Wow ... does this look like a fun group or what? 2010 Churubusco Turtle Days Association members: front and center, President Kirk Gray; Front row, from left: Julie McCartney, Kathy Gilpin, Greg Barkley, Kay Lawrence, Christy Wood, Amber Talbot, Vince McEntee, Terry Miller; Middle row (sitting), Elisha Norris, Mark Bianski, Robin Ramsey, Tracey Bultemeier, Deb Sievers, Betsy McEntee, Kevin Shull; Standing, far left, Don Hyatt, at right, Rick Krider, Mike Smith, Mark Heckber and Brian Graham. Committee members and reserve officers not shown: Holly Guiff, Diane Blessing, Jeff Bonar, Shelley Hansen, Cathy Oberholtzer, Pam Waterman, Kevin Shull, Mark Pepple, Lee Prescott, Toni Wilkins and Viv Sade.

CHURUBUSCO, Ind. – The Churubusco Turtle Days Festival Committee has grown so large that they had to find new meeting quarters! A great problem to have, according to President Kirk Gray.

Churubusco Turtle Days Festival will be held June 16-19 and will go out with a bang – a big bang!

The festival committee is busy raising money to produce the greatest fireworks ever on Saturday night at the close of the festival. Last year’s fireworks were great, but this year’s will be even better, Gray said.

“We plan to do a bigger and better show, although last year’s was fantastic by all accounts,” Gray said. “This year, we will have speakers in the park so that the people watching the fireworks will be able to listen to the music (to which the fireworks are choreographed). It’s really a fireworks show set to music.”

The theme for this year’s Turtle Days Festival is “Oscar celebrates the Wild Wild West,” so grab your guns and horses and Old West saloon attire and get ready for some fun.

In addition to the annual parade at 6 p.m. on Saturday night – the route is still up for debate – the last night of the festival – watch for these exciting events as well:

• Beer Tent (new location)
• Car, Truck & Bike Show
• Garden Tractor Pull
• Skeet Shoot
• BBQ Cookoff
• Live Entertainment Nightly
• Fireworks
• Carnival & Midway Every Night 5-10 in the Park
• Skateboard Competition
• Horseshoe and Cornhole Tournaments
• Turtle Races
• Kid’s Day in the Park
• Food and Craft Vendors
• Chamber of Commerce Merchant’s Tent & More!

There will be a Tom Fletcher Turtle Days Memorial Golf Tourney and Texas hold ‘Em Tourney May 8 at Eel River Golf Course beginning at 2 p.m. The poker tournament will be held at the Eel River Clubhouse after the outing at 6 p.m.

Watch this Web site for more details.

The 2010 Turtle Festival Board Executive Committee, from left, President Kirk Gray, Vice President Robin Ramsey, Secretary Tracey Bultemeier and Treasurer Vince McEntee.

For more information or to register for any event go to the Turtle Days Web site or contact one of the committee chairs listed below:

• Kirk Gray, president – 260-452-8903

Sponsorship, Vendors

• Robin Ramsey, vice president – 260-433-6250

Parade, Poker Run, Vendors

• Tracey Bultemeier, secretary – 260-705-8950

Fireworks, Royalty Competition, Scholarships. Entertainment, Tournaments

• Vince McEntee, treasurer – 260-438-2034

Vendors, Facilities, Entertainment

• Greg Barkley  – 260-229-0006

Entertainment, Parade

• Mark Bianski – 260-610-0928

Tournaments, Horseshoe/Cornhole

• Brian Graham – 260-693-2473

Marching Bands

• Holly Guiff – 260-446-1247

Tournaments

• Don Hiatt – 260-415-1886

Special Events

• Rick Krider – 260-433-6213

Facilities

• Elisha Norris 260-615-4499

Gaming

• Viv Sade 260-241-7737

Publicity, Skateboard Contest

• Mike Smith – 260-750-0102

Facilities

• Christi Wood – 260-402-6794

Sponsorship, Skateboard Contest

• Diane Blessing – 260-704-1408

Car, Truck, Bike Show

• Jeff Bonar and
• Shelly Hansen – 260-348-0308

Poker Run

• Julie McCartney – 260-693-8189

Crafts

CHURUBUSCO, Ind. – Several members of the Turtle Days Festival Board of Directors were present at Wednesday night’s council meeting to recommend that the Town approve a new parade route beginning this year on Saturday, June 19, the last day of the 4-day festival.

