Sports Round-Up by Paul Beitler

Lady Knights’ basketball camps slated
The Norwell Girls’ Basketball camps will be held June 8-11 in the Norwell High School auxiliary gym. Girls entering grades 1-4 will meet from 9:30-10:45 a.m. and grades 5-8 will meet from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cost is $35 per camper or $30 per camper for two or more girls from the same family. Call Coach Eric Thornton at 622-7726 for more information.

Tigers girls’ basketball camp set
Registrations are being taken for the Bluffton Lady Tigers’ basketball camp June 8-12 at Bluffton High School. Grades 5-6 will meet from 10-11:30 a.m. and grades 7-8 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost is $25, including a women’s basketball and camp T-shirt. Forms are available at the high school office. Deadline is Friday, June 5. If you have any questions or need a form, contact Coach Vicki Van Matre at 765-748-4450 or e-mail at vvanmatre@bhmsd.k12.in.us

Girls’ tennis camp at Norwell
The Norwell Girls’ Tennis Camp will be offered June 15-19 in the morning for Northern Wells students entering grades 5-9 in 2009-10. Cost is $25, which includes a T-shirt. Norwell girls’ tennis coach Terri Worden will conduct the camp. Application forms are available at Lancaster and Ossian elementary schools, Norwell Middle School and Norwell High School. For more information call 260-543-2213, ext. 7110, or 260-597-7321.

Tigers’ volleyball conditioning to start
Bluffton Tigers’ volleyball conditioning starts June 9 for girls in grades 6-12. Sessions will be held at the Tiger Den on Tuesday and Friday from 5-7 p.m. and Thursday 7-9 p.m.
Time change for senior golf league
The starting time for the Senior Men’s Golf League on Tuesday at Green Valley Golf Course in Bluffton will be 8 a.m.

Final boys’ track & field poll
The final Indiana Association of Track & Cross Country Coaches boys’ track & field team poll has been released, as follows:

1. Ben Davis; 2. Warren Central; 3. Carmel; 4. North Central; 5. Lawrence Central; 6. Bloomington South; 7. Carroll (Allen); 8. Fort Wayne Northrop; 9. Lawrence North; 10. Franklin Central; 11. Valparaiso; 12. Northridge; 13. Merrillville; 14. Avon; 15. Pike; 16. Center Grove; 17. Evansville Harrison; 18. Castle; 19. Zionsville; 20. East Noble.

Grants to preserve local history across state

Indiana DNR Release:

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) helps strengthen Indiana’s historical and cultural heritage through annual federal grants it administers to local communities and not-for-profit groups that these organizations use toward preservation projects.

This year, the DNR Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology has awarded 16 federal grants for historic preservation and archaeology in Indiana communities (see list below). The grants, totaling $494,793, provide a match of $473,756 in local and state funds, for a total projected investment of $968,549.

The funds come from the National Park Service, a part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which distributes federal funds to the states through the Historic Preservation Fund Program. Since 1974, the state has awarded more than $16.5 million to Indiana communities through this program.

“Preserving our state’s historic and cultural resources is a vital part of our mission,” said DNR director and State Historic Preservation Officer, Robert E. Carter Jr. “These worthy projects help revitalize communities, provide local jobs and investment, and allow Hoosiers to explore the cultures and people of Indiana’s past.”

The projects for the 2009 funding cycle are:

Allen and Hamilton counties: The Archaeological Survey of IPFW received a $48,939 grant to conduct an archaeological investigation of three sites in Allen County. All three sites represent large and important elements of the Late Prehistoric Western Basin settlement system. [Contact: Bob McCullough, IPFW, (260) 481-6892].

Adams County: ARCH, Inc. received a $27,472 award for a countywide survey to document historic sites, structures and landscapes throughout Adams County. The survey will cover 339 square miles, and is expected to document approximately 1,850 sites for the state’s historic sites and structures database. [Contact: Angie Quinn, ARCH, Inc., (260) 426-5117].

Carroll County: Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana received a $26,719 award for a countywide survey to document historic sites, structures, and landscapes throughout Carroll County. The survey will cover 402 square miles, and is expected to document approximately 2,300 sites for the state’s historic sites and structures database. [Contact: Suzanne Stanis, Historic Landmarks Foundation, (317) 639-4534].

