“Deer Hunting is a Right”
Written by Rick A. Talford
Wildlife Advocate
I am writing this article, with some frustration over the events that I watched this past Deer Hunting (gun) Season. I am not a deer hunter myself, but I know plenty of people that do hunt. I believe most hunters go out to the woods, with the intent on getting meat for their freezers. There are probably many that only hunt for the thrill of the kill, and the trophy rack. Everyone that gets a license, does so because it is a right. Now if they are going to go out and violate the rules of the hunt, then they should not be allowed that right.
I live close to Nugget Lake in Pierce County. There are plenty of corn fields that have been recently cut down, for people to see the many deer that roam the area. My wife and I enjoy seeing the deer, that come right into our yard to graze. Some even take extra time, and lay in the yard for hours at a time. We both like taking photographs of these creatures when they come so close to us. The amount of wildlife that we see on an average day, many never get the chance to see.
It happens every year, when hunting season opens up. The many gun shots usually wake us in the morning, and go throughout the daylight hours. We watch the many trucks and cars drive around after dark, shining their lights into the fields to see if the deer are near. We even get the occasional lights shining into our windows. This can be unpleasant, and is uncalled for. Remembering that it is a right to be shining, hunters need to keep in mind that there are no deer standing on peoples front porches for them to see.
I know that this does not cover all the hunters out there, but this can give one a bad feeling towards those that don’t follow the rules. I watched several different groups of hunters enter the fields around our home this year. There were those groups that left their vehicles on the roadside, and others that chose to drive into the fields. I found it curious on why they would drive into the fields with their trucks, and I found out why.
They used their vehicles to scare the deer out into the open fields, where the hunters were ready and waiting with their guns. This is by far, ILLEGAL to practice. I called and spoke with the local DNR agents, and had this confirmed. I find it absolutely sickening that these hunters used a vehicle to scare the deer, instead of walking and pushing the deer like you are suppose to. Now I did not see them actually get any deer, but I did see many deer run from the trucks driving around the edge of the woods. These hunters could not hit the running animals, Thankfully.
Now, just because I am not a current hunter, does not mean I have no clue on what I am talking about. I have hunted in the past, and I understand the rules for hunting. There are no acceptable excuses for violating the rules of hunting. There are many rules that are created for safety, as well as many to protect the animals from being hunted illegally.
I would like to remind everyone that hunts, “Be Responsible and Follow the Rules”. Those of us that are not hunting, do watch your actions. If you see any violations during the hunting season, you can call the DNR Violation Hotline at 1-800-847-9367.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Nascar 2012 - race 36
“Ford EcoBoost 300”
Written By Rick A. Talford
NASCAR Enthusiast
HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - The Nationwide Series ran their final race of the season at the Homestead track. 200 laps on the 1.5 mile track. There are a couple different stories that will end with this race. Kyle Busch is trying to get a victory, to extend his winning seasons to nine consecutive years with at least one win. The record is nine, and it is held by Mark Martin. Busch has been winless this season, in the Nationwide Series. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will try to win his second consecutive series championship. Elliott Sadler is trying to win the championship, and not finish second in as many seasons again. Austin Dillon, a Rookie is trying to win his first title, and finish every lap of the race. He would finish the season, with only one lap not finished all year. This has only been done twice before. The Pole sitter was Kyle Busch (54), with Elliott Sadler (2) starting second. Austin Dillon is starting third, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. starting fourth. In the Pre-race ceremonies, The Redondo Elementary School provided the Pledge of Allegiance. Scott Clauncher provided the Invocation. Chelsea Bain sang the National Anthem, while two F-5’s flew over the race track. The Grand Marshal was Amy Marentic.
The first caution came out on lap 66, when Ryan Truex (20) spun out and hit the wall. The second caution came on lap 73, when Robert Richardson Jr. ran into the wall. The third caution was also Richardson Jr. on lap 94. During the pit stops, Elliott Sadler (2) was penalized for having a lug nut loose when he left his pit box. The fourth caution came out on lap 172, when debris was seen on track. The fifth and final caution flew on lap 180, when Joey Lagono (18) spun and crashed Joanna Long (70).
Kyle Busch led the most laps early, and Austin Dillon led many near the end. He looked like he was going to win the race with ease, until the late cautions changed everything for him. He did not run well during the re-start, and lost many positions. Regan Smith (5) was able to take the lead on the late re-start, and pull away from Kyle Busch (54) for the first win of his Nationwide career. He was debuting for JR Motorsports. He will drive full time next season for the team.
The rest of the top ten were: Brendan Gaughn (33), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Austin Dillon (3), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6), Brian Scott (11), Ryan Blaney (22), Elliott Sadler (2) and Cole Whitt (88). Danica Patrick finished in thirteenth position, on the lead lap.
The final points standings were: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - Leader, Elliott Sadler (-23), Austin Dillon (-24), Sam Hornish Jr. (-105), Michael Annett (-169), Justin Allgaier (-175), Cole Whitt (- 257), Mike Bliss (- 349), Brian Scott (- 398) and Danica Patrick (- 403). Note- Johanna Long finished the season in twentieth.
The car owners championship went to the 18 team. The Nationwide Champion was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Rookie of the Year will most likely be Austin Dillon. The most popular Driver will most likely be Danica Patrick. The next race will be Daytona in February.
“Ford EcoBoost 400”
HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - The Sprint Cup Series schedule for 2012, ends at the 1.5 mile track near Miami, Florida. On related news this week, Brad Keselowski made some comments after last weekends poor ending to the Phoenix race. This apparently did not sit well with NASCAR, being they fined him $ 25,000 for using his cell phone while in the race car, under caution. He has used his phone in a number of races this season, without any actions by NASCAR. They claim they told all drivers after the Daytona 500 that they were not allowed to use their electronic devices in their cars. This was never documented by any reporters throughout the year though. After the issues between Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer, NASCAR fined Gordon $ 100,000 and docked him 25 points. He was also placed on probation until the end of December. Gordon’s Crew Chief was also placed under probation for the same period. Bowyer’s Crew Chief was fined $ 25,000 and placed under probation until the end of December also. Bowyer received no form of penalty for his part in the incident, nor was any of the crew members that went after Gordon on pit road.