Two year’s ago, the parade route was moved from its long-time route on South Main Street (from Mahle parking lot north to the school parking lot) to North Main Street (Churubusco United Methodist Church parking lot south to the school parking lot).

The Fire Department Color Guard command respect during the Turtle Days Annual Parade on South Main Street in 2009. (Buscovoice.com photo)

Turtle Days Festival Board President Kirk Gray presented the 3-member council with a recent petition from Main Street residents.

Forty-five residents signed the petition, Gray said.

“Three voted for option 2 – going back to the old route on South Main Street,” Gray said. “Only one favored the current route on North Main Street, and a whopping 41 favored extending the parade route from South Main Street (the old Dana/Mahle building-now C & A Tool), north all the way along Main Street to the United Methodist Church at 750 North Main Street.”

Council member John Hart, who was Town Marshal at the time the new route was approved two years ago, said he is against extending the parade route to include all of Main Street. “There’s a definite safety hazard, and we would need additional manpower (law officers) to stand by and direct and re-direct traffic at the detour points,” Hart said. “Then there’s the question of getting emergency vehicles out and into town in the event of an emergency.”

He presented the festival board members with a map showing the routes traffic would be diverted to if all of Main Street (U.S. 33) and Whitley Street (SR 205) within the town limits were to be closed for 2 hours. “Motorists would have to go out of their way for miles and many of them, especially in Allen County on those gravel roads, get lost,” Hart said

Churubusco Town Marshal Chad Fulkerson said he was sure he could find enough sheriff reserve officers to help direct traffic and man the needed posts during the parade.

“They’ve just hired 24 new reserves, I’m sure we can find enough officers,” Fulkerson said.

Fulkerson agreed to research the options and give a report at the next council meeting to Hart, Frank Kessler and Vivian Sade. The council will make a decision after hearing Fulkerson’s recommendation.

The council meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 17 at the Town Hall.

Got an opinion on where the parade route should be – North Main Street? South Main Street? All of Main Street? Post your comments below.

CHURUBUSCO, Ind. (Jan., 2010) — Thursday night, Jan. 21, the Churubusco Turtle Days Association received two donations from the Churubusco American Legion Gilbert-Davis Post 157.

A check in the amount of $250 was presented to the Association in memory of Tom Fletcher, who was a member of both the Legion and the Turtle Days Association. Fletcher died unexpectedly on January 13 at the age of 57.

An additional $250 check was also presented by American Legion Commander Jay Hilliard to Turtle Days Association representatives, Kirk Gray and Mark Bianski.

The Turtle Days Association has stipulated the Tom Fletcher donation be used towards purchasing a permanent stone bench, to be located in Churubusco Community Park, and bear Fletcher’s name.

In the photo at right, American Legion Commander Jay Hilliard (center) presents two monetary donations to Turtle Days Association President Kirk Gray (left) and board member Mark Bianski.

(Photo by V. Sade)

Tom Fletcher and his daughter, Tracey Bultemeier, both Turtle Days Board members, are shown working at last year's festival. (BuscoVoice.com file photo)

Don’t miss this great benefit show by Color Me Red Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Area 33 Lounge, located on U.S. 33 north. The $3 admission charge will go toward the 2010 Turtle Days Festival. The theme for next year’s festival is “Wild, Wild West.”

Find out more at the Turtle Days Web site or on Facebook.

cmr_benefit_show_flyer

CHURUBUSCO, Ind. – The Turtle Days BBQ cook-off was held June 20 in conjunction with the first ever cornhole tournament in the parking lot of Mor for Less on Main Street. The event – coordinated by Turtle Days board member Mark Bianski – was a success and will return to Turtle Days line-up next year.

