Salamonie Lake to hold day camp

Salamonie Lake is holding a winter day camp for children ages 7 to 11, Dec. 27-29.

Each day provides a variety of activities during the 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. camp. People can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, movie time, snacks, crafts and games.

Activities include building a life-size replica of an Eastern Woodland wigwam, learning to shoot a bow and arrow, discovering how to track an animal through the woods, starting a campfire with a bow and drill, daily crafts, hikes and more. Participants should bring warm play clothes, an extra pair of shoes and gloves.

Activities are guided by interpretive naturalists trained. A snack will be provided. Children need to bring a sack lunch with drink each day.

The camp requires a $45 participation fee. Fees will be adjusted for families with multiple children attending. Parents will be asked to fill out a participation form.

Call Upper Wabash Interpretive Services at (260) 468-2127 to register. Visit www.dnr.IN.gov/uwis for more information.

Salamonie Lake is at 9214 West-Lost Bridge West, Andrews, 46702

Nascar champions from Homestead weekend share Eldora speedway connections

Rossburg, OH – Tony Stewart’s drive to victory at Homestead Miami Speedway and the resulting NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crown Sunday night, capped off an exciting NASCAR championship weekend that resulted in a trio of title holders sharing an Eldora Speedway connection.

As owner of the southwestern Ohio speed plant, as well as a frequent competitor and victor on the one-half mile clay oval, Stewart was quick to point out that Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (Nationwide Series) and Austin Dillon (Camping World Truck Series) have also made their presence known at Eldora.

Stenhouse’s name was etched into the Eldora Speedway history books in 2007 during the annual Four Crown Nationals when he bested the United States Auto Club (USAC) Midget field, while Dillon’s claim to fame came during the 2010 World 100 for Late Models. At that time, in only his second appearance on the Eldora clay, Dillon topped the 134 car field with quick time honors. He eventually finished 13th in the 100-lap chase.

Race officials say Stewart’s accomplishments as an Eldora driver are even greater with victory stage appearances as the result of feature wins in Sprint Cars (winged and non-winged), Midgets, Modifieds and Late Models. Additionally, they say, Stewart has prevailed over Eldora’s marquee Prelude to the Dream three times since its inception in 2005.

It may very well be that the Prelude event could offer an opportunity for the trio of NASCAR champions to return together as Eldora competitors in 2012. While Stewart has not released invitations to the annual June charity event as of yet, Stenhouse, Jr. and Dillon have to be considered as likely candidates to get mail from the three-time Sprint Cup champion as invitees.

In addition to the talent-laden Prelude to the Dream invitational (June 6) and World 100 (September 7 & 8), Eldora’s key events in 2012 include the Dirt Late Model Dream (June 8 & 9) and the Kings Royal weekend (July 13 & 14). The ticket sale campaign for these events begins Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 10 a.m. by going online to www.eldoraspeedway.com.

Baer Field Speedway to hold awards ceremony

The Speedway will hold its award ceremony at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, at the American Legion Post 241, 7605 Bluffton Rd. Dinner will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and music and door prizes will follow the ceremony. Cost is $15 per person. To register, click here. Register by Nov. 23.

TinCaps coaching staff revealed

From the Fort Wayne TinCaps:

The Fort Wayne TinCaps, in conjunction with their major league affiliate San Diego Padres, announced the 2012 Field Staff today.

Former major leaguer Jose Valentin was named manager of the TinCaps, replacing Shawn Wooten in the dugout. Valentin was drafted by the Padres organization in 1986 and traded to the Milwaukee Brewers organization in 1992. Included in the deal was former major league slugger Gary Sheffield. Valentin made his major league debut on September 17, 1992.

Valentin, from Manati, Puerto Rico, played for 16 seasons in the major leagues, finishing his career with a .243 batting average, 816 runs batted in and 249 home runs. In addition to the Brewers, Valentin also spent time with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, before retiring in 2009.

"Jose Valentin will join a long list of successful Fort Wayne managers that includes Gary Jones, Randy Ready, Doug Dascenzo and Shawn Wooten," said Randy Smith, Vice President of Player Development and International Scouting for the Padres. "I am excited about what Jose will bring to the TinCaps and Padres organization. I have known Jose since he was 16 and was first beginning his playing career.

In 2004, Valentin became owner of the Santurce Crabbers of the Puerto Rico Baseball League and he has spent the last several years as an instructor at the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School in Gurabo.

