July 3, 2012
New Berlin July 4 turtle derby in jeopardy
By Marcia Moore The Daily Item
NEW BERLIN — New Berlin’s 49th annual turtle derby is in jeopardy.
The organizers of Wednesday’s Fourth of July festivities were notified recently by a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officer that anyone who shows up at the race with one of six turtles on a “no take” list could be fined, New Berlin Activities Committee Treasurer Shirl Hummel said Monday.
As it turns out, the turtle species on the state’s protection list since 2007 because of declining numbers — wood, Eastern box, Eastern redbelly, bog, spotted and Eastern mud — are among the most popular in the area.
“This is very disappointing,” Hummel said. “Those are the main turtles that are brought to the derby. We have up to 30 kids participating, and they start looking for turtles by Memorial Day. We don’t want anyone to get in trouble for bringing the wrong kind.”
The Fish and Boat Commission provided conflicting descriptions of how the agency planned to respond. Hummel said she was told by one officer that citations with $250 fines could be levied to anyone who showed up with a protected turtle. An agency spokesman said that no Fish and Boat Commission staff would be at the race, but a third official said that staff would likely be there, but without any intention of citing little turtle-toting children.
As of late Monday afternoon, Hummel was still trying to work out with leaders of Boy Scout Troop 508, which runs the derby, whether to cancel the race.
“That would be so sad. It would be like having the Fourth of July without fireworks,” said Cindy Rokavec, the mother of two young boys who had to release protected turtles they caught for the race, which for five decades has been the main event at the holiday celebration.
Commission spokesman Eric Levis said the agency doesn’t want to put an end to a half-century tradition and is only trying to educate the community.
“We are not shutting down the derby,” Levis said, adding that there were no plans as of Monday to have an officer issue citations.
The organizers of Wednesday’s Fourth of July festivities were notified recently by a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officer that anyone who shows up at the race with one of six turtles on a “no take” list could be fined, New Berlin Activities Committee Treasurer Shirl Hummel said Monday.
As it turns out, the turtle species on the state’s protection list since 2007 because of declining numbers — wood, Eastern box, Eastern redbelly, bog, spotted and Eastern mud — are among the most popular in the area.
“This is very disappointing,” Hummel said. “Those are the main turtles that are brought to the derby. We have up to 30 kids participating, and they start looking for turtles by Memorial Day. We don’t want anyone to get in trouble for bringing the wrong kind.”
The Fish and Boat Commission provided conflicting descriptions of how the agency planned to respond. Hummel said she was told by one officer that citations with $250 fines could be levied to anyone who showed up with a protected turtle. An agency spokesman said that no Fish and Boat Commission staff would be at the race, but a third official said that staff would likely be there, but without any intention of citing little turtle-toting children.
As of late Monday afternoon, Hummel was still trying to work out with leaders of Boy Scout Troop 508, which runs the derby, whether to cancel the race.
“That would be so sad. It would be like having the Fourth of July without fireworks,” said Cindy Rokavec, the mother of two young boys who had to release protected turtles they caught for the race, which for five decades has been the main event at the holiday celebration.
Commission spokesman Eric Levis said the agency doesn’t want to put an end to a half-century tradition and is only trying to educate the community.
“We are not shutting down the derby,” Levis said, adding that there were no plans as of Monday to have an officer issue citations.
Turtle Derby, New Berlin, follow-up articles and letters to the Editor
Organizers: Turtles will run (well, race) today
By Marcia Moore The Daily Item, 7/4/12
NEW BERLIN, PA— New Berlin Turtle Derby organizers said the race will go
on today despite warnings from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission that
participants could be fined.
“We have nothing in writing stating we can’t do this, so we’re going through with it as planned,” said Shirl Hummel, treasurer of the New Berlin Activities Committee.
Registration for the 49th annual turtle derby will be held on the Commons beginning at 9 a.m., and the race will start at 1:30 p.m.
The traditional Fourth of July event that attracts up to 30 kids was nearly scuttled for the first time in decades after Hummel was contacted by a state Fish and Boat Commission officer warning that participants would be breaking the law if they showed up with any species of turtles that may not be removed from their natural habitat because of their declining numbers.
Hummel said she was told that a fine of $250 could be levied against anyone in possession of a protected, threatened or endangered turtle, including box, wood, spotted and Eastern redbelly species. Other turtle species, including Eastern and midland painted, map and Eastern musk, are not on the protected list.
Agency spokesman Eric Levis said no one from the state was scheduled to attend the event and no citations would be issued.
Later, Hummel said, organizers were informed that participants could legally attend the event with box and wood turtle species, but would be cited if they raced them.
Frustrated with the conflicting responses, Hummel and Kay Trick, committee chairwoman for Boy Scouts Troop 508, which sponsors the derby, met Tuesday and decided to hold the race anyway.
