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Versailles State Park

Supplement toThe Versailles Republican

35th Annual EditionThursday,

May 23, 2019

A visit to an Indianastate park or state forestremainsagreatbargain.AHoosierfamilyoffourcanspend an entire day in aparktopicnic,bike,hike,swim and enjoy natureexhibitsandprogramsfor$7/car. All fees go to dedi-cated accounts to fundstaffing, supplies andequipment. In Indianastate parks alone, morethan2,000buildings, 700miles of trails, 631 hotel/lodge rooms, 75marinas,16 swimming pools, 15beaches,8,400campsites,200 shelters, 160 play-

grounds and 149 cabinsaremanaged.Ittakesstaffand supplies to maintainthesefacilities. Indiana’s user-paysystemhassustainedIndi-ana’s state parks for over100years.Approximately70%of state parks’ oper-ating budget comes fromuserfees;only30%comesfrom legislative appropri-ations. That translates to$1.39intaxesperHoosiereachyear tosupportstateparks(and58¢intaxesperHoosierforstateforests). A conservative es-timate of the impact ofstate park visitors on lo-

cal communities is ap-proximately$623million,with a spending averageof $31.68 per visitor an-nually.More than 14,000privatesectorjobsarecre-atedasaresult. Indiana state parksandstateforestsareplaceswherememoriesaremadenaturally with familiesandfriends.Familiesgrowupatparkproperties,thenbring their families backto discover what’s newand introduce the nextgenerationtotheiroutdoorinheritance.

2019 recreation fees On the cover...Page2 VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019

A female Americangoldfinch perches on thedeadflowerstalkofcom-monmullein in the certi-fied Monarch Waystationat the park on Tuesday,May14,2019. The waystation gar-denwascreatedtwoyearsago to provide a spaceto educate visitors aboutwildflowers and pollina-tors, and also serve as arelaxingplacetoenjoythepristine environment atthepark.It is locatedjustbehindtheNatureCenter/CampStorebuilding. Thegardenareaisaneasily accessed location

to view pretty flowers,songbirds,andpollinatinginsects. Shorebirds alongthelakeandraptorsflyingoverheadcanalsobespot-tedfromthere. Thebird in thephotowasidentifiedasafemaleas it is not as bright of ashade of yellow as malegoldfinches, particularlyduring breeding season,happening now, whenthemales glowalmost asbright as a yellow high-lighter. Goldfinches are mi-gratory birds, but Indianais situated in the middleof their range, so they

can be found year-roundhere. They undergo acomplete molt, meaningthey replace all of theirfeathersonceperyear. Innon-breeding season, themales are a duller olivecolor, while the femalesare a yellowish-browncolor.

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DNR Lake Permit information There is no longer adailyorannualboatlaunchfeeforlakesatstateparks,reservoirs and forests. Thelaunch fees have been re-placedbyadNrLakePer-mit,whichcost$25/yearforeach motorized watercraftlakepermitand$5/yearforeach non-motorized wa-tercraft lake permit. Thisinformation sheet answersa fewof thequestionsyoumayhaveaboutthispermit. 1. Who must have this permit? All private watercraftusing state park, reservoirorforestrylakesmusthavethis permit. This includespersonalwatercraft,motor-boats,canoes,paddleboats,rowboatsandallwatercraftmoored atmarinas, privatedocks,groupdocksorbankties. State-owned water-craft and state-managed

boat rental concessionsareexempt. 2. Which lakes actu-ally require this permit? This permit should beplacedonanyboatthatwillbe on thewater at Indianastate parks, state-managedreservoirs or state forests.Thisincludesthemainbod-iesofwaterandallfishingponds/lakesatPatokaLake,Brookville Lake, HardyLake, Monroe Lake, Sala-monie Lake, MississinewaLake, roush (Huntington)Lake,CaglesMill (Lieber)Lake,andCecilM.Harden(raccoon)Lake. It also includes Wor-ster Lake at Potato CreekStatePark,KunkelLakeatouabacheStatePark,Sum-mit Lake at Summit LakeStatePark,VersaillesLakeat Versailles State Park,ogle and Strahl Lakes at

Brown County State Park,Lakes Shakamak, Lenapeand Kickapoo at Shaka-makStatePark,alllakesofChaino’Lakes State Park,SpringMillLakeatSpringMillStatePark,WhitewaterLake at Whitewater StatePark, and Lake LincolnandWeberLakeatLincolnStatePark. It also includes all thelakesatstateforestproper-ties, including dean LakeSrA,FerdinandStateFor-est, Starve Hollow SrA,Harrison-Crawford StateForest, Clark State Forest,Greene-Sullivan State For-est, Jackson-WashingtonState Forest, Martin StateForest, Morgan-MonroeStateForest,owen-PutnamStateForest,PikeStateFor-est and Yellowwood StateForest.