The Pole sitter for the final race, was Joey Lagono (20). He unfortunately crashed in final practice, and had to start at the rear of the field. Started second. The race was scheduled for 267 laps on the 1.5 mile track. In pre-race ceremonies, Scott Clauncher provided the Invocation. Chris Mann sang the National Anthem, while four F-15’s flew over the speedway. The Grand Marshal for the race was Jonathan Hillstrand, of TV Show World’s Most Dangerous Catch. The in-race reporter was Tony Stewart (14).
The race began with Brad Keselowski (2) starting in the top spot, due to Joey Lagono crashing in final practice. Keselowski would have began the race in third, but will be allowed to move forward on spot when Lagono goes to the rear of the field. The start of the race, had Kyle Busch taking the lead by lap 15. For the first half of the race, he was at the front most of the time. Martin Truex Jr. (56) was a strong contender, swapping the lead back and forth with Busch. The first caution came on lap 79 for Debris. The second caution on lap 143, was also for Debris. During this stop, Jimmie Johnson (48) only took two tires in order to get the lead off pit road. Six to eight cars copied him, while the majority of the field took four tires, including the points leader Keselowski. A third caution flew on lap 154, when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6) had a tire failure before hitting the wall.
With one-hundred laps remaining, Kyle Busch (18) earned the point for leading the most laps. This kept Johnson from earning max. points in the race. He would need to lead the most laps, and win the race to get max. points. During a green flag stop, Kasey Kahne (5) was caught speeding on pit road. His chance at victory went out the window with the penalty. Jimmie Johnson’s team tried to stretch their fuel mileage, to get a victory and only have to make one final stop in the race. The rest of the field was going to make two stops to get to the end. He left pit road with a lug nut missing. He was penalized with a stop and go penalty, dropping him from the lead, back to twenty-fifth. Just a few laps later, Johnson’s chances went up in smoke. His race for his sixth championship had come to an end. In the garage, the mechanics found that the rear gear had gone bad.
Kathy Penske sat on top of Keselowski’s pit box for the last few races, as a good luck charm for the team. Kathy is Roger Penske’s wife. This will be Roger’s first championship in the Sprint Cup Series. Keselowski won Penske’s first Nationwide Championship as well. If Keselowski can win the championship, it will put him with Jeff Gordon as to the fastest to a championship after starting his career. Dale Earnhardt Sr. did it in only two seasons. Jeff and Brad would be the only two drivers that did it in their third season.
Brad Keselowski made his final stop on pit road, with nineteen laps remaining. When Keselowski returned to the track, he passed Denny Hamlin (11) who went down a cylinder. The race went down to fuel mileage once again, keeping Kyle Busch (18) out of victory lane. He needed to make a final stop for fuel, and ended the race in fourth. Jeff Gordon (24) was able to win the race, ahead of Clint Bowyer (15). The rest of the top ten were: Ryan Newman (39), Kyle Busch (18), Greg Biffle (16), Martin Truex Jr. (56), Aric Almirola (43), Kevin Harvick (29), Kurt Busch (78) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88).
The final standings in points were: Brad Keselowski -Leader, Clint Bowyer (-39), Jimmie Johnson (-40), Kasey Kahne (-55), Greg Biffle (-68), Denny Hamlin (-71), Matt Kenseth (-76), Kevin Harvick (-79), Tony Stewart (-89), Jeff Gordon (-97), Martin Truex Jr. (-101) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-155).
Paul Wolfe is Keselowski’s crew chief, and Roger Penske is his car owner. Both can now say, “We are the 2012 Nascar Sprint Cup Champions”, thanks to a great season that driver Brad Keselowski was able to put together for his team. This was also Dodge’s final race, as they are leaving Nascar after this race. Penske thanked Dodge for a great year, without any failures by the car or engines.
The next race will be at Daytona in February, in 98 days. A new car design will also be brought out next season.
The Camping World Truck Series came to an end with a race at Homestead on Friday Night. Cale Gale (33) won his first Series race over Kyle Busch, who was unable to win a race this year, as an owner. James Buescher (31) won his first Series Championship. The rest of the top ten were: Joey Coultier, Ty Dillon, Peter Kligerman, Matt Crafton, Nelson Piquet Jr., Juston Lofton, Johnny Sauter and Miquel Paludo.
Note- Ty Dillon is the younger brother of Austin. He was a strong title contender all season, as a rookie. He will likely be named Rookie of the Year. He drove the famous 3 Truck, that his brother Austin took to a Championship one year ago.
NASCAR crowned three “Champions” this weekend. James Buescher in the Camping World Truck Series, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the Nationwide Series and Brad Keselowski in the Sprint Cup Series.
Congratulations to each of these drivers and their respective teams. As a Nascar Enthusiast, I look forward to the new season beginning in February.
Written By Rick A. Talford
NASCAR Enthusiast
HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - The Nationwide Series ran their final race of the season at the Homestead track. 200 laps on the 1.5 mile track. There are a couple different stories that will end with this race. Kyle Busch is trying to get a victory, to extend his winning seasons to nine consecutive years with at least one win. The record is nine, and it is held by Mark Martin. Busch has been winless this season, in the Nationwide Series. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will try to win his second consecutive series championship. Elliott Sadler is trying to win the championship, and not finish second in as many seasons again. Austin Dillon, a Rookie is trying to win his first title, and finish every lap of the race. He would finish the season, with only one lap not finished all year. This has only been done twice before. The Pole sitter was Kyle Busch (54), with Elliott Sadler (2) starting second. Austin Dillon is starting third, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. starting fourth. In the Pre-race ceremonies, The Redondo Elementary School provided the Pledge of Allegiance. Scott Clauncher provided the Invocation. Chelsea Bain sang the National Anthem, while two F-5’s flew over the race track. The Grand Marshal was Amy Marentic.
The first caution came out on lap 66, when Ryan Truex (20) spun out and hit the wall. The second caution came on lap 73, when Robert Richardson Jr. ran into the wall. The third caution was also Richardson Jr. on lap 94. During the pit stops, Elliott Sadler (2) was penalized for having a lug nut loose when he left his pit box. The fourth caution came out on lap 172, when debris was seen on track. The fifth and final caution flew on lap 180, when Joey Lagono (18) spun and crashed Joanna Long (70).