Valentin will be joined in the dugout by pitching coach Willie Blair, who was in the same role with the TinCaps in 2011. Blair spent 12 seasons in the major leagues with eight different teams, finishing with a career mark of 60-86. The hitting coach for the TinCaps is still to be determined.

"Jose played with passion and terrific instincts for 16 years at the major league level and I am confident he will develop our young players in the same mold," Smith added. "Jose and Willie give us a great tandem and represent the organization well."

Last year, under Blair's guidance, the TinCaps pitching staff finished with a 3.99 earned run average during the regular season, 1,117 strikeouts which was fourth-best in the Midwest League and the 11 shutouts hurled by TinCaps pitchers was third-best in the league.

In addition to Blair, the Padres announced that Dan Turner will return to Fort Wayne as the TinCaps trainer. Turner will be in his second full season in Fort Wayne and fourth in the San Diego system.

Hunters asked to complete online state forest survey

Hunters can help monitor the abundance and distribution of deer and other wildlife species in State Forests by completing an online survey after each hunting trip to a State Forest this year.

“Hunters are uniquely skilled observers in the outdoors and are in a position to provide feedback that can help us better manage the resources of our State Forests,” said John Seifert, director of the DNR Division of Forestry.

Hunters are asked to go to dnr.IN.gov/forestry/7245.htm every time they return from a hunting trip. Multiple hunting trips made on the same day would ideally warrant separate visits to the website to complete a survey. State Forests in Indiana are listed at dnr.IN.gov/forestry/3631.htm.

This anonymous survey will be available all year online and is open to all hunters who hunt in the State Forests. Completion will take a hunter a few minutes.

More instructions are listed at the website.

Note: The DNR Customer Service Center and the DNR Deer Hotline, (812) 334-3795, will not be open on Friday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day.

For more information: Scott Haulton, Forestry Wildlife Specialist, (317) 234-5725.

November extension calendar

• November 14 — Northeast Indiana 4-H & FFA Career Development Event (Forestry, Crops & Entomology), Whitley County Fairgrounds, Columbia City, Registration, 5 PM; Judging, 5:30 PM
• November 15 — Holiday Happenings entitled A Safe & Happy Holiday, program sponsored
• by Wells County Extension Homemakers, Community Center, 4-H Park, 6:30 PM. Pre-registration appreciated. Cost is $5.00. Local artist Nancy Wagner will be painting an autumn scene on slate which will be auctioned off at the end of the evening. Holiday candy making by Kay Prosser and holiday safety tips from Bluffton Police Department and Bluffton Fire Dept. Call Wells County Extension Office 260-824-6412 for registration form.
• November 16 — Career Expo Set Up, Wells County Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 2:00-4:30 PM
• November 17 — Wells County Career Expo, Wells County Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 8 AM-2 PM
• November 17 — Wells County Extension Advisory Board, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 6:30 PM
• November 21 — Wells County 4-H Association, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 7 PM

Salamonie Interpretive Center to offer day camp

The Eastern Woodland Indians Salamonie Winter Day Camp will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, Wednesday, Dec. 28, and Thursday, Dec. 29. Children ages 7 to 11 are invited. Features include games, crafts, movies, hikes, archery, and artifacts. Participants should bring their own lunches. Hats, gloves, coats and an extra pair of shoes or boots are necessary.

Cost is $45 per child. Pre-registration is required, and a 2011 health/media release form is required. The forms are available at www.IN.gov/dnr/uwis.

To register, call 260-468-2127.

Large deer harvest forecast for 2011 season

From the Indiana Department of Natural Resources:

Firearms season for white-tailed deer in Indiana opens Nov. 12, and a DNR wildlife expert predicts another year of near-record harvest numbers.

Hunters are coming off a third straight record harvest, having tagged 134,004 deer in 2010. DNR deer biologist Chad Stewart said conditions for the 2011 season are shaping up similarly to the 2010 season.

“I’d hate to predict a record, but we should be close to it” Stewart said. “It’s almost guaranteed to be a top-three harvest.”

Firearms season generally accounts for about 65 percent of the overall deer harvest. Legal firearms for firearms season are shotguns, muzzleloaders, handguns and center-fire rifles of specific cartridge dimensions.

The 16-day firearms season ends Nov. 27.

Hunters on opening weekend of firearms season last year harvested 37,525 deer.