2019entrance

fees The daily entrancefee into the park is $7per vehicle for Indianaresidentsand$9perve-hicle for non-residents.The Annual entrancePass, accepted at allIndiana dNr proper-ties, is $50 for Indianaresidents and $70 fornon-residents. Indianaresidents age 65 yearsor older can get theGolden Hoosier Passfor $25. daily fee forpersons walking, rid-ing abike, or droppingsomeoneoffattheparkis$2perperson.

VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019 Page3

JAredroGerSPHoTo In addition to fishing, getting out on the lake is a great way to see more wildlife, like the painted turtle pictured above. The painted turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. They prefer slow-moving, fresh water, and have been known to live in the wild for over 55 years. These and other turtles that call the park home are frequently found basking on logs and rocks in the water. Being cold-blooded, turtles rely on the warmth of the sun in order to move around.

Page4 VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019

To make a camping reservation, call866-6CAMPIN (866-622-6746) or go on-line to make reservations at www.camp.in.gov. These are the only two ways tomake reservations. Campers can makereservationsMonday throughFriday fromnoon to 8:00 p.m. eastern StandardTimeandSaturdayandSundaybetween12noonto5:00p.m.Youcanlogontotheinternet24hoursaday.Campsitescanbereservedasearlyassixmonthsinadvancetothedateofarrivalandaslateasnoononthedateofarrival. Whenyoumakereservationsyouwillneedthefollowinginformation: 1.Arrival/departuredate. 2.Name,addressandphonenumber. 3.Typeofcampingequipmentyouwillbeusing: (tent,pop-up,rV,etc.).WithanrVyouwillneedtoknowthetotallengthoftherigfromthefronttotheback,includ-ingthetowrig. 4.Numberinyourparty. 5.Methodofpayment(VisaorMasterCard).Moneyordersareacceptedifyouaremakinga reservation15daysormorebe-forethedateofarrival.

6.ClassACampsitesare$23pernight(Sun.-Wed.)and$30(Thu.-Sat.).Holidaysare $33 a night with required three nightminimum.Taxisaddedtothoseprices. There isno fee formakinga reserva-tion. You can reserve as many campsitesas you like; all names are needed for thepeoplereservingthecampsites.Theentirerental feemust be paid at the time of thereservation.

IF YOU CANCEL YOUR RESERVATION

Youwillhavetocall866-622-6746.Ifcancelingbefore8:00p.m.on thedaybe-fore,a$10.00cancellationfeeischarged.Ifcancellingafter8:00p.m.onthedaybeforearrival, a $10.00 cancellation fee plus thefirstnightrentalfeeischarged.Nopartialcancellationcanbemade.Theentirereser-vationsmustbecanceled. A campsite can be occupied by onlysixpeoplemaximum.each sitemayhavetwotentsoronecamperandonesmalltent.eachcampsitemayhaveonlyonemodeoftransportation. The campground office isopendailyfrom8:30a.m.-11:00p.m.be-ginningMemorialdayuntilLaborday.All

visitorsmustparkinthevisitorparkinglot.Youcannotsetupforcampingafter11:00p.m.evenifyouhavereservations.

CLASS A CAMPGROUNDS Versailles State Park has 220 camp-siteswithanelectricaloutlet,30ampser-vice,firering,picnictableandcamperpad.Thereisadumpstationandwaterhydrantin the immediate area for water, but Nowaterhookup.onecampingunitpercamp-site;youmayhaveonesmalladditionaltentandadiningflypersite.occupancyislim-itedto14consecutivenights.Petsmustbecagedorkeptonaleashnolongerthansix(6) feetandmustbeattendedatall times.Pleasecleanupafteryourpets!

YOUTH TENT AREA Thisisforyouthgroupcampersunder21yearsofage.Itisfortentcampingonly.Youthmusthaveaminimumof10campersplus a sponsor.The cost is $2.00perper-son, per night.The area has picnic tablesand a pit toilet.You can make telephonereservationswithcredit cardonlybycall-ing 866-6CAMPIN (866-622-6746). NoalcoholallowedinYouthTentArea.

EQUESTRIAN CAMPGROUNDS

eachequestriancampsiteatVersaillesStateParkhasa tie-upavailable forup tosixhorses.AdailyorannualHorseTagisrequired for each horse. Bridle trails areopenfromdawntodusk.electriccampsitesare$20.33pernightSun.-Wed.,$23.54pernight Thu.-Sat., and $26.75 per night onholidays.

CHECK OUT TIME Check out time is 2:00 p.m.MondaythroughSaturdayand5p.m.onSundayandHolidays.Ifyouplantorenewyourregis-tration,pleasedosoby10:00a.m.