Results were as follows:

• 1st Place – Jeff and Chad Stillwell
• 2nd Place – Kal Ramsey, Jeff Bonar, Mike Ressler, and Mike Smith

Congrats to these winners! Maybe they’ll share their winning recipes with the readers of buscovoice.com?

Photos contributed by Tracey Bultemeier

All of the BBQ Cookoff winners line up for a photo after the event.

Turtle Days BBQ Cookoff first place winners - Jeff and Chad Stillwell.

Turtle Days BBQ Cookoff second place winners - Kal Ramsey, Jeff Bonar, Mike Smith and Mike Ressler.

The Turtle Days Cornhole competition was held June 20 in the parking lot of Mor for Less on Main Street. Coordinated by Tom Fletcher, Turtle Days Board member, it was a popular new event. Look for it to return next year and the year after and the year after that … Results were as follows:

• 1st Place – Chris Sims
• 2nd Place – Jeff Blake
• 3rd Place – John Schmidt
• 4th Place – Sean Johnson

Photos contributed by Tracey Bultemeier

Corn-Hole-winners: first place, Chris Sims; second place, Jeff Blake; third place, John Schmidt; and fourth place Sean Johnson.

MANNING THE REGISTRATION TABLE - from left, Alisha Norris, Don Hiatt and Mark Bianski. Not shown: coordinator of the event, Tom Fletcher.

The Turtle Days Committee would like readers opinions and feedback on the parade route.

Should they stay with the current route from North Main at the United Methodist Church to Washington Street?

Would you prefer to see it go back to the old route from Mahle (Dana) to Tulley Street?

Or would you like to see it go the entire length of Main Street from Mahle (Dana) to the United Methodist Church?

[poll id="13"]

The first annual car, truck and bike show held at Brady’s Automotive south of town drew in more entrants and people than they ever expected. “We are thrilled and overwhelmed at the same time”, said Dave Brady.

Many people helped with organizing the event and as awards were handed out, Steve Shoda said “This event would not have been what it was without all of these people – or should I say our friends.”

In total there were over 130 cars at the show, with 96 of them entering the event to win specially designed plaques designed by Barry McCoy that were made from aluminum.

Top 10 Awards

Best Bike: Don Dion, Jr.

Best Original: Don & Barb Taylor

Best Engine: Mike & Rhonda McHenry

Best Street Rod: Eldie & Deb Troyer

Best Paint: Sherry Brady

Best Modified: Leroy Blessing

Best Interior: Randy Fryback

Best Truck: Dennis Duggan

Best Restored: Judy & Ken Garrison

Best Custom: Mark Frankhart

Top 40 Winners

Karl Schroff
Monte Parish
Josh Perkins
Diane Blessing
Ron Clemons
Rich Rumpel
Dave Gibson

Jerry Colcord
BobFedler
Ted Cook
Brian Parish
John Crabtree
Norm Smit
Denny Marsh
Amanda Martin
Gary Byrd
Jim McQueen
Mike Arlington
Shane Manth
Wade Wheeler

Lee & Connie Garber
Doug Hensley
Mike & Guyla Zimmerman
Jim Bishop
Bob Egolf
Steve Shoda
Dave Brady
Larry Randolph
Gary Basinger
Mike Bodigon
Steve Blevins
David Bishir
Rob & Gina Grant
Jim Alspaugh
Fred LeCount
Randy & Kathy Bergdall
Steve Moser
Paul Blust

Hundreds of people and cars dot the landscape at the commerce center

Dave Brady receives an award from Leroy Blessing

Sherrie Brady's 1967 Camaro

Sherrie Brady hands Bob Egolf one of his awards. Bob also made out pretty good on the door prizes also!

Despite a forecast of bad weather for the area, residents came out in large numbers to support the Churubusco fire department. With the bad economy, very warm weather and poor forecast, the firefighters were still very pleased with the turnout and support they received.

