Fish and Boat Commission offering license pins
If you’ve been to a flea market or store that deals in antiques, you’ve probably seen the old fishing license buttons the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission issued to anglers in the old days.
The buttons, which were originally used in the 1930s through the 1950s, were briefly brought back in 1974 and 1975, but are just a remnant of the past and a collector’s item now.
The commission, however, will be offering the optional pin-on buttons again this year. They go on sale Wednesday.
Those wishing to purchase the $5 button can do so at the PFBC’s Outdoor Shop at www.GoneFishingPa.com or at any of the commission’s regional offices. The buttons will also be available for purchase at the Walnut Creek Access Office in Erie and Linesville State Fish Hatchery Vistor’s Center.
The annual buttons will be available to all current adult and youth Pennsylvania fishing license customers who possess a valid license. Lifetime senior and multi-year license holders can also purchase the button license.
Per recent changes in the law, anglers no longer have to display their paper fishing license.
• In the final clash of the season between the two Washington County entries in the Pittsburgh and Suburban Rifle League, Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club handed Frazier-Simplex Rifle Club its first loss of the season in a high-scoring match.
Behind Tom Gerner’s league-best 299, Dormont-Mt. Lebanon fired a 1,482, edging Frazier-Simplex, which shot a 1,479.
Dean Trew had a 297, Amy Smith 296 and Nicholle Benedict and Matt Piatt 295 each for the winners, who improved to 12-2. Rick Janoski just missed the cut for Dormont-Mt. Lebanon with a 294.
Tom Morley had high honors for Frazier-Simplex (13-1) with a 298. Ryan Stein, John Husk and Jim Mounts all fired 296, while Sarah Sroka had a 293. Frazier-Simplex junior shooter Mackenzie Wagner just missed the cut with a 292, her season high.
Smith captured high female shooter honors for the week with her 296, while Benedict was tied for high junior shooter honors.
Mounts, who doubles as Avella High School’s rifle coach, took home high senior honors.
Despite the loss, Frazier-Simplex can clinch the league title with a victory over third-place Green Valley this week. Dormont-Mt. Lebanon travels to Murraysville Wednesday for its match.
• A story broke this week that cash-strapped Pennsylvania Game Commission plans to give retired executive director Carl Roe a severance package, including a $220,000 payment.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett called the payment “an improper severance agreement,” and Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s office asked the commission for clarity on the issue.
Roe, who retired in January and was replaced by Washington native Matt Hough, originally joined the commission in 2001 as a long-term planner. He was named executive director in 2005.
It will be interesting to follow this story over the coming weeks.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is an independent state agency and therefore, the governer’s office can only advise the commission on the matter.
But for an agency that has long been cutting corners in order to stretch its funds, it does not give off a good appearance.
Outdoors Editor F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.