“We’ll allow people to race box and wood turtles unless someone is there to stop them,” Hummel said.
Trick, who has helped the troop coordinate the turtle derby since 1988, said it’s the first time the state has intervened.
“The Boy Scouts have done this forever. We want to do the right thing and be good stewards of the land, yet not one person has ever come to us officially,” she said, disputing reports that the state warned organizers last year that the law barred certain species of turtle from being plucked out of their habitat and used in the race. “We’re confused and don’t understand the law.”
None of the turtles have been harmed and the young participants return them to the wild when it’s over, she said.
And, once again, C. Tristan Stayton, an assistant professor in biology at Bucknell University, will be on hand to provide information about the turtles.
“It’s not like we’re making turtle soup,” Trick said. “We’re only educating the public.”
“We have nothing in writing stating we can’t do this, so we’re going through with it as planned,” said Shirl Hummel, treasurer of the New Berlin Activities Committee.
Registration for the 49th annual turtle derby will be held on the Commons beginning at 9 a.m., and the race will start at 1:30 p.m.
The traditional Fourth of July event that attracts up to 30 kids was nearly scuttled for the first time in decades after Hummel was contacted by a state Fish and Boat Commission officer warning that participants would be breaking the law if they showed up with any species of turtles that may not be removed from their natural habitat because of their declining numbers.
Hummel said she was told that a fine of $250 could be levied against anyone in possession of a protected, threatened or endangered turtle, including box, wood, spotted and Eastern redbelly species. Other turtle species, including Eastern and midland painted, map and Eastern musk, are not on the protected list.
Agency spokesman Eric Levis said no one from the state was scheduled to attend the event and no citations would be issued.
Later, Hummel said, organizers were informed that participants could legally attend the event with box and wood turtle species, but would be cited if they raced them.
Frustrated with the conflicting responses, Hummel and Kay Trick, committee chairwoman for Boy Scouts Troop 508, which sponsors the derby, met Tuesday and decided to hold the race anyway.
“We’ll allow people to race box and wood turtles unless someone is there to stop them,” Hummel said.
Trick, who has helped the troop coordinate the turtle derby since 1988, said it’s the first time the state has intervened.
“The Boy Scouts have done this forever. We want to do the right thing and be good stewards of the land, yet not one person has ever come to us officially,” she said, disputing reports that the state warned organizers last year that the law barred certain species of turtle from being plucked out of their habitat and used in the race. “We’re confused and don’t understand the law.”
None of the turtles have been harmed and the young participants return them to the wild when it’s over, she said.
And, once again, C. Tristan Stayton, an assistant professor in biology at Bucknell University, will be on hand to provide information about the turtles.
“It’s not like we’re making turtle soup,” Trick said. “We’re only educating the public.”
Turtle entries drop in New Berlin;
organizers blame state agency
By Marcia Moore The Daily Item 7/5/12
NEW BERLIN — The number of turtles entered in Wednesday’s 49th annual
Turtle Derby dropped by about 50 percent from last year, and one organizer
blamed the decline on the state Fish and Boat Commission, which had warned that
some participants could face $250 fines.
“I think some people were scared off,” said Kay Trick, committee chairwoman for Boy Scouts Troop 508, which sponsors the derby during New Berlin’s Fourth of July celebration. Last year, nearly 70 turtles were entered in the race, and this year, a total of 33 turtles were brought to the competition, which was held without any citations being issued.
Trick said many people probably opted not to participate after the state agency announced that several species of turtles are on a protected list because of their declining numbers in Pennsylvania, and anyone possessing one of those species could be fined. The protected species — wood, Eastern box, Eastern redbelly, bog, spotted and Eastern mud— are among the most common turtles in the area.
Trick and Shirl Hummel, treasurer of the New Berlin Activities Committee, decided to hold the derby anyway after receiving conflicting information from several representatives of the Fish and Boat Commission.
Glenn Keister II, of Mifflinburg, was pleased they didn’t back down so his son, Blaise, 5, could participate in the same holiday tradition he and his father enjoyed over the years.
“Blaise would have been devastated if he couldn’t race his turtle. It’s all he’s talked about since winning a trophy last year,” Keister said. “You’ve never seen anyone so proud of an award. He keeps it on his dresser.”
Mifflinburg resident Heather Reichenbach said she purchased a red-eared slider turtle so her son, Coby Sullivan, 7, could join the contest legally.
“I bet a lot of people didn’t come out because they were afraid they’d get fined,” she said.
Master of ceremonies Zane Patterson, a Boy Scout and 2008 derby winner, said he wasn’t worried. “It’s been a tradition for so long that I didn’t think it was going to go kaput over the brouhaha,” the 11-year-old said.