FIRES & FIREWOOD Firesmaybebuiltonlyinthefireringsprovided.Collectingfirewoodinstateparksisprohibited.Firewood fromIndianamaybeused if all barkhasbeen removed.AllotherfirewoodmustbeartheUSdAand/orstatecompliancestamp.

TRASH TheVersaillesStateParkhasa“carryin/carryout”trashprogram.Trashbagsareavailableatthemaingate.

Reservations available year-round for campsites

CrossroadsFamily Restaurant

615 W. U.S. Highway 50Versailles, IN • 812-689-3000

Everyone is welcome at Crossroads Family Restaurant & Gift Shop featuring:

Carry Out Also AvailableOpen everyday 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. See our complete menu

on our website: www.crossroadsfamilyrestaurant.com

• Handcut Steaks • Real Mashed Potatoes • Hand Tenderized Pork Tenderloins• Buttermilk Pancakes • 3 Egg Omelettes • Soups & Salads• Seafood • Desserts • Lunch & Dinner Specials

VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019 Page5

Hassmer Fest, a mountain bike fes-tivalatVersaillesStatePark, isset tobeheld for its sixth consecutive year fromSeptember27-29.Festivalgoerscanlookforwardtounlimitedmountainbikingop-portunities,freecamping,livemusic,kidsevents, cold beer, and a raffle in whichall proceeds go towards developing andmaintaining the trailsat thepark.regis-trationopensAugust1.registerbyvisit-ingbikereg.comorbikesimba.org. Before the festival date arrives, thedINoXterraSouthernIndianaTriathlonistobeheldAugust3at9a.m.registra-tionwill be from6:00-8:00p.m.onAu-gust2,and7:00-8:30a.m.onAugust3. The race includesa1-kmswim,13-milemountainbike,and5-miletrailrun.There is an alternate kayak division aswell, for a 2-km distance instead of theswim. The swim start is from the beachto the east of theboat ramp.Thecourseis a counterclockwise, triangular loopin the deepest part of Versailles Lake.Lifeguards will be patrolling the courseon rowboats. Kayak division racers willcompletea2-kmpaddleextendingtoneartheparkdam.

The mountain bike segment is thehighlight of the race. The most nota-ble feature of the course is the amazingCliffside trail, climbing high above theexpansive valley below.The coursewilltraverse scenic and fun single-track, in-cludingseveralclimbsanddescentswithelevationchangesover200vertical feet.Thesurfaceisnearlyalldirtsingle-track. The run course utilizes most of thepark’shikingtrails,including#1,#2and#3. There will be several steep up anddownhills,rootysections,andstairs.Itisachallengingcourse.Anaidstationwillbelocatedatthetransitionareaandatap-proximately miles one and three on theruncourse(roadcrossings). Finally, theSrAMdINoMountainBike Series race will be heldAugust 4.Thisbikingonlyraceisopentoallridersregardlessofageorability.Ahostofrac-ingcategoriesfitanyriderwishingtoridethe scenic trailsofVersaillesStatePark,consideredoneofthebestcoursesinthestate. Formoreinformation,rulesandregu-lationsforthedINotriathlonandmoun-tainbikeracevisitwww.dinoseries.com.

Sixth Annual Hassmer Fest scheduled for September 27-29

Local mountain-bikers invited to join SIMBA TheSoutheastIndianaMountainBikeAssociation,headquarteredatVersaillesStatePark,hasagoal tobuildnewtrailsandmaintainexisting trailswithin thepark.SIMBAhosts the annualHassmerFest, set forSeptember27-29 in2019.Membershipduesare$20peryear,allofwhichgoestopayinsurance,trailbuild-ingsupplies,andmaintenancecostsforthetrailsatVersaillesStatePark.AhighermembershipalsogivesSIMBAgreaterchancesinreceivinggrant-fundingawards.duesaretax-deductible.Visitbikesimba.orgformoreinformation.

Hillforest Victorian House MuseumA National Historic Landmark

213 Fifth Street, Aurora, INFeatured Exhibit

“A Stitch in Time”Antique Quilts & CoverletsVisit www.hillforest.org

for upcoming events812-926-0087

Tours Daily - Tuesday - Sunday1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Last Tour at 4:30 p.m.

JAredroGerSPHoTo A new information kiosk is under construction at the trailhead to the mountain biking paths in the park. The kiosk, planned to be finished soon, will feature a large map of all the trails and a bulletin board to keep SIMBA members and mountain bike enthusiasts up to date on relevant happenings. The park currently hosts nine mountain bike trails ranging from one mile long to six miles long. Altogether, they make up nearly 20 miles of trail, through varied terrain, weaving all throughout the park’s woodlands and along Laughery Creek.