Clark County: The Archaeological Survey of IPFW received a $43,730 grant to conduct archaeological investigations in Clark County, including two major Mississippian sites. This area contains important resources ranging from the Paleoindian to historic periods and is experiencing rapid development pressure. [Contact: Bob McCullough, IPFW, (260) 481-6892].

Fort Wayne: The City of Fort Wayne Community Development received a $27,929 grant to prepare a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the Brookview-Irvington Historic District, which will include approximately 315 contributing properties, and to design and print a brochure about the district and its history and architecture. The project will also prepare a nomination to the National Register for approximately 41 parks and 12 boulevards/parkways in the historic Fort Wayne Park and Boulevard System.[Contact: Don Orban, City of Fort Wayne,
(260) 427-2160].

Franklin County: Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana received a $26,735 award for a countywide survey to document historic sites, structures, and landscapes throughout Franklin County. The survey will cover 386 square miles, and is expected to document approximately 1,400 sites for the state’s historic sites and structures database. [Contact: Suzanne Stanis, Historic Landmarks Foundation, (317) 639-4534].

Hancock County: The American Military Heritage Foundation received a $50,000 grant for the replacement of the right engine on the PV-2 Harpoon aircraft, also known as “Hot Stuff.” The PV-2 Harpoon was a medium maritime anti-submarine patrol bomber used by both the Navy and the Marines throughout the Pacific in World War II. Replacement of the engine will return “Hot Stuff” to flying condition. [Contact: Penny Litz, American Military Heritage Foundation, (317) 835-7529].

Huntington: The Huntington Historic Preservation Review Board received a $50,000 grant to rehabilitate several masonry features at the 1923 Sunken Gardens in Huntington. The gardens were created in a former quarry and feature fieldstone bridges, columns, ponds and decorative plantings. [Contact: Cathy Wright, Historic Landmarks Foundation, (260) 563-4534].

Indianapolis: Footlite Musicals, Inc., received a $36,750 grant to rehabilitate the exterior masonry, including 12 chimneys and the roof parapet, and the four iron balconies and fire escape on the Hedback Community Arts Center. [Contact: Carol Kirk, Footlite Musicals, Inc., (317) 232-1807].

New Albany: The City of New Albany received a $3,500 grant to prepare a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the Hedden Park/Hedden Court Historic District, which includes approximately 45 contributing properties; and to prepare an individual National Register nomination for the William Young House. [Contact: Laura Renwick, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, (812) 284-4534].

Parke, Tipton, and Union counties: Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana received $15,829 to publish the results of the countywide historic sites and structures survey of Parke, Tipton and Union counties conducted in 2008-2009. [Contact: Suzanne Stanis, HLFI, (317) 639-4534].

Petersburg: The Pike County Commissioners received a $46,050 grant to stabilize and restore the stained glass dome of the Pike County Courthouse. The stained glass panels are deteriorated, the dome has structural flaws, and metal fatigue has weakened the supports, all of which were exacerbated by an earthquake in the area last year. [Contact: Lisa Gehlhausen, (812) 367-8455].

Posey County: Indiana University’s Department of Anthropology received a $24,751 grant to conduct investigations at two reported but uninvestigated Yankeetown phase archaeological sites: Dead Man’s Curve and the Squirrel Hunter Site, and will also conduct reconnaissance survey in the area. If eligibility is determined, one of the sites may also be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. [Contact: Susan Alt, Indiana University, (812) 856-5260].

Spencer County: The DNR Division of State Parks and Reservoirs was awarded $9,974 to conduct archaeological research at Lincoln State Park in Spencer County. Archaeological testing will focus on three areas significant to Lincoln’s life in Indiana: Colonel Jones’ property, the Gordon Homestead, and the presumed location of the Gordon horse-mill, and will include opportunities for public participation and educational presentations. [Contact: Vicki Basman, DNR, (317) 690-6566].

Wells County: ARCH, Inc. received a $6,415 award to publish the results of the countywide historic sites and structures survey of Wells County conducted in 2008-2009. [Contact: Angie Quinn, ARCH, Inc., (260) 426-5117].