Trick said she has scheduled a meeting with state officials to work out a plan to ensure the turtle derby is allowed to continue without controversy.
“We’re going to do something special next year, for the 50th anniversary,” she said.
“I think some people were scared off,” said Kay Trick, committee chairwoman for Boy Scouts Troop 508, which sponsors the derby during New Berlin’s Fourth of July celebration. Last year, nearly 70 turtles were entered in the race, and this year, a total of 33 turtles were brought to the competition, which was held without any citations being issued.
Trick said many people probably opted not to participate after the state agency announced that several species of turtles are on a protected list because of their declining numbers in Pennsylvania, and anyone possessing one of those species could be fined. The protected species — wood, Eastern box, Eastern redbelly, bog, spotted and Eastern mud— are among the most common turtles in the area.
Trick and Shirl Hummel, treasurer of the New Berlin Activities Committee, decided to hold the derby anyway after receiving conflicting information from several representatives of the Fish and Boat Commission.
Glenn Keister II, of Mifflinburg, was pleased they didn’t back down so his son, Blaise, 5, could participate in the same holiday tradition he and his father enjoyed over the years.
“Blaise would have been devastated if he couldn’t race his turtle. It’s all he’s talked about since winning a trophy last year,” Keister said. “You’ve never seen anyone so proud of an award. He keeps it on his dresser.”
Mifflinburg resident Heather Reichenbach said she purchased a red-eared slider turtle so her son, Coby Sullivan, 7, could join the contest legally.
“I bet a lot of people didn’t come out because they were afraid they’d get fined,” she said.
Master of ceremonies Zane Patterson, a Boy Scout and 2008 derby winner, said he wasn’t worried. “It’s been a tradition for so long that I didn’t think it was going to go kaput over the brouhaha,” the 11-year-old said.
Trick said she has scheduled a meeting with state officials to work out a plan to ensure the turtle derby is allowed to continue without controversy.
“We’re going to do something special next year, for the 50th anniversary,” she said.
Moving forward-Letter to the Editor
on Turtle Derby
Daily Item 7/7/12
July 4th, for the 49th year, New Berlin held its turtle derby. The
children came with their little buckets and boxes with their prize turtles
inside.
Each one was sure their turtle would win. A good time was had by all.
We, the New Berlin Activities Committee and Boy Scout Troop 508, would
like to thank all those who made it possible for our event to continue.
A special thanks to those of the Fish and Boat Commission who came to
our aid to rectify the problem that we were confronted with. A special thanks,
also, to State Rep. Fred Keller for supporting us.
We want to make it clear that we don't have any animosity toward the
Fish and Boat Commission and we don't want anyone else to, either, because of
our problem.
It is our intent to work with the Fish and Boat Commission in future
years. Perhaps they could join us for our derbies and compile data from the
turtles that are collected, like they do with the rattlesnake hunts.
We believe a good thing can come from all of this.
Shirl Hummel,
New Berlin
Missed opportunity Letter to the Editor on Turtle Derby
Daily Item, 7/7/12
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission provides a much-needed service
and in my experience has the public's safety as a priority.
Unfortunately, most seem to associate the agency with its law
enforcement activities. Go to any stocked trout stream on opening day and you
get a taste of what officers deal with. Their published mission statement includes
"to protect, conserve and enhance the commonwealth's aquatic
resources."
A golden opportunity to achieve this mission through public awareness
was squandered this week by a knee-jerk comment made by a representative of the
commission to volunteer coordinators of the New Berlin Boy Scouts' 49th annual
Turtle Derby.
It may be time to conduct a stop and think when a state agency is
discouraging an event that has children going outside and interacting with
nature by threatening them with a $250 fine.
Would it not be a better idea to use a 49-year-old tradition to enhance
public awareness?
The children involved can tell you exactly where they found their
turtles and plan to return it there.
I know, I can tell you where I found a box turtle in 1978. It didn't
win; anybody that grew up in New Berlin can tell you that mud turtles are
faster.
That plays to my point, growing up we knew the species' characteristics
because of the turtle derby!
That said, I still wouldn't know a bog turtle if I tripped over one.
Most people I spoke with this week (most were responsible outdoorsmen)
were unaware that the Blanding's turtle, eastern box turtle, spotted turtle,
wood turtle, bog turtle and red belly turtle were endangered.
To be honest, I had to dig through the Fish and Boat Commission website
to find the list.
Some coordination in the future could turn a lose-lose into a win-win.
The Fish and Boat Commission missed an opportunity to conduct a census
of turtles found in southern Union County. They missed an opportunity to increase
public relations and awareness.
They missed an opportunity to advise participants ahead of time to avoid
the endangered species.
Small-town activities and respect for law enforcement are at a premium
these days. Let's enhance both at the 50th annual New Berlin Turtle Derby.
Brian Smith,
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