Steuben County led the state in overall number of deer harvested last year with 3,948. The harvest exceeded 1,000 deer in 64 counties; exceeded 2,000 deer in 17 counties; and exceeded 3,000 deer in five counties. Counties with high harvests tend to have a good mix of woods and farm ground.

“For a deer hunter, Indiana is great because it can sustain a very high population and a very healthy population,” Stewart said.

The number of antlered deer harvested in 2010 was 53,007, or about 40 percent of the overall harvest.

       
Muzzleloader season starts Dec. 3 and lasts through Dec. 18. Early archery season, which is already underway, lasts through Nov. 27. Late archery season opens Dec. 3 and lasts through Jan. 1, 2012.

Unless otherwise exempted, a license is required to hunt deer during the firearms season. The DNR is encouraging hunters to buy their licenses early and avoid waiting until the last minute. The DNR Customer Service Center and the DNR Deer Hotline will not be open on Friday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day.

Jayden Liechty, 11, daughter of Luke and Amy Liechty of Ossian, poses with her first deer, shot while hunting with her dad.

4-H November extension calendar

• November 5: Indiana 4-H Congress, State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, 9 AM-3:30 PM
• November 7: 4-H Association Budget Committee Meeting, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 6 PM
• November 8: Election Day. County Offices Closed
• November 11: Veterans Day. County Offices Closed
• November 14: Northeast Indiana 4-H & FFA Career Development Event (Forestry, Crops & Entomology), Whitley County Fairgrounds, Columbia City, Registration, 5 PM; Judging, 5:30 PM
• November 15: Holiday Happenings entitled A Safe & Happy Holiday, program sponsored
  by Wells County Extension Homemakers, Community Center, 4-H Park, 6:30 PM. Pre-registration appreciated. Cost is $5.00. Local artist Nancy Wagner will be painting an autumn scene on slate which will be auctioned off at the end of the evening. Holiday candy making by Kay Prosser and holiday safety tips from Bluffton Police Department and Bluffton Fire Dept. Call Wells County Extension Office 260-824-6412 for registration form. 
• November 16: Career Expo Set Up, Wells County Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 2:00-4:30 PM
• November 17: Wells County Career Expo, Wells County Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 8 AM-2 PM
• November 17: Wells County Extension Advisory Board, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 6:30 PM
• November 21: Wells County 4-H Association, Community Center, 4-H Park, Bluffton, 7 PM

Ball State to induct members into Hall of Fame

From the Ball State Athletic Office:

Ball State athletics will induct Bryan Bullington (baseball), Amy Doyle (softball), Laura Szcepanski Scudder (gymnastics), Bonzi Wells (basketball) and the 1949 Football Team into the Athletics Hall of Fame Feb. 3-4.

The induction ceremony will take place Fri., Feb. 3, at the Ball State Alumni Center, and the inductees will be introduced at the men's and women's basketball doubleheader Sat., Feb. 4. To attend the event, please call the Cardinal Varsity Club office at 765.285.8120 or email cvc@bsu.edu.

Bullington was the No. 1 pick in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft after completing his junior year at Ball State. He was a 2002 Collegiate Baseball All-American, the 2001 and 2002 Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year and a three-time All-MAC First-Team choice after setting Ball State and MAC records with 357 career strikeouts. Bullington led the MAC with a 2.84 earned-run average as a junior and set the school and league record with 139 strikeouts in 2002. Bullington tallied an 11-3 record as a junior and was 9-4 as a freshman and a sophomore. He set the Ball State career record for wins with 29, while compiling a 3.36 career ERA. Bullington was a member of the 2001 USA National Team, and was the 2000 MAC Freshman of the Year. He was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team and was selected to the Baseball America Freshman All-America Second Team.

Doyle, a four-year letterwinner in softball from 1996-99, was a 1998 Academic All-American and earned second-team honors in 1999. She graduated with honors as a secondary education and history major and was a four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Scholar-Athlete. Doyle helped the Cardinals to its first-ever Mid-American Conference Championship in softball and its first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament in 1998. At the completion of her career, Doyle's name appeared 22 times on the school's single-season and career top-five lists. She set the Ball State single-season record with 38 RBI in 1998, and in total bases with 93 in the same season. Doyle was drafted in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Firestix of the Women's Pro Softball League after her college graduation. She posted a career .308 batting average, including a .366 mark as a junior and a .339 average as a senior.