Whiting: The City of Whiting Parks & Recreation Department received a $50,000 grant to update the obsolete and unsafe electrical systems in the 1923 Whiting Community Center. The Center was built by the Rockefeller family and Standard Oil Company as a memorial for those who fought in World War I and to provide a recreation, entertainment and social activity venue for Whiting, home of the oil company’s largest refinery. The facility covers more than 70,000 square feet and includes two gymnasiums, an indoor track, a 12-lane bowling center, indoor swimming pool, billiards room, a 700-seat auditorium, a ballroom, two banquet halls, and a variety of fitness areas. [Contact: Marty Jakubowski, City of Whiting, (219) 659-0860].

For more information on the DNR Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology and the Historic Preservation Fund Program, see http://www.IN.gov/dnr/historic/

Rendezvous on the Ouabache, June 19 & 20

Rendezvous on the Ouabache, June 19-21
Visitors can step back in time to the pre-1840s during Ouabache State Park's Rendezvous on the Ouabache, June 19-21.

This is a living history weekend aimed at educating visitors about an important period in the history and expansion of the United States.

Friday's Covered Wagon Conversation kicks off the weekend at 8 p.m.; Saturday hours run from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. There will be a period encampment all weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be ongoing demonstrations of period skills, as well as programs on bison and their relationship to Native Americans, frontier toys, and medicinal plants. Participants will be able to try their hand at doll making and tomahawk throwing. A tug of war contest will take place on Saturday.
Ouabache State Park is at 4930 E. State Rd. 201, Bluffton 46714. The encampment will be located near the fire tower.

There is no fee to participate in any event during the weekend; however, normal park admission fees will apply (Indiana residents: $5 per vehicle Friday through Sunday and holidays, out of state: $7 per vehicle daily). Limited parking will be available at the Rendezvous site.

For more information about the interpretive services, the Rendezvous or becoming involved with interpretive and cultural events at Ouabache State Park, contact the interpretive naturalist at (260) 824-0926 or OuabacheInterp@dnr.IN.gov.

2009 volunteer fire assistance grants announced

Indiana DNR Release

Rural and volunteer fire departments from 48 counties across Indiana have been awarded more than $268,000 in Volunteer Fire Assistance grants, DNR Director Robert E. Carter Jr. announced Monday.
Bluffton Fire Department received $2,000 for water handling equipment.

The grants are administered by the DNR Division of Forestry and are made available through the U.S. Forest Service.

DNR Forestry staff reviews grant applications and selects recipients on the basis of population density, acres of public wildlands protected, wildland urban interface analysis, and wildlife fire reporting to DNR Fire Control Headquarters near Martinsville.

VFA grants may be used for training, installation of dry hydrants, or to purchase fire fighting equipment and personal protective gear. The grants awarded Monday range from $360 to $5,000 and were given to 74 fire departments.

Fire departments interested in applying for VFA or other grants should contact Crystal M. Hunt, Program Director, Fire Control Headquarters, 6220 Forest Road, Martinsville, IN, 46151,
or call (765) 342-4701.

Free Fishing Weekend is June 6-7

Indiana DNR Release:

Kids and adults can celebrate Free Fishing Weekend, June 6-7, at recreation areas located across Indiana that are planning fun fishing derbies, casting clinics, fish-cleaning demonstrations and cooking classes.

Hoosier adults do not need a license to fish Indiana's public waters during Free Fishing Weekend. Children under age 17 do not need a fishing license at any time.
Check out a new lake or river, or introduce friends and family to a favorite fishing spot. Call your favorite property for details, as listed below. Some properties require advance registration.

Although no fishing license is needed to fish public waters on Free Fishing Weekend, all other fishing regulations are still in effect.
Individuals who need reasonable modifications for effective participation in Free Fishing Weekend events at DNR properties should contact the property at least 72 hours before the event or call the DNR ADA Coordinator at (317) 232-4145. Information for respective DNR properties follows.