Page6 VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019

Nowcelebratingits33rdyearofoperation,theswim-mingpoolatVersaillesStateParkcontinuesitspopularitywith a 25-meter pool, twowater slides, children’s poolandwadingfountain. The pool, considered bymany to be themain rea-sontovisittheparkonaswelteringsummerday,openedforoperationinMay1987.officially,itscapacityis615swimmersandparkofficialssayithasbeenfilledtothatlevelseveraltimessinceitsopening.Inaddition,thesundeckaroundthepoolhasenoughspacefor600sunloverstryingforaperfecttan. Thebeautyofthepoolforalotofparentsisthefactthat it isaccommodatingtosmallchildren.Atthesouthendisa35x15footchildren’spool,whichsitsbesidethemushroom shaped “rain maker” wading fountain thatshowersdownonchildren. Forachallengeforswimmersatthepool,thereisaone-meterspringboardanda100-footfigure-eightwaterslide,oneofthefewandoneofthelargestatallofIndi-ana’sstateparks. Inkeepingwiththesefineattractions,therestofthepool facilities and staff are top-notch, too. recent up-gradesincludeanewlowdivingboard,newwater-chuteslide,newpooldeckgratingandlifeguardstands.Anewchlorinator has also been installed for the 2019 season.The facility is 3,700 square feet of space and includes

men’sandwomen’sshowersandlockerrooms.Thereisalsoafirstaidstation,storageroom,cashier’salcoveandequipmentrooms. Thepool featuresaconcessionarea that isopenaslongasthepoolisopen.Foodandbeveragesarenotper-mittedinthepoolarea,sotheconcessionareahastablesforitspatrons. The staff of lifeguards and attendants are preparedto handle any situation.Besidesmaking sure that all issafe, they supervise swimmers and arrange for them tohavescheduledrestbreaksduringtheday.Swimmingisallowedonlywhenlifeguardsareonduty. ThepoolofficiallyopenstheSaturdayofMemorialdayweekend(weatherpermitting)withafull-timeopen-ingscheduledformid-June.Whenthecomplexisopen,hourswillbe12noonto6p.m.,sevendaysaweekuntilAugust.daysopenduringAugustarepending. Thedailyswimmingchargefor thepoolwillbe$3perpersonforagesthreeandolder.Childrenattheageoftwoandyoungerwillbeadmittedfreeofcharge. Swimming is allowed onlywhen lifeguards are onduty.Swimsuitsaremandatory.Noflotationdevicesareallowedandallchildrenstillindiapersmustwearaswim-mingapproveddiapertobeallowedinthepool. Formore information about the pool call 812-689-6424(parkoffice).

Pool offers relief from heat

LIQUOR, WINE & BEER SALESFamily Owned • Celebrating 47 years in business!

WELCOME CAMPERS!• Large Selection of Liquor • Beer Cave - Extremely Cold Beer!

• Low Case Prices on Cold & Warm Beer • Great Selection of Bourbon• Ice • Large Variety of Wines • Snacks Also Available • Hoosier Cash Lotto

ALL AT DISCOUNT PRICES WITHFRIENDLY SERVICE!

Come visit our convenient location in Dillsboro, IN, east of the Versailles State Park, just off U.S. 50 for great low prices on all alcoholic beverages.

Now opeN: Friday,

Saturday & Sunday Nights!

1st Movie Begins at Dusk!$10 adults 12 & up $5 kids 5-11, seniors 60 & up

& active Military w/iD (accepting cash only)always a DouBle feature!

Concession stand and ticket booth open at 7:30.for current showings, call 689-5525 or friend us on

facebook for information.

“It’s family fun & entertainment for all!”337 n. us 421, versailles • 812-689-5525

www.belairdrivein.com

$30 Per Car load sundays only!(Includes $5 concession stand voucher.

No outside food without purchase of an outsidefood permit at ticket booth.)

Bel-AirDrive-iN

Bring in this ad for one (1) free

medium popcorn!

Now accepting Visa, Mastercard & Discover credit cards in concession stand only.

TheVersaillesStateParksharesthesamemis-sionasallIndianaStateParks:Toconserve,man-age, and interpret our resources while creatingmemorableexperiencesforeveryone. Vision:excellenceinstewardship,recreationaldiversity, interpretation, service and growth re-sulting in unique places that people respectfullyuse,enjoyandcherish.

A good place for summer work

TheVersaillesStateParkisagoodplacetoacquirehands-onexperience,andatthesametime,workinabeautifulnatu-ralsetting.Severalcollegestudentsworkat theparkinthesummer. Thestateparkhiresover30seasonalworkerstoworkthepool,campgrounds,trailsandmore.Therearecurrentlysixfull-timestaffmembers.AnyonelookingforsummerworkisencouragedtogetinapplicationsbyMarchorApril.employ-mentinformationcanbefoundonlineathttp://www.in.gov/dnr/.