Bob Amber steals some fish from Ron Slagal to feed hungry visitors

Apparently it takes a lot of muscle from firefighter Ben Rinker to carry fish around for visitors

Former firefighter Chris Crapser chats with Darrell Resler and Roger Bennett

Dan sure does love cooking those fish and tenderloins!

Firefighter Jim Horne is caught red handed sneaking in a small sampling of corn

CHURUBUSCO, Ind. – The brochures and raffle tickets and posters are printed, registrations for festival events are rolling in, and children are busy catching that enthusiastic, fast-sprinting turtle that just might win the big race at the Churubusco Turtle Days Festival June 17-20. 

Indiana’s longest, continuously running festival began 60 years ago after the small town made headlines around the world with sightings of a giant turtle on privately owned Fulk Lake in rural Churubusco.

The Turtle Days Festival Committee is celebrating the The 60th Celebration of “Oscar” with a festival jam-packed with new events as well as traditional favorites.

The 4-day festival will end with a grand finale fireworks Saturday, June 20, at dusk in the park.

A few of the popular events include:

Turtle Races

The turtle race – hosted by the Churubusco Chamber of Commerce – will be held Saturday at noon, with registration of turtles beginning at 11 a.m. in the Churubusco Community Park on ball diamond 1, adjacent to the Burton Bros. Midway rides and concessions.

Winners will be chosen in each category – tiny, small, medium, large and extra large, as well as most unusual, traveled the farthest, largest, smallest (no – eggs do not count) and best trained. The winner of all heats will be crowned the new Oscar champion of 2009, and the turtle and its owner will lead the Saturday night parade, along with this year’s Grand Marshal, Oscar himself.

Be aware that some native Indiana turtles, such as the Eastern box turtle, are on the endangered/concerned list. Turtle Days officials ask race participants to please protect  wildlife and leave those turtles in their homes.

After turtles have finished their day of racing, the Turtle Days Association suggests that you please set them free to their natural habitat.

Talent Night

The popular Talent Night will be Thursday, June 18, at the entertainment stage in the park, near ball diamond 2 and the food concession alley.

Act 1 will be held from 6-8 p.m. and Act 2 will be held from 8:15-10 p.m.

The Talent Show is open to people of all ages and talents and abilities. Print the form below and register early to reserve your spot.

Turtle Days Parade

The Annual Turtle Days Festival parade – sponsored by National City Bank – will be held Saturday, June 20, beginning at 6 p.m. on South Main Street and Clingerman Avenue.

Oscar is reving up to lead the 2009 Turtle Days Festival parade. The Festival begins June 17 and continues through the 20th.

It will travel south on Main Street to Washington Street and turn west, ending at the Churubusco Schools’ parking lot.

This year’s theme for entries and floats is The 60th Celebration of “Oscar.” Prizes will be awarded in each category for those entries which best capture the spirit of this year’s theme.

As a special promotion and to entice more parade floats, separate cash prizes and group pizza parties will be given out to winners in the float category.

So, get your group or organization together and put on your thinking hats. Come up with a float that best captures The 60th Celebration of “Oscar,” and you, along with family and friends, could be enjoying a free pizza party in the park later this summer.

To register fill out the form below or contact: Robin Ramsey, Parade Coordinator, P.O. Box 187, Churubusco, IN 46723; call 260-433-6250 or go to turtledayscelebrations@turtledays.com.

Trap Shoot

Coming back for its second year after a successful debut in 2008, the Churubusco Conservation Club Turtle Days Trap Shoot will be held Saturday, June 20, at the Ideal Fish and Game Club on U.S. 33, just south of Churubusco.

The competition is open to the public. There is a $20 entry fee and a pay out to the top three places in each class. Refreshments will be available.

• 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Sign-up and Open Shooting
• 12 – 1 p.m. – New Shooter Safety Instruction/Firing Line Etiquette
• 1 – 3:30 p.m. – Lewis Class Trap Shoot

For a complete listing of events, pick up a brochure at local participating businesses.

Proceeds from Turtle Days Festival Association events help support the Churubusco Community Park.

For more information or registration forms, go to turtledays.com or buscovoice.com.