Szczepanski, a four-year letterwinner for the gymnastics team from 1997-2000, was the first Ball State student-athlete to ever be named the Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Year. She was selected to the All-MAC First Team as a senior after winning the conference beam title, serving as co-champion on the bars and registering runnerup honors in the all-around. Szczepanski became just the second gymnast in school history to earn an at-large berth in the NCAA Regional, where she placed 11th in the all-around as a senior. She set MAC and Ball State records with a 9.90 score to win the conference beam title as a senior. Szczepanski was ranked the entire 2000 season in the national all-around rankings and completed the year 46th in the nation. As a junior, she helped the Cardinals to the school's first-ever national ranking and their first-ever team appearance in the NCAA Regional.

Bonzi Wells, who completed his career as the Mid-American Conference's all-time leader in points and steals, was a four-year letterwinner for the Cardinals' basketball team from 1994-98. He completed his career with 2,485 points to surpass Ron Harper of Miami University, who tallied 2,377 career points. Wells' 347 career steals set the Ball State and MAC records plus was the second highest career total in NCAA history behind only the 376 by Eric Murdock of Providence from 1987-91. Wells also set Ball State career records for most field goals, most three point field goal attempts and most free throws. As a senior, Wells was named to the Basketball Weekly All-America First Team and the Associated Press All-America Third Team. He was the MAC Player of the Year in 1995-96 and 1997-98 after earning the league's Freshman of the Year award in 1994-95. After completing his Ball State career, Wells played 11 years in the National Basketball Association. Wells was selected with the 11th pick of the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons.

Ball State's 1949 football team is the first team to ever be inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame. The 1949 squad is the only undefeated football team in the 87-year history of Ball State's football program. The 1949 squad posted an unblemished 8-0 record under the tutelage of head coach John Magnabosco. The Cardinals outscored their eight opponents by a 276-61 margin. Ball State's 1949 team is still a part of the longest winning streak in school history. The record winning streak is 14, the last six in 1948 and all eight in 1949. Twenty-two of the team's players and coaching staff assembled at Ball State in 1999 for the 50th anniversary of the team's achievements. Included on the 1949 team roster are Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame members Fred Kehoe, William King, Wave Myers and Magnabosco.
 

N-B Video: Chandler Harnish on his team's victorious plan

Chandler Harnish led the Northern Illinois Huskies to a 63-60 victory over Toledo. Learn more in the Wednesday, Nov. 2, News-Banner. (Video by Paul Beitler)

Rabbit, quail, pheasant season opens Nov. 4

From the Indiana Department of Natural Resources:

Hunters awaiting the Nov. 4 opening of rabbit, quail and pheasant seasons might have to work a little harder this year than in the past, but with a little effort they can still enjoy quality hunting.

Due to losses in early successional habitat, rabbit, quail, and pheasant populations across Indiana have steadily declined from highs a half-century ago but good small game numbers can still be found. According to Budd Veverka, DNR farmland game research biologist, hunters during the 2010-2011 hunting season harvested an estimated 246,000 rabbits, 19,500 quail, and 9,300 wild pheasants.

The 2011-2012 rabbit, quail and pheasant hunting dates and daily bag limits are as follows:

Game species                       Hunting dates                       Daily bag limit
Rabbit                                    Nov. 4, 2011 - Feb. 15, 2012           5
Pheasant (cock only)              Nov. 4, 2011 - Dec. 18, 2011           2
Quail (north of Indiana 26)     Nov. 4, 2011 - Dec. 18, 2011           5
Quail (south of Indiana 26)     Nov. 4, 2011 - Jan. 15, 2012            8

Season dates and daily bag limits may vary on state-owned properties. Please contact each property for specific information.

To hunt rabbit, an individual must have an annual hunting license, or a lifetime hunting or youth comprehensive hunting license. To hunt quail or pheasant, an individual must have an annual hunting license and a game bird habitat stamp, or a lifetime comprehensive hunting or youth comprehensive hunting license. Individuals with a lifetime basic hunting license must buy the game bird habitat stamp annually.

While hunting rabbit, quail, pheasant, and squirrel, hunters must wear one outer garment exposed at all times that is solid florescent orange. Please gain permission before hunting on privately owned land.

For additional information, please see the small game hunting guide at: http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-upland_smallgame_guide.pdf.