Park mission statement

VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019 Page7

2019 Upcoming special eventsJune 1 National Trail Day

June 1-2 Free Fishing Days

June 29 Stargazing in VSP

July 6 Fireworks Lakefrontatdusk

August 3 DINO Xterra Triathlon (9:00 a.m.) registrationrequired

August 10 Volksmarch Series 2019 Walk oakGroveshelter

August 31 Stargazing in VSP

Sept. 27-29 Hassmer Fest

September 28 National Public Lands Day

October 26 Halloween Trick-or-Treat Campsite Decorating Contest FollowingTrick-or-Treat(1st,2nd,3rdprizes)

• Camp Firewood Available • Bakery• Meat Dept. • Deli • Full Line Grocery

• Fresh Cut Meat• Daily Lunch Specials

• Fried Chicken & Pulled Pork Everyday

Open: 7:30 am - 9 pm7 Days a Week

Grill Outs throughout the Summer!Call for dates.

1004 s.adams st.Versailles

689-1182All Major Credit Cards Accepted

versailles

Versailles Location:812-689-6347

762 E. Co. Rd. 300 S.

Madison Location:812-574-6347

217 Clifty Drive

FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS!Pharmacy department is open

Memorial Day, July 4th andLabor Day, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Retail Store Hours:Open Daily 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.Pharmacy Hours:Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sat. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.Sun. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

221 S. High StreetVersailles

812-689-5553

JAredroGerSPHoTo Greatsightsandsounds,likethissmallwaterfall,canbefoundalongtheseveraltypesof trails inthepark.Theyincludeeightmilesofhikingtrails,20milesofmountainbiketrails,and25milesofhorsetrails. Hiking ispermittedonall trails,buthikersmustyield tomountainbikersorhorses.Thehorsetrailsareforhorsesbroughttothepark,asnohorsesareavail-ableforrent.AnnualHorseTagsare$20foreachhorseandthedailyhorsepermitis$5. Mapsofalltrailsareprovidedattheparkofficeandmaingate.

Hit the trail!

Page8 VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019

Friends of Versailles State Park invite motorcyclists to

June 29 fundraiser

JAredroGerSPHoTo The Friends of Versailles State Park won overall best float and best float in its class at the 2018 Pumpkin Show parade. The Friends group is active throughout the year, taking educational hikes in the park, hosting walks for kids and families, raising money for park improvements, and sprucing up park landscaping. The Friends continually welcome new members. Annual memberships are open to individuals ($15), families ($25), and sponsors ($100). Lifetime member-ships are also open to individuals ($150) and families ($250). Registration bro-chures are available at the park office during open hours.

U.S. 50Versailles

812-689-5161

Come CheCk out ourSummer SpeCiAlS All

SeASoN loNg!Open Memorial Day,

July 4th and Labor Day8:00 am - 12:00 Noon

Regular Hours:Monday - Friday 8 am - 5:30 pm

Saturday 8 am - 1 pmClosed Sunday

JAredroGerSPHoTo MotorcyclistscrossthebridgeoverVersaillesLakeduringthe2018ride.Lastyear’sroutebeganatHardyLakewithbreakfast,continued toCharlestownStatePark torideacrossthehistoricbridge,includedapokerrunatVersaillesStatePark,andfinishedwithdinneratCliftyFalls.AllproceedsraisedfromtherideweretobenefitFriendsgroupsateachpark. Thedatefor2019’sridehasbeensetforSaturday,June29.detailsregardingroutesandparksarestillforthcoming.Staytunedtothenewspaperforfuturedetails.

VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019 Page9

VSP welcomes new staff

SUBMITTedPHoTo Art in the Park, a program organized by the Ripley County Tourism Bureau and hosted at Versailles State Park, was enjoyed by many in April of 2019. Among various art forms shared, participants enjoyed painting, as pictured. The program is possible thanks to grant funding by the Indiana Arts Commission. At the conclu-sion of the art series, a show was held to display participants’ created works.

Flagpoleliquors

Now Open Sunday! 12 pm - 8 pmMonday - Thursday 8 am - 11 pmFriday & Saturday 8 am - 12 am

• Large Selection of Liquor• Beer - Cold or Warm Available

• Large Variety of Wines• Cigarettes, Ice & Snacks

812-689-5781U.S. 50 - VersaillesTurn right at the park entrance.

Top of the hill on the right(between the stoplight & UCB Bank)

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Meet Katy Brower, office manager, and Garrett McAdams, assistant property manager for Versailles State Park. Brower, originally from Hanover, joined the park in March of 2019, moving with her husband and three kids to Holton. Mc-Adams, originally from Brownstown, joined the park in December of 2018 after graduating from Ball State University. Both expressed a love for the outdoors and are excited to help visitors make lasting memories at the park.