Kyle Busch led the most laps early, and Austin Dillon led many near the end. He looked like he was going to win the race with ease, until the late cautions changed everything for him. He did not run well during the re-start, and lost many positions. Regan Smith (5) was able to take the lead on the late re-start, and pull away from Kyle Busch (54) for the first win of his Nationwide career. He was debuting for JR Motorsports. He will drive full time next season for the team.
The rest of the top ten were: Brendan Gaughn (33), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Austin Dillon (3), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6), Brian Scott (11), Ryan Blaney (22), Elliott Sadler (2) and Cole Whitt (88). Danica Patrick finished in thirteenth position, on the lead lap.
The final points standings were: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - Leader, Elliott Sadler (-23), Austin Dillon (-24), Sam Hornish Jr. (-105), Michael Annett (-169), Justin Allgaier (-175), Cole Whitt (- 257), Mike Bliss (- 349), Brian Scott (- 398) and Danica Patrick (- 403). Note- Johanna Long finished the season in twentieth.
The car owners championship went to the 18 team. The Nationwide Champion was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Rookie of the Year will most likely be Austin Dillon. The most popular Driver will most likely be Danica Patrick. The next race will be Daytona in February.
“Ford EcoBoost 400”
HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - The Sprint Cup Series schedule for 2012, ends at the 1.5 mile track near Miami, Florida. On related news this week, Brad Keselowski made some comments after last weekends poor ending to the Phoenix race. This apparently did not sit well with NASCAR, being they fined him $ 25,000 for using his cell phone while in the race car, under caution. He has used his phone in a number of races this season, without any actions by NASCAR. They claim they told all drivers after the Daytona 500 that they were not allowed to use their electronic devices in their cars. This was never documented by any reporters throughout the year though. After the issues between Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer, NASCAR fined Gordon $ 100,000 and docked him 25 points. He was also placed on probation until the end of December. Gordon’s Crew Chief was also placed under probation for the same period. Bowyer’s Crew Chief was fined $ 25,000 and placed under probation until the end of December also. Bowyer received no form of penalty for his part in the incident, nor was any of the crew members that went after Gordon on pit road.
The Pole sitter for the final race, was Joey Lagono (20). He unfortunately crashed in final practice, and had to start at the rear of the field. Started second. The race was scheduled for 267 laps on the 1.5 mile track. In pre-race ceremonies, Scott Clauncher provided the Invocation. Chris Mann sang the National Anthem, while four F-15’s flew over the speedway. The Grand Marshal for the race was Jonathan Hillstrand, of TV Show World’s Most Dangerous Catch. The in-race reporter was Tony Stewart (14).
The race began with Brad Keselowski (2) starting in the top spot, due to Joey Lagono crashing in final practice. Keselowski would have began the race in third, but will be allowed to move forward on spot when Lagono goes to the rear of the field. The start of the race, had Kyle Busch taking the lead by lap 15. For the first half of the race, he was at the front most of the time. Martin Truex Jr. (56) was a strong contender, swapping the lead back and forth with Busch. The first caution came on lap 79 for Debris. The second caution on lap 143, was also for Debris. During this stop, Jimmie Johnson (48) only took two tires in order to get the lead off pit road. Six to eight cars copied him, while the majority of the field took four tires, including the points leader Keselowski. A third caution flew on lap 154, when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6) had a tire failure before hitting the wall.
With one-hundred laps remaining, Kyle Busch (18) earned the point for leading the most laps. This kept Johnson from earning max. points in the race. He would need to lead the most laps, and win the race to get max. points. During a green flag stop, Kasey Kahne (5) was caught speeding on pit road. His chance at victory went out the window with the penalty. Jimmie Johnson’s team tried to stretch their fuel mileage, to get a victory and only have to make one final stop in the race. The rest of the field was going to make two stops to get to the end. He left pit road with a lug nut missing. He was penalized with a stop and go penalty, dropping him from the lead, back to twenty-fifth. Just a few laps later, Johnson’s chances went up in smoke. His race for his sixth championship had come to an end. In the garage, the mechanics found that the rear gear had gone bad.
Kathy Penske sat on top of Keselowski’s pit box for the last few races, as a good luck charm for the team. Kathy is Roger Penske’s wife. This will be Roger’s first championship in the Sprint Cup Series. Keselowski won Penske’s first Nationwide Championship as well. If Keselowski can win the championship, it will put him with Jeff Gordon as to the fastest to a championship after starting his career. Dale Earnhardt Sr. did it in only two seasons. Jeff and Brad would be the only two drivers that did it in their third season.
Brad Keselowski made his final stop on pit road, with nineteen laps remaining. When Keselowski returned to the track, he passed Denny Hamlin (11) who went down a cylinder. The race went down to fuel mileage once again, keeping Kyle Busch (18) out of victory lane. He needed to make a final stop for fuel, and ended the race in fourth. Jeff Gordon (24) was able to win the race, ahead of Clint Bowyer (15). The rest of the top ten were: Ryan Newman (39), Kyle Busch (18), Greg Biffle (16), Martin Truex Jr. (56), Aric Almirola (43), Kevin Harvick (29), Kurt Busch (78) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88).
The final standings in points were: Brad Keselowski -Leader, Clint Bowyer (-39), Jimmie Johnson (-40), Kasey Kahne (-55), Greg Biffle (-68), Denny Hamlin (-71), Matt Kenseth (-76), Kevin Harvick (-79), Tony Stewart (-89), Jeff Gordon (-97), Martin Truex Jr. (-101) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-155).
Paul Wolfe is Keselowski’s crew chief, and Roger Penske is his car owner. Both can now say, “We are the 2012 Nascar Sprint Cup Champions”, thanks to a great season that driver Brad Keselowski was able to put together for his team. This was also Dodge’s final race, as they are leaving Nascar after this race. Penske thanked Dodge for a great year, without any failures by the car or engines.
The next race will be at Daytona in February, in 98 days. A new car design will also be brought out next season.