2009-talent-show-regs

2009-parade-entry-1_page_1

Oscar was spotted renting some flicks at K & K Video & Books Saturday. Oscar said he thought he'd relax and kick back while he can - which won't be long since Turtle Days is right around the corner.

The Busco Farmer’s Market will be open each Saturday through October from 8 a.m. until noon. For more information on becoming a vendor, call the Town Hall at 693-9350.

Oscar was spotted for the first time this year Saturday as he waved to motorists  from the Point (Central Building) and reminded people on the street that this year is the 60th celebration of Churubusco Turtle Days. This year’s festival will be held June 17-20.

To see recent photos of Oscar meeting with local adults and children, go to the Turtle Days Web site at turtledays.com. The gallery will be updated weekly through June 20.

Josh T. and the turtle.

Two-year-old Maddox and Oscar.

Oscar and Paul Sade.

We’re looking into the technical aspects, but would also like some feedback from our readers.

If you no longer live here and would like to see the parade live, please vote below!

Leave us a note. Any feedback you can think of. Our readers opinions are important to us. Where should we broadcast from? Do we need commentators like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

[poll id="8"]

Oscar the Grouch, the strange, true story of The Beast of ‘Busco by Michael Summers is the front page feature of a recent Fort Wayne Reader, an independent newspaper in Allen County.

Next year Churubusco will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the hunt for Oscar as well as the Turtle Days Festival, both of which took place in 1949.

Oscar makes news in the Fort Wayne Reader

Summers* writes …

Sure, ballparks are all well and good, but for civic leaders and city boosters seeking other creative means to draw tourists to our fair city, slow the brain drain, and put Fort Wayne on the proverbial map, I have two words for you: Lake Monster.

…  Look what it’s done for Loch Ness, a Scottish backwater that is famous throughout the world and rakes in an estimated 25 million pounds in tourism annually all due to the beastie lurking in its lake – a beastie that, despite the eyes of thousands of tourists and a small fortune in sonar equipment, has never really been seen.

But Loch Ness is an extreme example. For a more modest example of the Lake Monster effect, one need look no further from home than Churubusco, the tiny town just a few miles Northish of us. Perhaps the annual draw from the community’s Turtle Days festival each summer falls short of $25 million, but, you know, I’m sure it’s something, and they owe it all to “Oscar.”

For more of this story go to Fort Wayne Reader …

(*used with permission of Michael Summers.)

July 8, 2008

Letter to the Editor,

We would like to thank everyone who made the 59th Annual Turtle Days Festival a resounding success.

Thanks to Bob Pankop of Pankop Excavating for hauling stone and getting the parking lot behind Pit Stop ready for the beer tent.

Thanks to J & K communications of Columbia City for loaning us radios – free of charge – for the parade.

Thank you to the United Methodist Church (Val Cooper) for sponsoring and handling Kids Day at the Park, and Center Stage Dance (Audrey Husk) for sponsoring and handling the talent show. Those are two big things that were great that others took care of for us.

Thank you to all the members of the Lions Club who have assisted at the Turtle Days parade for many years.

Thanks to Greg and Jeanine Childs of Sheets & Childs Funeral Home for the use of the Commerce Center site for the garden tractor pull and pony pull.

Thanks to Smith-Green Community Schools for the use of the stage for the entertainment tent. An even bigger thank you to Dan Hile and Lee Etzler for the help in making it happen.

And last but not least, thanks to all the board members and volunteers who worked so hard to make it happen.

Next year is the 60th anniversary of the Turtle Days Festival – the longest continuous running festival in Indiana. Want to help make it the best ever? Call Kirk Gray at 409-5516 to find out how you can volunteer to become a board or committee member.

Sincerely,
The Churubusco 2008 Turtle Days Festival Board of Directors

CHURUBUSCO – Kids Day in the Park once again hit a home run and scored big with the little ones who attended the free fun and games during the annual Turtle Days Festival.

The event is hosted by the Churubusco United Methodist Church and has become one of the most popular events of the June festival.