Visitors channel their inner artist

Page10 VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019

Versailles Lake is 230acresandgreat forboatingor fishing. The lake sup-portscrappie,catfish,blue-gill, largemouth bass, carpandsuckers. Youmust have an In-dianafishinglicenseifyouare18yearsofageorolder.Indiana residents born be-fore April 1, 1943 do notneed a fishing license. Li-

censesare soldat theparkoffice. rowboats and canoescan be rented for $5 perhouror$20fortheday,plustax. Kayaks can be rentedfor $8 per hour or $20 forthe day, plus tax. Tandem(double) kayaks can berented for $12 per hour or$25 for theday.Life jack-etsarerequiredandarefur-

nishedforallboatrentals. Ifyoubringyourownboat,youwillneedtopur-chaseanAnnualLakePer-mit. Annual Lake Permitsformotorizedboatsare$25and for non-motorized are$5. only electric trollingmotors are allowed on thelake.

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Lake ideal for fishing, boating

JAredroGerSPHoToS The great blue heron, left, and solitary sandpiper, above, both work the lake waters looking for a meal. Heron are found year round at the park, while sandpipers are migratory.

mcDonald’s southeastern IndianaBatesville • Greendale • Lawrenceburg • Versailles

Located on theCorner of U.s. 50 andU.s. 421 – Versailles

General Manager Dan Niklas

1998 RIpLey COUnTy BUsIness OF THe yeaR

VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019 Page11

Planninga largegathering; family,or friendsre-union? The Versailles State Park features excellentgroupcampingfacilitiesinapristineatmosphere. The Laughery Group Camp features 12 cabinswith10singlebedsinthem.Thesearenotfamilycab-ins;theyarereservedonlyforgroups.eachcabinhaselectric, but is not heated.There is a central showerhouse with bathroom facilities, as well as a dininghall,kitchen,andarecreationhall.Thekitchenhasalargestove,awalk-inrefrigerator,awalk-infreezer,areach-inrefrigerator,andareach-infreezer.Thedin-inghallseats120people. Groupsareresponsibleforcleaningthecamppriortodeparture.eachgroupmustbringtheirownclean-ingsupplies,withtheparkfurnishingbrooms,mops,garbage bags, and toilet paper.When you are readytocheckout,pleasenotifytheparkofficeatleastonehourinadvance.Uponcheckingout,aparkemployeewillinspectthefacilitywithyou.

Group Camp great forlarge parties, reunions

TheVersailles State Park is home to numerouswildlife,frombigtosmallandallshapesandsizesinbetween.Formany,spottingwildlifeisthehighlightoftheirtrip.Thenationalnon-profitgroup,TheWil-dernessSociety,offersthefollowingtipsforincreas-ingyourchancestospotmorespecies:• Many animals feed at dawn and dusk, making

theseprimeviewingtimes.• Manybirdspeciesmigrateinspringandfall,of-

feringawindowtoseethemastheypassthrough.• Moveslowlyandquietly;betteryet,pickacom-

fortable spot to sit still. Listen closely to yoursurroundings.

• Bringalongagoodpairofbinoculars.• Blendinbywearingearthtonesratherthanbright

colors. Itisalsooftheutmostimportancetoletwildlifestaywild.Thismeansrefrainingfromofferingfood,keeping a safe distance, and practicing “LeaveNoTrace”principleswhilevisitingparksandothernatu-ralareas.Goodluckoutthere!

How can I spotmore wildlife?

www.ripleynews.com

BROWN &KRESS, D.D.S.Christopher R. Brown, D.D.S.

Daniel J. Kress, D.D.S.Call for your dentalappointment today!

823 S. Adams, #685, Versailles 812-689-5151 www.brownandkressdds.com

Principles of Leave No Trace

According to the Center for outdoor ethics, thesevenprinciplesofLeaveNoTraceprovideaneasilyunderstood framework ofminimum impact practicesforanyonevisitingtheoutdoors. 1. Plan ahead and prepare. Beingwellpreparedhelpseveryonestaysafeandenjoytheirtimeoutdoors,while protecting natural and cultural resources fromdamage. 2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces. Avoidtrampling delicate vegetation by staying on markedtrailsandutilizingappropriatecampsites. 3. Dispose of waste properly. Ifyoubroughtitin,plantopackitout.Never,everlitter. 4. Leave what you find. Asmanymothersinstruct,“leaveanareainbettershapethanyoufoundit.” 5. Minimize campfire impacts. ALeaveNoTracefireleavesnoevidencebehind,suchasaburnscar. 6. Respect wildlife. observewildlife quietly andfromasafedistance.Neverfeedorharass. 7. Be considerate of other visitors. Becourteoussothatallpeopleinasharedareacanenjoythetran-quilityoftheoutdoors. Formoreinformation,visitLNT.org.