Cagles Mill Lake (Lieber SRA), Cloverdale, (765) 795-3552, June 6-7, 10:30–11:30 a.m., registration at 10 a.m.
Cecil M. Harden Lake (Raccoon SRA), Rockville, (765) 344-1412, June 6, 8:30 a.m. Registration, Derby, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Falls of the Ohio State Park, Jeffersonville, (812) 280-9970, June 6, noon fly fishing, 1 p.m. casting contest, 1:30 p.m. coloring
Fort Harrison State Park, (NREC), Indianapolis, (317) 562-1338, June 6, 9 a.m. – noon, introduction to fishing workshop
Hardy Lake, Scottsburg, (812) 794-3800, June 6 & 7
J. Edward Roush Lake, Huntington, (260) 468-2127, June 6, Registration 8:30 a.m., Derby 9 – 10:30 a.m.
Mississinewa Lake, Peru, (260) 468-2127, June 6, Registration 8:30 a.m., Derby 9 – 10:30 a.m.
Monroe Lake, Bloomington, (812) 837-9546, June 6, Registration 9 a.m., Derby 9:30 – 11 a.m., 11 a.m. casting contest & awards
O'Bannon Woods State Park, Corydon, (812) 738-8234, June 6 & 7
Ouabache State Park, Bluffton, (260) 824-0926, June 6, Register at 9 a.m., fish 9:15 – 10:30 a.m., ages 2 -15
Patoka Lake, Birdseye, (812) 685-2447, June 6, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., 12 and younger
Salamonie Lake, Andrews, (260) 468-2127, June 6, Registration 8:30 a.m., Derby 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Shakamak State Park, Jasonville, (812) 665-2158, June 6 & 7
Starve Hollow State Recreation Area, Vallonia, (812) 358-3464, June 6, Registration 8 a.m., Derby 9 – 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. awards
Summit Lake State Park, New Castle, (765) 766-5873, June 6, 2 p.m., Register 2:30 p.m., 3-5 p.m., Safety and Derby
Versailles State Park, Versailles, (812) 689-6424, June 6, 9 a.m. – noon
Whitewater Memorial State Park, Liberty, (765) 458-5565, June 6 & 7
Willow Slough FWA, Morocco, (219) 285-2704, June 6, 6 a.m.
Deam Lake, June 6, Noon – 5 p.m.
Charlestown, June 6, 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Chain O'Lakes, June 6, 8 – 11 a.m.

Landscaping blocks not suitable for seawalls

Indiana DNR release:

COLUMBIA CITY – People who own lakefront property along Indiana’s public lakes need to know what materials they can legally use to help protect their shoreline from wave erosion.
Such information can save landowners from spending money on materials that aren't legal to use for a seawall.
Landscaping blocks, the attractive and colorful concrete blocks that can be stacked to form walls or edges, may not be used to build seawalls, warns the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

“Landscaping blocks simply do not provide enough stability, nor do they blend in with the natural character of the lake,” said Jed Pearson, a DNR fisheries biologist who reviews permit requests for seawalls.
Only certain kinds of materials can be used legally in certain areas for seawall construction projects.

“The law is pretty clear on what can and cannot be used to build a seawall,” Pearson said. “Lake residents need to check before purchasing materials.”
Rules that govern construction of seawalls at public lakes are outlined in 312 IAC 11-1-1 of the Indiana Administrative Code.

In areas where concrete or steel seawalls are already present, landowners may be allowed to use similar materials, depending on local conditions, but only after getting a permit from the DNR. An application for a permit can be obtained and filed at www.IN.gov/dnr/water/4945.htm. The application fee is $100.
“Even in locations where concrete seawalls are permitted, the rules don’t allow the use of landscaping blocks,” Pearson said. “Back pressure and waves are likely to dislodge them.”

In sensitive areas, concrete seawalls are also prohibited because they reflect too much wave energy that can stir up the lake bed, uproot aquatic plants, and create a virtual prison wall for frogs, turtles and wildlife.
Although seawalls consisting of natural, glacial boulders may be permitted in some sensitive locations, rocks may not be used in highly sensitive areas, such as significant wetlands or along shorelines classified as “natural.”

For more information on lake rules and the permit process, contact the Technical Services Section in the DNR Division of Water at (317) 232-4160 or toll-free at 1-877-928-3755.

Project WILD training at Salamonie, June 20

Indiana DNR Release:

Home educators, scout leaders and instructors are invited to learn new ways to teach youth about wildlife and the environment at a Project WILD training workshop, June 20, at Salamonie Reservoir’s Interpretive Center.

The workshop aims to provide leaders with new and exciting ways to captivate youth interest in nature. Participants take home two books full of well-researched and easy-to-use indoor and outdoor learning activities.

Adult participants are invited to register their children. Interpretive staff will lead active learning sessions for children in the morning hours. Parents will practice using the activities with their children in the afternoon.

The program runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a $2 per person participation fee. Register by calling (260) 468-2127.

Park entrance fees are waived for registered workshop participants.