Volunteers from the church hosted relay games, craft booths, egg tosses, watermelon eating contests, face painting, bubble-blowing and more.

garden-pull-to-use

CHURUBUSCO – The first ever Garden Tractor Pull was held during last week’s Turtle Day’s Festival and Turtle Day Festival officials say they hope to bring it back next year.

“The weather held out and we kicked up some dust” said chair of the event, Kirk Gray. The pull was held at the Churubusco Commerce Center Saturday, June 21.

All photos by Kirk Gray

Churubusco – Eddie Schmidt was named the champion of the Turtle Days Cornhole Tournament. Coming in second was Alex Fitch and third was Pat Davis.

Chair of the event, Tom Fletcher, said he hopes to continue the tourney at next year’s festival and get enough people registered to include horseshoe and hillybilly golf tournaments in addition to the cornhole tournament.

All photos by Rachel and Josh Fletcher.

CHURUBUSCO – For the second year, the Annual Turtle Days Festival parade was held on the north end of Main Street, drawing positive comments from security and law enforcement, parade participants and parade watchers.

The majority of comments the Turtle Days Board of Directors received were all positive, according to parade chair Robin Ramsey. The parade is traditionally held the last night – Saturday – of the Turtle Days Festival and the festival is usually held the third week in June.

The parade route was switched last year from South Main to North Main at the request of the Churubusco Police Department, who for years have rerouted motorists on U.S. 33 andS.R. 205 around the hour-long parade.

“The police were happy they did not have to reroute motorists like they used to,” Ramsey said. “And we had a lot of good comments and ‘thumbs up’ from the people watching the parade and from those in the parade.”

The theme of this year’s parade was ‘Past, Present and Future’ and Ned and Mel Egolf led the parade as grand marshals. Their father, Russell, also a grand marshal, was unable to attend due to health concerns.

First place award winners in the parade were as follows:

Animal category: First place – Allen County 4-H Llama Lovers

Walking Units:First place – Churubusco High School cheerleaders

Floats: First place – Muller Memorial Community Pool

Color Guards: First place – VFW/American Legion

Youth Leagues:First place – Shear Creations

Cars/Trucks/Bikes: First place – Lucky 13

Tractors: First place – Roger Smith Antiques

Several new events were added this year, including a pony pull, trap shoot and garden tractor pull.

A local quilting group hosted a quilt show in the Boy Scout building and Mary Cummings won the People’s Choice award.

Winners of the Turtle Town pony pull were as follows:

1st – Tim Weilnaw; 2nd – Bob Francis, Team 1; 3rd – Decon Bischoff, Team 2; 4th – Bob Francis, Team 2; 5th – Chuck Weilnaw; 6th – Decon Bischoff, Team 1; 7th – Kevin Sattison; 8th – Gene Sattison.

Parade photos by Viv Sade and Rachel and Josh Fletcher.

Photos: Jerry Poyser is congratulated by Ron Dunn of the Ideal Fish & Game Club after placing first in the A Class at the Turtle Days Trap Shoot.

Tom Williams is congratulated by Dunn after winning first place in the C Class.

CHURUBUSCO – The first ever Turtle Days trap shoot was held at the Ideal Fish & Game Club Saturday, June 21.

Winners were as follows:

A CLASS:

1st – Jerry Poyser

2nd – Joe Meyers

3rd – Doug Davis

4th – Andy Giegold

B CLASS:

1st – Steve Roher

2nd – Terry Rothle

3rd – Nick Leitch

4th – Terry Hicks

C CLASS:

1st – Tom Williams

2nd = Bill Jackobs

3rd – Nick Karris

4th – Paul Karris

Photos by Kirk Gray

Fans of the event, people, places and much more from the 2008 Churubusco Turtle Days Event!

We’ve found every possible image you could think of when thinking about the Turtle Days event. Live music from local musicians, adults having the time of their life and of course those wonderful children and young adults enjoying good times with friends and family.

If you see someone you know or maybe even yourself, give us a shout so we can make sure you’re recognized right here at BuscoVoice.com!