VersaillesDairy QueenU.S. 421 South 689-4005

Bring in thisad and get a

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Limit one per coupon and one coupon per customer. This coupon not redeemable with any other offer and redeem-able only on items selling at regular price. Valid at participating DQ locations. This offer void in any state or locality prohibiting or regulating these coupons. Consumers must pay any sales tax included. Any other application of this coupon constitutes fraud. DQ and the ellipse-shaped logo are trademarks of Am. D.Q. Corp., Mpls., MN ©2012. Coupon expires 9/30/19.

Page12 VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019

AnglersaroundVersaillesStateParklakearen’ttheonlyoneswhoenjoycatchingafish.Severalspeciesofraptors,orbirdsofprey,livearoundthelakeandhuntitswatersregularly.Forthepastfewyears,afamilyofbaldeagles has been thriving.They enjoy the lake somuchthatthey’vebuiltthreeneststhereovertheyearsandhaveraisedat least threeyoung.Hawks,mostcommonlythered-tail,butalsored-shouldered,broad-winged,andCoo-per’shaveallbeensightedaroundthearea.Inthesummermonths,eventheospreycanbeseendivingintothelakewatersvyingforameal. The photos and information on this pagewill giveadvice on identifying some of the likely birds encoun-teredatthelake.Bringbinocularsonyournexttriptotheparktogetanevencloserlookatsomeoftheseimpres-sive creatures. Formore in-depth information, considerpicking up a field-guide on birds ofNorthAmerica, ormorespecificallytheMidwest.Parkstaffcanmakespe-cificrecommendationsforguidesonbirdsaswellasothercommoncreaturesaroundthepark.Speciesspecificiden-tifiers on this pagewere gleaned in part fromNational Geographic’s Field Guide to the Birds of North America byJonL.dunnandJonathanAlderfer.

Common raptors of Versailles State Park lake

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A mature bald eagle is identified by its all white head and white tail, while being solid brown through-out its wing span. Its span is larger than any hawk, and displays “finger” like feathers fanning out at the tips. Contrary to a hawk’s piercing screech, eagle vocaliza-tions are more staggered, twittering like sounds. They like to fish but will also eat carrion. This characteristic for eating carrion, in addition to stealing food from other birds, led Ben Franklin to lament the fact it was chosen as the national bird. Franklin is said to have thought the wild turkey was a more respectful and courageous creature.

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An immature bald eagle can be confused with a hawk, due to the fact that it has various degrees of brownish, mottled colors underneath. Eagles take about five years to fully mature and develop their white head and tail. Along the way, they will show var-ious, streaky colors. Juveniles, like the one pictured above, will behave similarly to adults and be nearly as large. White patches under the wings also help dis-criminate the young eagle from a hawk. As the im-mature eagle nears maturity, its head slowly begins to become brighter shades of white.

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A red-tailed hawk’s key identifier is found in its name: its glowing, amber colored tail feathers. They shine brighter in sunlight, as seen above, but will still appear reddish any time. The hawk’s wingspan is shorter than an eagle’s, has more rounded wing tips, and has brown strips to the side of the head. Hawks are known to more readily eat rodents, reptiles, and amphibians rather than fish. Compared to a red-tailed hawk, a red-shouldered hawk is smaller. The shoulders, to the side of the head, will be overall more amber colored than white, while its tail is more brownish. The broad-winged hawk resembles the red-shouldered in size and general appearance, but is more likely to be found in woodland areas.

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An osprey will display a significant amount of white colored feathers on its underside, as well as a brown streak behind its eye and down its neck. It is smaller than a bald eagle, and behaviorally, spends less time soaring high in the sky. The osprey is com-monly seen hovering over water, and it dives feet first to catch prey, as seen in the photo.

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The turkey vulture often gets a bad wrap as hu-mans find its carrion-eating habits “gross.” However, the vulture plays an incredibly important role in the ecosystem by cleaning up what might otherwise fes-ter and spread disease. The turkey vulture can be identified by its bare, red head, and blocked, two-tone wings (dark brown above and lighter below). Unlike hawks and eagles, it will rarely flap its wings more than 10 times in a row in flight, preferring instead to soar silently overhead.

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over140pestscanbemovedinfirewood.Tocon-serveourHoosierforestsandcampgroundshadetrees,please adhere to a few rules.You can bring firewoodfromanytreespecies intoastatepark,reservoir,stateforest,orstatefishandwildlifeareaif:• ItisfromyourhomeinIndianaandallbarkhasbeenremoved. remove a quarter-inch of sapwood be-neaththebark,too,ifpossible.

• ItisbundledandbearsaUSdAcompliancestamp.• Itispurchasedfromalocalfirewoodvendoroutsidethepropertyandhasthestatecompliancestamp.