The Camping World Truck Series came to an end with a race at Homestead on Friday Night. Cale Gale (33) won his first Series race over Kyle Busch, who was unable to win a race this year, as an owner. James Buescher (31) won his first Series Championship. The rest of the top ten were: Joey Coultier, Ty Dillon, Peter Kligerman, Matt Crafton, Nelson Piquet Jr., Juston Lofton, Johnny Sauter and Miquel Paludo.
Note- Ty Dillon is the younger brother of Austin. He was a strong title contender all season, as a rookie. He will likely be named Rookie of the Year. He drove the famous 3 Truck, that his brother Austin took to a Championship one year ago.
NASCAR crowned three “Champions” this weekend. James Buescher in the Camping World Truck Series, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the Nationwide Series and Brad Keselowski in the Sprint Cup Series.
Congratulations to each of these drivers and their respective teams. As a Nascar Enthusiast, I look forward to the new season beginning in February.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
EVB Report for November 2012
Elmwood Village Board Approves
Water and Sewer Rate Increases
Submitted by Rick A. Talford
Citizen Journalist
ELMWOOD, WI - The Village Board meeting was held on Monday evening, at the Village Auditorium. All the board members were present for the meeting. A Public Hearing started the evenings agenda. Ordinance 7-1 “Licensing Dogs-Regulation of Animals” had a change that was being approved. There have been complaints about the feral cats within the village, and the needs to have all cats registered. The board reviewed past information in regards to cats, and found that they had changed the Ordinance verbally, but not in writing. Cats will no longer need to be registered within village limits. There are still regulations that cat owners need to know, but registering their pet will not be required. Trustee Neil Boltic brought the information forward to the board. “The enforcement against cats is hard to do, and officers have better use of their time.” He added, “Owners should still be responsible, with getting their animals vaccinated properly.” There was no public input received.
The regular board meeting then began after the hearing was closed. In Public Input, Trustee Trisha Knops spoke to the board about the Library President position that was open. A public release for “Letters of Interest” will be published in upcoming weeks. One “Operator’s License” for Rebecca Baumgartner, at the Longbranch was approved. A five dollar increase on the sewer rate was also approved. The current thirteen dollar charge will increase to eighteen dollars. It was stated, “We have been in the red for twenty years.” The amount in red, is thirty-seven thousand dollars. Trustee Mike Sand provided the figures. “In order to get future grants that will be needed for the upcoming sewer plant updates, we need to be in the black.” This increase will begin February 2013. Trustee Brian Buck told the members, “We have had no big increases for years and years, only slight increases.” Village Clerk/Treasurer Amy Wayne explained an increase, that was approved a year ago. The board then moved ahead to the water rate increase. Trustee Mike Sand asked the board to approve a 3.2 percent increase, and that was approved.
The Financing for the Elmwood Fire Dept. Truck Purchase was next on the agenda. Mike Baker came to the meeting as a representative of the Fire Dept. He explained that the current Chevy Truck was gotten from the DNR back in 2000. The truck has many issues, including bad rear seals, ring gears and poor exhaust system. Two men in gear, take up the cab of the current truck. The DNR discontinued the program, were they would get a used military truck for use. When the new truck is received, the current truck will be returned to the DNR. Village President Bill Stewart then spoke to the members. He explained that the village would do well, by taking it’s turn with a loan for the Fire Dept. There are seven municipalities that make up the Corporation that the Elmwood Fire Dept. works under. The Fire Dept. will also use “Benefit Funds” to get the new truck set up. A 2.5 percent interest rate, through the WI State Trust Fund would be used for this loan. “This is a guaranteed pay back, with no high risk for the village,” he added. A “Roll Call” vote was required for this approval, and a unanimous “yes” was received. A thirty-five thousand dollar loan will be granted by the village board.
In Committee and Board Reports, Trustee Knops spoke on behalf of the Nursing Home and Library. A meeting was held on October 9, 2012 at the Nursing Home. The driveway was completed, and some updates inside have been getting done. The Library Committee met on November 12, 2012. “Strategic planning has been in process recently, with approximately two-thousand books being removed from the library. 160 new products have been brought in at the same time. A new book club is beginning this week, as well as teen advisory meetings.”
Trustee Brian Buck then provided information from the Personnel and Finance Committee. “We are working on the budget, and trying to figure out what projects to get done. We are dealing with Insurance issues, and everything is still on the table. There is grant research being done in regards to the police squad, and we could receive up to thirty percent towards replacing our current vehicle. I am pretty sure we will get the grant. We also have twenty-two thousand still in the outlay budget. It should not cost any additional funds to update our vehicle. The car is at the stage, where it is starting to go.” The members then started discussing the possibility of getting a F-150 Truck, or an Explorer. Both these options would have all-wheel or four wheel drive capability. The F-150 is a one ton, V-6, four door. The discussion made it sound like they had no interest in getting the newest squad car available. The new Taurus was considered to be too small. Buck then added, “We still need nineteen thousand for the auditorium roof repairs as well.”
Trustee Knops then asked about the budget, and what funds the Library may receive. Buck then explained there is a possible cut of five to seven-thousand dollars, to the funds the library will receive. Buck stated, “The library has a fund with one-hundred and thirteen thousand dollars in it, that can be used for materials by the library. They need to use some of these funds.” This began a bit of a discussion by itself, with Knops explaining the many requirements for using those funds. “We need more money to run the library correctly.” She then told the other members that she felt they needed to look at things more seriously. “We’re playing catch-up after being in the red for many years.” It was noted that the village may be required to have a referendum, so the community could evaluate the greatest needs. “The previous boards did not save properly, and a referendum may be in our near future,” stated Trustee Neil Boltic. There will be more need and shortfall coming in the near future, when the county starts replacing HWY 72 through the village. The costs for sewer, water, lights, signs and sidewalks will all be at village costs. This is all due to state mandates.
Trustee Mike Sand then spoke about the Public Works Committee. A group from Elmwood went to Spring Valley to look at their sewer plant system. The village’s needs would match closely to Spring Valley. “It is an efficient running plant, that handles up to 157,000 gallons per day. It has a twenty-year life span, and an alarm system that contacts the village immediately with any failures. This would exceed all mandates.” Sand then added, “This is in the planning stage, so we are looking over our options.”
