GPC Top-23 in error
Either I have been mislead, or that person responsible for recording GPC
entries is mistaken. The top 23 pumpkins and the top 10 squash in the GPC, as
posted on the internet, have errors that should be addressed, and
inconsistencies that robbed, at least one individual who competed fairly, of
the recognition of growing a 1000 pound pumpkin.
I am the Director of the RIPGA (Rhode Island Pumpkin Growers Association),
and also the site coordinator for the RI State Giant Pumpkin Championship
(which is an open competition with two categories of awards for either RI
residents or out-of-state entries).
Last year, with Topsfield weighing a week earlier than the rest of the GPC,
and the weights recorded on that date not acceptable for GPC sanction, our
association was asked if we would serve as an official, certifier of weights
for GPC sanction. This honor was also extended to the New Milford, CT weigh
off. All Topsfield entries and all members of the NEPGA (New England Pumpkin
Growers Association) were told that to be sanctioned by the GPC, they would
have to reweigh their pumpkins the following Saturday (which was consistent
with what everyone else in the GPC was doing that day).
This year, I had no indication that this would be handled any differently. In
fact, I was told by Hugh Wiberg, the director of the NEPGA, site coordinator
for Topsfield, and steering committee member for the GPC, that nothing had
changed. Despite this, no mention was made to members that we had the same
situation in 2001 as we had in 2000. And, a newsletter that was mailed a few
weeks before the Topsfield weigh off never even faintly touched on a subject
that was heatly contested the year before by many NEPGA members.
I called Hugh, and he apologized for making such a grievous error, and
promised that the first order of business at Topsfield on September 29th
would be to make an announcement for the purpose of explaining how Topsfield
entries could go about gaining GPC sanction in 2001. I am not talking about
qualifying for prize money within the GPC competition, I am talking about
sanctioning of weights, and just and fair recognition of all competitors.
At Topsfield, I reminded Hugh of his promise, and he told me that he was not
going to make the announcement, and had already contacted those growers that
he felt could contend for prizes in the GPC competition. I really had my
reservations about this personal contact, and this reservation soon grew into
doubt, when after the Topsfield weigh off, I received several calls from
NEPGA members inquiring as to how they should go about getting sanctioned by
the GPC. I asked, "Didn't Hugh call you?" None confirmed that they had been
notified, but I suspect Craig Weir was contacted, because an article in the
newspaper after Topsfield indicated that he was contemplating coming to the
RI weigh off instead of Topsfield. I've known Craig many years, and the only
way he would have competed in RI (instead of Topsfield, which is right in his
backyard) would have been if he was not going to be sanctioned by the GPC for
weighing his pumpkin a week early. I am sure that someone assured him he
would be sanctioned.
Don't get me wrong here. I feel very strongly that all of the contestants at
Topsfield should have had their weights duly sanctioned by the GPC as they
were recorded on September 29th. Four of the top 23 pumpkins in the GPC were
grown by New England growers and sanctioned by the GPC. Three of them were
posted with the weights they recorded at Topsfield on September 29th, and
duly recognized. And one was recorded as a reweigh on October 6th at RI, and
robbed of the recognition due to someone who grew a 1000 pound pumpkin.
Wes Dwelly is listed in the Top 23 as growing a 986 pound pumpkin, even
though his Topsfield weight was 1002. Not only that, a competitor, who he
beat fair and square at Topsfield, sits above him in the Top 23 at 995.8
pounds. Because Wes played by the rules established by the GPC, and
reinforced, at least to me, by Hugh Wiberg, he now is recognized by the GPC,
and nationally, as a 900 pound grower. Is this fair, or is it that if you
grow a 1260.4 pound pumpkin, and weigh it a week early at Topsfield, you are
sanctioned, but if you grow a 1002 pound pumpkin, and weigh it a week early
at Topsfield, you're not.
If the Top-23 is only a listing of weights recorded at their weigh offs, then
Wes Dwelly's entry of 986 pounds is wrong. If this is not just a list, but a
full sanction of weights, then three of the entries in the Top-23 are not
right, because the weights recorded were taken on September 29th. What is it
going to take to make for a sanctioned GPC weight: weighed at a GPC site on
October 6th, weighed at a GPC site on September 29th, weighed at a GPC site
on either October 6th or September 29th, or none of the above.
Also, this year, we recorded a squash, grown by Dave Hampton of Waquoit, MA
at 709 pounds. This information was faxed to the GPC compiler on October 6th,
but not included in the GPC Top-10. I was quite disappointed that this
occurred, because Dave and I had discussed this squash on numerous occasions,
because we both felt that it had potential for prize money or top-10 ranking
in the GPC.
Dave had also called Hugh Wiberg about how to go about getting the squash
sanctioned by the GPC, and left the conversation with more questions than he
had when he started. Wiberg told him that the RI weigh off was not going to
be an official GPC certifier site in 2001. That remark stimulated me to call
Hugh to determine what he was doing this year, and he assured me that we were
doing nothing different; RI is an official GPC certifier. I called Dave to
give him the news that to get the weight sanctioned, he would have to take it
to RI. In disappointment, he cut the squash from the vine, competed at the
Cape and Islands weigh off on September 22nd, skipped Topsfield, because it
was not official, and brought it to RI. Now, it appears, that if he had
brought it to Topsfield, it would have been sanctioned there. And since it
weighed 721 on September 22nd, it would have most assuredly weighed more than
the 709 recorded in RI on October 6th.
How do I tell Dave, now, that he should have left the squash on the vine, and
competed at the event we both love -- the Topsfield, All-New England
Championship? And, that because of what I told him, he shortened his season,
and was short-changed on his due recognition.
It is unfortunate that all of the hard work, and the many, many years of
dedication to the governing of the sport of giant pumpkin growing by Hugh
Wiberg is constantly ignored by serious growers in the face of one
controversial decison after another over the last 5-6 years. If you grow a
big pumpkin or big squash, it takes an awful lot of work, and emotions will
always run high surrounding questions of uncertainty as to where you should
weigh off. If you grow a big one, you want to know what your options are, you
don't want to be jerked around.
Best wishes,
Don Langevin
Author & Publisher
How-to-Grow World Class Giant Pumpkins I & II
Annedawn Publishing
P.O. Box 247, Norton, MA 02766
Phone: 508-222-9069
Fax: 508-223-2703
Email: annedawn@aol.com
website: www.giantpumpkin.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Pumpkin-growing FAQ: http://www.hort.net/lists/pumpkins/search.cgi
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PUMPKINS