• Itispurchasedfromthepropertycampstoreoron-site firewood vendor and has the state compliancestamp.

• Thefirewoodiskiln-driedscraplumber.

InAugustof1934,theNational Park Service an-nouncedplanstodevelopafederalparkon1,700acresofmarginalripleyCountyfarmland. The followingJanuary, more than 200youngmenknownasCom-pany 596 arrived to beginwork. After building bar-racks, amess hall, admin-istrationbuilding,andrec-reation building, the CCCcrew developed the parkthrough tree planting, na-tive stone masonry, woodconstruction, road con-struction, watershed anderosion control, and wa-ter construction projects.Mostoftheiroriginalworkis still present throughoutVersailles State Park. To-

daytheparkis5,988acres,making it the second larg-eststateparkinIndiana. The dam was builtin 1954 across LaugheryCreek to form VersaillesLake, which served asa water source for Ver-sailles and recreation areafor visitors to the park.Aswimming pool complexopened in 1987.LaugheryCreek runs through thepark, slowly carving itsway through Silurian reeflimestone, creating ruggedcliffs and exposing fossil-rich, 475-million yearold ordovician rock. Thepark’s beautiful hardwoodforests provide habitat forsongbirds and a variety ofwildlife.

History of Versailles State Park

Firewood onDNR Properties

Archeologists dig up the past

JAredroGerSPHoTo Throughout the summer of 2018, archeologists from Ball State University surveyed several sites in the park to learn about early settlers. They presented their findings to the public in the spring of 2019. Pic-tured, Kevin Nolan shows an artifact to students from South Ripley Elementary School.

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Page14 VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019

Park doing its part for pollinator preservation

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Beginningin theearlyspring,VersaillesStateParkisoneofthebestlocalsitestoseewildflowerbloomsandthepollinatinginsectstheyattract. Justastheforestfloorbeginstowarm,springephem-eralspopthroughtheleaflitter,enticingantsaswellasearlybees,beetles,andflies.Bloodroot,picturedabove,wasoneofseveralwoodlandephemeralwildflowersseencreatingacarpetofcoloralongparktrailsinApril.Thesewoodlandperennials take advantageof the lengtheningdaysofspring,soakinginsunlightbeforethetreeshavebegun to pushout new leaves.By the time the canopyisunfurled,manyofthewoodlandwildflowershavere-cededbackintothesoil,wheretheylieinwaittobloomagainnextspring. As spring progresses into summer,morewildflow-

erbloomsare foundalong forest edgesand inprairies,wheremoresunlightisavailable. The bumblebee, seen above, is just one of severaltypesofbeesthatarefoundbuzzingfromflowertoflow-erthroughoutthewarmseason.Additionally,asthesea-sonprogresses,moreandmorebutterfliesemerge fromtheircocoonstoflitaboutthefieldsandfeedonnectar. At right,agreatspangledfritillaryenjoyscommonmilkweed inbloom justbehind thenaturecenterat thepark last summer. In addition to hosting the monarchcaterpillar,milkweedprovides food and shelter to doz-ensoflocalinsects.Alongwithbeingfoundatthepark’sMonarchWaystation, theplant isalsocommonlyfoundinthesectionsofprairiemaintainedthroughouttheparkgrounds.

SUBMITTedPHoTo Halloween in the campgrounds is a perennial fa-vorite for kids, adults and staff alike. Campers go all out with their spooky and fun decorations. Reserve a site well in advance if you’d like to camp throughout the weekend’s festivities. Saturday, October 26 is the 2019 date set for trick-or-treating and the campsite decorating contest. Fol-low the Versailles State Park and the Friends of Ver-sailles State Park on Facebook for more information as the time nears.

Still time to save

ash trees Ash trees composealmost 20% of Indiana’sforests.Withinthenext10years, 95% of all the ashtrees in thestatewillhavebeen lost to the emeraldAsh Borer. The IndianaParks Alliance is work-ing with the division ofState Parks and the divi-sionofNaturePreservestoprotect 100 mature, seed-producing ash trees in ourstateparksandstate-ownednaturepreservesforthefu-ture. Selected trees willreceive a chemical treat-ment that kills the borer,yetdoesnotharmthetree.Todonatetothe“SaveourAshTrees”campaign,visitIndianaParksAlliance.com.

VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019 Page15

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Silly critters Geeseandsquirrelsaretwoofthemorecomicalspeciesofwildlifeseeninthepark. Although geese are migratorybirds,manycall theparkhomeyear-round.Thistimeofmid-to-latespringiswhentheyareoftenseenwiththeirchicksintow. Squirrels can be spotted year-round,oftenhoppingaroundtheforestfloorandtraipsingfromtreetotree.

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VersaillesStateParkTab Thursday,May23,2019 Page16

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812-934-3210 • 800-232-3841