THE BALLOON MAN

Freshing up the act

Show opens today at 109th Armory

A tiger sits in its cage Sunday evening at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre.

April 25,2011

WILKES-BARRE -- The bleachers are up and the rings are in place for this week’s Annual Shriners’ Circus at the 109th Field Artillery Armory on Market Street.
All of the final tweaks and adjustments were being conducted over the weekend for what the Shriners and circus operator Hamid Circus hope will be another successful show.
Circus owner and operator Jim Hamid said as much as 95 percent of this year’s show will be completely different from last year’s.
“We love coming down to Wilkes-Barre for the show,” he said. “We try to bring in as many new acts as we can every year.”
This year’s circus will therefore feature a brand new elephant show. Last year’s show was marked by tragedy as animal groomer Andrew Anderton was trampled to death by an elephant.
Hamid lamented Anderton’s death, but pointed out that this type of mortal accident is “extremely rare” within the industry. He said it was the first fatality that he had experienced since he started in the circus business in 1970.

Victor Flores practices with his motorcycle inside the ’Globe of Death’ Sunday evening at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre.
Safety has thus taken on an even greater emphasis for this year’s show.
Despite the enthusiasm that the Shriners and Hamid Circus has shown for this year’s event, there are a few in the area who have not been so eager to have the circus return.
Members of the animal rights group Voice of the Animals will join local concerned citizens to protest the circus. Chief among the animal rights groups’ complaints is the housing of the animals that perform during the circus.
Silvie Pomicter, president of Voice of the Animals, pointed to natural freedom and large living spaces of tigers and elephants in the wild as examples of the ways that her group feels animals should be treated.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Marketing Coordinator Ashley Palmer concurred with Pomicter’s view, pointing out elephants in the wild forge life-long relationships and walk up to 13 miles each day.
“There’s simply no way a circus or a zoo could replicate that type of environment,” she said.
PETA said it also takes issue with the ways in which the animals in the circus are trained.
“Animals would not naturally ride bicycles or jump through hoops of fire,” Palmer said. “The only way to train animals to behave like that is to use fear and intimidation through the threat of violence.”
Palmer acknowledged circuses have long been seen as a great source of entertainment for the entire family.
“Children have a natural affinity for animals, but if they knew how the animals were treated they would be kicking and screaming to get away from the circus,” Palmer said.
This year’s Shriners’ Circus is set to kick off with an afternoon show at 1:30 today with an evening show at 7:15.
Animal rights group protests will coincide with those performances.