called it a case of self-defense.

A trial date was set for Aug. 8. At a previous court hearing, French told a judge the victim got too close to him sortment of barbecued food at one table. All are members of the women's chorale group called the Monettes, which frequently performs at the fair. Im here to eat, Shupe said.

Thats part of the charm of the fair. The trio has been eating at the Chuck Wagon for about six years, after letting their noses lead them to its smoky flavors. They have really good barbecue beef, Shupe said. Many of the fair workers have eaten at his place over 1 p.m. ANIMALS Llama Chat, Ring 2H0ME HOBBY Weight Watchers Demonstrations; Cheese Cake Contest FINISH LINE STAGE Hollywood Park Handicapping with Jim Perry 2 p.m.

ANIMALS Goat Gab, Ring 2 FLOWER SHOW STAGE Laurie Scullin, Successful Planting of Flower Fields Colors Bowls PLAZA DE MEXICO STAGE Luie Padilla, Impersonator 2:30 p.m. DURANTE AREA Swifty Swine Racing Pigs ALBERTSON'S INFIELD STAGE The Backyard Circus 3 p.m. ANIMALS Milk Moustache Contest, Ring 2 SAN DIEGO SHOWCASE STAGE North County Future Stars O'BRIEN STAGE Kev, 6 Strings With an Attitude 3:30 p.m. FLOWER SHOW STAGE Bill Bathgate George Emerick, Fruit Varieties for California 4 p.m. ANIMALS Hog Calling Contest, Ring 2 traded me.

I longed to enter our wedding china and silver in the table setting contest. I had a compulsion to scoop Sollicker's strawberry preserves into a Mason jar and see how I'd fare in the jam and jelly competition. And I was sure my collection of hotel room keys would win a blue ribbon over such mundane Hobby Show entries as match boxes and Coke bottles. But I never followed through. I admired Tommy Hernandez, whose charm and sincerity transformed his stereotype Don Diego role into that of an outstanding ambassador for the fair.

A smooch from Raquel Tejada (later Raquel Welch) was memorable the year that she was Fairest of the Fair. The annual press party featured prime ribs and an open bar. One year Ken Reil- the years, Dugan said. As well as the food, they like the fact that the serving line moves quickly. Despite almost three decades of experience with fair food, Dugan still is surprised now and then.

He didnt think fried blooming onions or Australian batter-fried potatoes, food offered at other booths, would do well, but they have. Dugan said he has no plans to get out of the business. Cooking barbecued food at a fair is almost like being retired, he said. PLAZA DE MEXICO STAGE Lu-cio Vega O'BRIEN STAGE Jimmy Patton 4:30 p.m. DURANTE AREA Swifty Swine Racing Pigs ALBERTSON'S INFIELD STAGE San Pasqual Performing Arts 5 p.m.

ANIMALS Goat Milking, Barnyard Babies ENDLESS SUMMER STAGE Ballet Folklorico Yaqui 6 p.m. PLAZA DE MEXICO STAGE Dayan Mayoral O'BRIEN STAGE Sophisticated Lady Duo ALBERTSON'S INFIELD STAGE Centerstage Dance Studio 6:30 p.m. DURANTE AREA Swifty Swine Racing Pigs FINISH LINE STAGE Benedetti 6 Svoboda 7 p.m. SAN DIEGO SHOWCASE STAGE Mark Yuzuik. hypnotist ENDLESS SUMMER STAGE El Mundo Del Tango 9 p.m.

PADDOCK Classic Movies SAN DIEGO SHOWCASE STAGE Bill Magee Blues Band ly, the Unions county editor, scuffled with Lew Lipton, a fair board member, and knocked his glasses off. Another reporter threw them over a wall. I liked Lew, who ran a delicatessen in San Diego, and thought my colleagues were unkind to call him short-sighted. As my kids grew up, the fair and I grew apart. I went only when one sons band played there or when he became a ticket seller and got me in free.

Now I have grandchildren in Del Mar and again the fair beckons. Will convenience overcome crowds, clutter and commercialism? I doubt it. Like nostalgia, the fair aint what it used to be. Columnist Peter Kaye has lived in Del Mar since 1957. Contact him at peterfkayeaol.com.

Carlsbad Hiring Center. Contact reporters Kimberly Epler and Scott Marshall at (760) 739-6644 or (760) 631-6623 or keplernctimes.com or smarshallnctimes.com. datebook OCEAN VIEW Bush-league fair is but a fond memory Around this time, Im subject to attacks of nostalgia brought on by the opening of the Del Mar Fair. Thats because my first job out of college was at the Los Angeles County Fair and it was the San Diego County Fair that brought me to Del Mar. When I went to work for The San Diego Union, reporters were poorly paid but my benevolent bosses let me moonlight at the county fair.

In 1953, 1 earned the princely sum of $500 which burned a huge hole in my pocket. GAVEL TO GAVEL Stress Management on Aug. 3, Facilitation Skills on Aug. 10 and Evaluating and Improving Employee Performance and Delegating on Aug. 17.

Each workshop costs $41; all nine cost $333, which includes a completion certificate. To register, call (760) 757-2121, Ext. 6820. Oceanside A low-cost cholesterol and diabetes screening is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Friday and Saturday at Rite Aid drug store, 3813 Plaza Drive. Four tests will be offered: total cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides and glucose. A 12-hour fast is required for triglycerides, two hours for glucose. Each test costs $10 and results are available in minutes. Call (760) 967-0434.

Vista The Carlsbad African Violet Society is set to meet at 1 1 a.m. Monday at United Methodist Church, 157 Lado de Loma, Vista. There will be an installation of officers, a potluck, a raffle and a door prize. Information: Pauline, (760) 433-4641, or Former attorney to stand trial for Carlsbad killing when he was on his way to a bathroom. He faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted.

Witnesses testified on Tuesday that Flores-Cabrera was shot in the chest June 3 after exchanging words with French near restrooms at the VISTA A former attorney who was living out of his car when he allegedly shot and killed a man was ordered Tuesday to trial for first -degree murder. Joseph Butler French, 49, has pleaded not guilty in the tic Sutirtt items (or NCT itetebook to Comnxrtty News, lAJNTACf Up co North County Ines.PO Box 80, OceanstieCA 92048; lax (760) 757-2072; wnal oimmnewsnctlTies.can. i A 1.