Payment of the bills was approved, then the board adjourned at 7:35 PM.
Water and Sewer Rate Increases
Submitted by Rick A. Talford
Citizen Journalist
ELMWOOD, WI - The Village Board meeting was held on Monday evening, at the Village Auditorium. All the board members were present for the meeting. A Public Hearing started the evenings agenda. Ordinance 7-1 “Licensing Dogs-Regulation of Animals” had a change that was being approved. There have been complaints about the feral cats within the village, and the needs to have all cats registered. The board reviewed past information in regards to cats, and found that they had changed the Ordinance verbally, but not in writing. Cats will no longer need to be registered within village limits. There are still regulations that cat owners need to know, but registering their pet will not be required. Trustee Neil Boltic brought the information forward to the board. “The enforcement against cats is hard to do, and officers have better use of their time.” He added, “Owners should still be responsible, with getting their animals vaccinated properly.” There was no public input received.
The regular board meeting then began after the hearing was closed. In Public Input, Trustee Trisha Knops spoke to the board about the Library President position that was open. A public release for “Letters of Interest” will be published in upcoming weeks. One “Operator’s License” for Rebecca Baumgartner, at the Longbranch was approved. A five dollar increase on the sewer rate was also approved. The current thirteen dollar charge will increase to eighteen dollars. It was stated, “We have been in the red for twenty years.” The amount in red, is thirty-seven thousand dollars. Trustee Mike Sand provided the figures. “In order to get future grants that will be needed for the upcoming sewer plant updates, we need to be in the black.” This increase will begin February 2013. Trustee Brian Buck told the members, “We have had no big increases for years and years, only slight increases.” Village Clerk/Treasurer Amy Wayne explained an increase, that was approved a year ago. The board then moved ahead to the water rate increase. Trustee Mike Sand asked the board to approve a 3.2 percent increase, and that was approved.
The Financing for the Elmwood Fire Dept. Truck Purchase was next on the agenda. Mike Baker came to the meeting as a representative of the Fire Dept. He explained that the current Chevy Truck was gotten from the DNR back in 2000. The truck has many issues, including bad rear seals, ring gears and poor exhaust system. Two men in gear, take up the cab of the current truck. The DNR discontinued the program, were they would get a used military truck for use. When the new truck is received, the current truck will be returned to the DNR. Village President Bill Stewart then spoke to the members. He explained that the village would do well, by taking it’s turn with a loan for the Fire Dept. There are seven municipalities that make up the Corporation that the Elmwood Fire Dept. works under. The Fire Dept. will also use “Benefit Funds” to get the new truck set up. A 2.5 percent interest rate, through the WI State Trust Fund would be used for this loan. “This is a guaranteed pay back, with no high risk for the village,” he added. A “Roll Call” vote was required for this approval, and a unanimous “yes” was received. A thirty-five thousand dollar loan will be granted by the village board.
In Committee and Board Reports, Trustee Knops spoke on behalf of the Nursing Home and Library. A meeting was held on October 9, 2012 at the Nursing Home. The driveway was completed, and some updates inside have been getting done. The Library Committee met on November 12, 2012. “Strategic planning has been in process recently, with approximately two-thousand books being removed from the library. 160 new products have been brought in at the same time. A new book club is beginning this week, as well as teen advisory meetings.”
Trustee Brian Buck then provided information from the Personnel and Finance Committee. “We are working on the budget, and trying to figure out what projects to get done. We are dealing with Insurance issues, and everything is still on the table. There is grant research being done in regards to the police squad, and we could receive up to thirty percent towards replacing our current vehicle. I am pretty sure we will get the grant. We also have twenty-two thousand still in the outlay budget. It should not cost any additional funds to update our vehicle. The car is at the stage, where it is starting to go.” The members then started discussing the possibility of getting a F-150 Truck, or an Explorer. Both these options would have all-wheel or four wheel drive capability. The F-150 is a one ton, V-6, four door. The discussion made it sound like they had no interest in getting the newest squad car available. The new Taurus was considered to be too small. Buck then added, “We still need nineteen thousand for the auditorium roof repairs as well.”
Trustee Knops then asked about the budget, and what funds the Library may receive. Buck then explained there is a possible cut of five to seven-thousand dollars, to the funds the library will receive. Buck stated, “The library has a fund with one-hundred and thirteen thousand dollars in it, that can be used for materials by the library. They need to use some of these funds.” This began a bit of a discussion by itself, with Knops explaining the many requirements for using those funds. “We need more money to run the library correctly.” She then told the other members that she felt they needed to look at things more seriously. “We’re playing catch-up after being in the red for many years.” It was noted that the village may be required to have a referendum, so the community could evaluate the greatest needs. “The previous boards did not save properly, and a referendum may be in our near future,” stated Trustee Neil Boltic. There will be more need and shortfall coming in the near future, when the county starts replacing HWY 72 through the village. The costs for sewer, water, lights, signs and sidewalks will all be at village costs. This is all due to state mandates.
Trustee Mike Sand then spoke about the Public Works Committee. A group from Elmwood went to Spring Valley to look at their sewer plant system. The village’s needs would match closely to Spring Valley. “It is an efficient running plant, that handles up to 157,000 gallons per day. It has a twenty-year life span, and an alarm system that contacts the village immediately with any failures. This would exceed all mandates.” Sand then added, “This is in the planning stage, so we are looking over our options.”
Payment of the bills was approved, then the board adjourned at 7:35 PM.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Nascar 2012 - race 35
NATIONWIDE @ PHOENIX
Written by Rick A. Talford
Nascar Enthusiast
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - The Nationwide Series ran their second to last race of the season at the Phoenix track. In the Pre-race ceremonies, Ken Bowers provided the invocation. Chelsea Bain sang the National Anthem, while two T-45’s flew over the race track. Rhonda Olson was the Grand Marshal. The Pole-sitter was Joey Lagono (18), with Kyle Busch (54) starting second. A one mile track, that they would run 200 laps. In other related news, Brian Vickers was signed to drive the Joe Gibbs # 20 car full-time next season.
