Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.

&8212; Russell Baker

Hard as it is to believe, with temperatures cresting 100 degrees several times in recent weeks, fall is just around the corner. The hope of crisp fall evenings is inspiration enough for many of us to endure, although somewhat begrudgingly, this endless summer.

But if daydreams of cooler temps fail to lift your spirits, two things that help make fall a special time in Shelby County are just on the horizon: football Friday nights and the annual county fair.

Football kicks off next Friday night and, believe it or not, the 58th Annual Shelby County Fair is less than a month away.

Parents, coaches and participants have been weathering record-setting temperatures getting ready for the football season. Practicing, fundraising, planning and the like have undoubtedly been daily chores for so many of our friends and neighbors. In part a salute to the effort so many put into making Friday night football so special here, the annual Shelby County Football magazine will publish as part of next week&8217;s newspaper.

The magazine should give even the most diehard high school football fans more than enough to get ready for the season; complete rosters and schedules, along with position by position summaries for every team in the county.

The Columbiana Kiwanis Club, with help from the Chelsea Kiwanis club and countless other volunteers, has worked behind the scenes for months to make your time at the fair enjoyable. Their work is apparent even if, more times than not, it is thankless.

To be sure, public recognition is not the motivator for these volunteers. What is the motivation is the opportunity to raise money for charity groups throughout the county. The money raised during the fair touches the lives of people throughout the county in one way or another.

And as for fun, this year&8217;s fair promises to be bigger than ever with all the rides, contests, shows and entertainment we&8217;ve all come to expect from this great event. A complete guide to this year&8217;s fair will be published in the September 5 edition of this newspaper.

Cooler temperatures may only be a daydream today, but certainly some of Shelby County&8217;s most enjoyable events will help break the summer doldrums