The first caution came out on lap one, when Noel Dowler (41) spun out. The second caution flew on lap 31, when John Blankenship (44) spun out. The third caution on lap 70, was also Blankenship spinning out. This time he had a bit of help from Brad Keselowski (22). Caution came out on lap 120, when Dowler spun out a second time. On lap 148, Mike Wallace (01) spun out Timmy Hill (70). Caution seven came out on lap 155, when Kyle Busch (54) intentionally spun out Sam Hornish Jr. (12). Another caution flew for Blankenship a second time on lap 177, for another spin out.
Elliott Sadler (2) ran up into Cole Whitt (88), and spun the two cars sideways with two laps remaining. The caution came out, as the car of Brendan Gaughn (33) also ran into the front end of Sadler. A “Red Flag” then came out on lap 199, to clean up the track for a Green-White-Checkered finish. Joey Lagono (18) was able to hold onto the lead, for his ninth win of the season. He also led the most laps in the race.
The rest of the top ten were: Brian Vickers (20), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6), Kyle Busch (54), Kasey Kahne (38), Austin Dillon (3), Michael Annett (43), Brian Scott (11), Brad Keselowski (22) and Danica Patrick (7).
The points standings now have Stenhouse Jr. ahead of Sadler by 20 points, with Dillon back 25 points. (Stenhouse Jr. only needs to finish 16th or better next week at Homestead, to win his second consecutive championship) Hornish Jr. -107, Annett -162, Allgaier -169, Whitt -252, Bliss -335, Scott -396 and Patrick -406.
ADVOCARE 500
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - The Sprint Cup Series also ran their second to last race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway. 312 Laps were scheduled to be run. The Pole-sitter was Kyle Busch (18), with Martin Truex Jr. (56) starting second. A new track record was set by Busch in qualifying (138.766). During the Opening Ceremonies, Ken Bowers provided the Invocation. Jason Wyatt sang “America the Beautiful”, and the National Anthem was sang by JoJo , while four F-16’s flew over the race track. The Grand Marshal was Richard and Sherry Wright. The In-race Reporter was Clint Bowyer (15). Other related news this week was, Kevin Harvick (29) will race one more year with RCR, then he will go to Stewart-Hass Racing in 2014. Ryan Newman (39) had 250 black and white pictures of American Veterans on his race car.
The race ran seven laps, before one of the “Chase” drivers began having troubles. Martin Truex Jr. (56), who started in second position began having electrical issues. He would take his car to the garage, where they found out the engine was starting to fail. On lap 18, the first caution came out for Mike Bliss (19) hitting the wall. Another caution came out on lap 52, when David Gilliland (38) had a tire blow out. He would hit the wall hard after the tire failure. Denny Hamlin (11) would take the lead from teammate Busch on lap 120. Busch would get the lead back after the third caution, on lap 168 for debris. Newman would have the lead at the re-start, but Busch would get it back shortly after.
On lap 232, Brad Keselowski (2) would take the lead away from Busch. The fourth caution came out just a couple laps later, when Jimmie Johnson (48) would have a tire fail. He ran up the track, and into the wall. The damage was sever enough, that he had to go to the garage for repairs. The fifth caution came out for David Ragan (34) hitting the wall on lap 274, after he had a tire failure in turn four. Johnson returned to the track after repairs to his car on lap 277. He was 38 laps down when he came back to the track. The sixth caution came out on lap 280, when Tony Stewart (14) was spun out by Aric Almirola(43). Stewart had to check up, when teammate Newman slowed in front of him. On lap 288, Sam Hornish Jr. (22) brought out the seventh caution, when he hit the wall after contact with Danica Patrick (7). Both drivers were racing for nineteenth position on the lead lap.
On the re-start, Kevin Harvick (29) was able to get past Busch to take the lead. Before he could get to the white flag, Jeff Gordon (24) and Clint Bowyer (15) got together on track. Gordon waited for Bowyer to come back around, and intentionally wrecked him. Joey Lagono (20) and Aric Almirola (43) both got collected in the incident. A fight then broke out on pit road between the crews, after Bowyers crew went after Jeff. The “Red Flag” was then waved, so clean-up could be completed. The race would go into the Green-White-Checkered conclusion. The wreck happened right in front of the points leader, Brad Keselowski.
The end of this race was complete wreck fest. Right after the re-start, Jeff Burton (31) got into Danica Patrick and spun her out. Both were inside the top fifteen at the time. No caution was thrown, and cars drove through oil getting back to the checkered flag.
Another major pile-up happened at the start/finish line due to the oil. Ryan Newman (39), Kurt Busch (78), Mark Martin (55), Paul Menard (27), Greg Biffle (16), Danica Patrick (7) and Brad Keselowski (2) received damages from the last lap incident.
Kevin Harvick was able to re-start the final time, and get away. He would beat Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch for the victory. Harvick broke a 44 race winless streak. The rest of the top ten were: Kasey Kahne (5), Ryan Newman (39), Brad Keselowski (2), Greg Biffle (16), Kurt Busch (78), Paul Menard (27) and Mark Martin (55).
Other “Chase” notable finishes were: Matt Kenseth -17th, Tony Stewart - 20th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. -21st, Clint Bowyer - 27th, Jeff Gordon - 30th, Jimmie Johnson - 32nd and Martin Truex Jr. - 42nd. Danica Patrick finished 17th, one lap down as the leader passed her just before the start/finish line, after she was spun out by Burton.
The points leader is now Brad Keselowski by 20 points over Jimmie Johnson. With only one race remaining, Keselowski needs to finish 15th or better to win the title outright, no matter what Johnson does.
The next race is at Homestead next Sunday on ESPN.
Written by Rick A. Talford
Nascar Enthusiast
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - The Nationwide Series ran their second to last race of the season at the Phoenix track. In the Pre-race ceremonies, Ken Bowers provided the invocation. Chelsea Bain sang the National Anthem, while two T-45’s flew over the race track. Rhonda Olson was the Grand Marshal. The Pole-sitter was Joey Lagono (18), with Kyle Busch (54) starting second. A one mile track, that they would run 200 laps. In other related news, Brian Vickers was signed to drive the Joe Gibbs # 20 car full-time next season.
The first caution came out on lap one, when Noel Dowler (41) spun out. The second caution flew on lap 31, when John Blankenship (44) spun out. The third caution on lap 70, was also Blankenship spinning out. This time he had a bit of help from Brad Keselowski (22). Caution came out on lap 120, when Dowler spun out a second time. On lap 148, Mike Wallace (01) spun out Timmy Hill (70). Caution seven came out on lap 155, when Kyle Busch (54) intentionally spun out Sam Hornish Jr. (12). Another caution flew for Blankenship a second time on lap 177, for another spin out.
Elliott Sadler (2) ran up into Cole Whitt (88), and spun the two cars sideways with two laps remaining. The caution came out, as the car of Brendan Gaughn (33) also ran into the front end of Sadler. A “Red Flag” then came out on lap 199, to clean up the track for a Green-White-Checkered finish. Joey Lagono (18) was able to hold onto the lead, for his ninth win of the season. He also led the most laps in the race.
The rest of the top ten were: Brian Vickers (20), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6), Kyle Busch (54), Kasey Kahne (38), Austin Dillon (3), Michael Annett (43), Brian Scott (11), Brad Keselowski (22) and Danica Patrick (7).
The points standings now have Stenhouse Jr. ahead of Sadler by 20 points, with Dillon back 25 points. (Stenhouse Jr. only needs to finish 16th or better next week at Homestead, to win his second consecutive championship) Hornish Jr. -107, Annett -162, Allgaier -169, Whitt -252, Bliss -335, Scott -396 and Patrick -406.
ADVOCARE 500
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - The Sprint Cup Series also ran their second to last race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway. 312 Laps were scheduled to be run. The Pole-sitter was Kyle Busch (18), with Martin Truex Jr. (56) starting second. A new track record was set by Busch in qualifying (138.766). During the Opening Ceremonies, Ken Bowers provided the Invocation. Jason Wyatt sang “America the Beautiful”, and the National Anthem was sang by JoJo , while four F-16’s flew over the race track. The Grand Marshal was Richard and Sherry Wright. The In-race Reporter was Clint Bowyer (15). Other related news this week was, Kevin Harvick (29) will race one more year with RCR, then he will go to Stewart-Hass Racing in 2014. Ryan Newman (39) had 250 black and white pictures of American Veterans on his race car.
The race ran seven laps, before one of the “Chase” drivers began having troubles. Martin Truex Jr. (56), who started in second position began having electrical issues. He would take his car to the garage, where they found out the engine was starting to fail. On lap 18, the first caution came out for Mike Bliss (19) hitting the wall. Another caution came out on lap 52, when David Gilliland (38) had a tire blow out. He would hit the wall hard after the tire failure. Denny Hamlin (11) would take the lead from teammate Busch on lap 120. Busch would get the lead back after the third caution, on lap 168 for debris. Newman would have the lead at the re-start, but Busch would get it back shortly after.
On lap 232, Brad Keselowski (2) would take the lead away from Busch. The fourth caution came out just a couple laps later, when Jimmie Johnson (48) would have a tire fail. He ran up the track, and into the wall. The damage was sever enough, that he had to go to the garage for repairs. The fifth caution came out for David Ragan (34) hitting the wall on lap 274, after he had a tire failure in turn four. Johnson returned to the track after repairs to his car on lap 277. He was 38 laps down when he came back to the track. The sixth caution came out on lap 280, when Tony Stewart (14) was spun out by Aric Almirola(43). Stewart had to check up, when teammate Newman slowed in front of him. On lap 288, Sam Hornish Jr. (22) brought out the seventh caution, when he hit the wall after contact with Danica Patrick (7). Both drivers were racing for nineteenth position on the lead lap.
On the re-start, Kevin Harvick (29) was able to get past Busch to take the lead. Before he could get to the white flag, Jeff Gordon (24) and Clint Bowyer (15) got together on track. Gordon waited for Bowyer to come back around, and intentionally wrecked him. Joey Lagono (20) and Aric Almirola (43) both got collected in the incident. A fight then broke out on pit road between the crews, after Bowyers crew went after Jeff. The “Red Flag” was then waved, so clean-up could be completed. The race would go into the Green-White-Checkered conclusion. The wreck happened right in front of the points leader, Brad Keselowski.
The end of this race was complete wreck fest. Right after the re-start, Jeff Burton (31) got into Danica Patrick and spun her out. Both were inside the top fifteen at the time. No caution was thrown, and cars drove through oil getting back to the checkered flag.
Another major pile-up happened at the start/finish line due to the oil. Ryan Newman (39), Kurt Busch (78), Mark Martin (55), Paul Menard (27), Greg Biffle (16), Danica Patrick (7) and Brad Keselowski (2) received damages from the last lap incident.
Kevin Harvick was able to re-start the final time, and get away. He would beat Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch for the victory. Harvick broke a 44 race winless streak. The rest of the top ten were: Kasey Kahne (5), Ryan Newman (39), Brad Keselowski (2), Greg Biffle (16), Kurt Busch (78), Paul Menard (27) and Mark Martin (55).
Other “Chase” notable finishes were: Matt Kenseth -17th, Tony Stewart - 20th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. -21st, Clint Bowyer - 27th, Jeff Gordon - 30th, Jimmie Johnson - 32nd and Martin Truex Jr. - 42nd. Danica Patrick finished 17th, one lap down as the leader passed her just before the start/finish line, after she was spun out by Burton.
The points leader is now Brad Keselowski by 20 points over Jimmie Johnson. With only one race remaining, Keselowski needs to finish 15th or better to win the title outright, no matter what Johnson does.
The next race is at Homestead next Sunday on ESPN.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Nascar 2012 - race 34
TEXAS “TWO-STEP”
O’Reilly Challenge
Written by Rick A. Talford
NASCAR Enthusiast
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - The Nationwide Series ran their race at the mile and a half speedway. 200 laps would be scheduled to run at the high speed track. The Pole sitter was Kyle Busch (54), a five time winner at Texas in the series. Points leader, Elliott Sadler (2) started second. Danica Patrick (7) had a great qualifying, and started in the eighth spot. After this race, there would only be two more left to the Championship. Phoenix and Homestead will complete the 2012 Season, in the next two weeks. During the In-Race Ceremonies, Jay Atwood provided the Invocation. The 77th Army Band from Oklahoma played the National Anthem, while 15 show planes flew over head. The group was called the Falcon Team. The Grand Marshal was Ian Nelson. The In-Race Reporter was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6)
Kyle Busch (54) led the first 64 laps, before Kevin Harvick (33) took over the front spot. A tire failure brought out the first caution. A second caution came on lap 45, just after Austin Dillon (3) went to the pits for a tire going down. The caution was for debris on the track. After running well, on lap 57 Johanna Long (70) went to the garage after her transmission became a problem and her shifter fell off. On lap 65, Harvick would take control of the lead. On lap 84, the third caution came out for Jason Bowles (81) tagging the wall. On lap 154, Joey Gase (52) would spin out and bring out caution four of the race. During the pit stops, four cars would stay on track. Austin Dillon (3), Denny Hamlin (18),Ryan Blaney (22) and Justin Allgaier (31) tried to stay out to gain advantage on track, and save a set of tires for a late caution. On lap 175, the fifth and final caution came out for Joe Nemechek (87) hitting the wall.
Kevin Harvick led the most laps, while dominating the majority of the race. He went on to victory for the second time this season, in the series. This was his fifth win at the track. He has led the most laps seven times this season, with only the two wins. Paul Menard has drove the same 33 car, with three of those races leading the most laps. Harvick led a total of 127 laps.
The rest of the top ten were: Ryan Blaney (22), Kyle Busch (54), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6), Denny Hamlin (18), Austin Dillon (3), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Justin Allgaier (31), Kevin Swindell (98) and Cole Whitt (88). Danica Patrick ran a great race, and was in the top fifteen the entire race. She ran as high as fourth for a good part of it. She ended the night in fourteenth, after some late race shuffling on the final restart.
The points standing have really tightened up, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. taking the lead over Elliott Sadler. The two drivers are tied in points, with Stenhouse having the tie breaker. Austin Dillon is still in third, only 21 points behind the leaders.
The next race is at Phoenix on Saturday on ESPN at 3 EST.
“AAA TEXAS 500”
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - The Cup Series also ran their third to last race in Texas. Race 34 of 36, and “Chase” race number 8 of 10 would see the points leader Jimmie Johnson take the Pole. Greg Biffle (16) would start second. The race was scheduled for 334 laps on the 1.5 mile track. The race will start in the heat of the day, and end in the cooler evening temps. During the opening ceremonies, Dr. Roger Marsh provided the Invocation. The TCU Marching Band played the National Anthem, while a B-52 Bomber flew over the Speedway. The Grand Marshal was the cast of the TV show “Dallas”. With everyone thinking about the North-East and Superstorm Sandy damage, Martin Truex Jr. (56) has told fans that if he wins this race, he will donate all his winnings to the recovery efforts.
The first caution came out for debris on lap 100. This was never seen by the viewers. A second caution came out just nine laps later, when AJ Almandinger (51) spun through the infield. He was unable to get back to pit road, due to severe damage to the radiator and front clip. During the restart on lap 119, Bobby Labonte (47) got into the back of Trevor Bayne (21). Juan Montoya (42) tried to get around the incident, but got torn up badly on the infield grass. Labonte and Montoya both went straight to the garage. To this point, Jimmie Johnson has led 99 laps. Brad Keselowski (2) and Ryan Newman (39) have also led laps. Near lap 145, many drivers began to complain that the glare was a major issue. At the midway point of the race (lap 167), the top three in points were running the top three spots on track. On lap 186, the fourth caution for debris in turn one came out.
On lap 192. Kyle Busch (18) and Brad Keselowski both got past Johnson on the restart. The fifth caution came on lap 224, when debris in turn three was seen by Nascar. Jimmie Johnson received another bonus point for leading the most laps of the race. Up to this point of the race, he has led 164 laps. Danica Patrick ran well, as she ran in the eighteenth spot, on the lead lap with 100 laps left. On lap 254, the fastest car on track was Jeff Gordon (24). He was running in second position, and gaining quickly on the leader. Most of the field was attempting to make it to lap 280, before making their final stop for the race. If the race were to go green to the end, the cars would need to run 55 laps for both the final two runs. While running in the second position and coming fast, Gordon had a tire start to fail. He made a pit stop to get fresh tires, right before a caution flew. He fell from second to twenty-fifth. A sixth caution fell when debris was seen by an official on the backstretch, on lap 275. During the pit stops, Keselowski went from the lead to ninth place, due to sliding into his pits too far.
On lap 300, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were the top five cars. Keselowski, Biffle, Truex Jr., Kahne and Stewart topped out the top ten. Caution number seven fell for Marcus Ambrose hitting the wall on lap 311. The eighth caution fell with fourteen laps left, when Biffle and Gordon got together. Gordon then got together with Kahne, and Kahne ended up into the wall. Another caution flew with five laps left, as Mark Martin (55) spun out. Keselowski and Johnson ran each other very hard for the final laps. Under the Green-White-Checkered Rules, Johnson was able to get past Keselowski on the final restart for the victory. Keselowski did a great job staying in front, when he only put two tires on his car at the last pit stop. Everyone else put on four.
The rest of the top ten were: Kyle Busch (18), Matt Kenseth (17), Tony Stewart (14), Clint Bowyer (15), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Kurt Busch (78), Kevin Harvick (29) and Greg Biffle (16). Other notables in the “Chase” were: Martin Truex Jr. was thirteenth, Jeff Gordon was in fourteenth, Denny Hamlin was in twentieth, and Kasey Kahne was in twenty-fifth. Danica Patrick finished on the lead lap, in twenty-fourth.
The points for the Championship have stayed very close to the same as last week. Johnson holds the lead over Keselowski by seven points. Clint Bowyer is still third, now by 36 points. With two races left, it is really a two man race, unless something drastic were to happen to the two points leaders.
The next race will be at Phoenix on Sunday at 2 EST on ESPN.
O’Reilly Challenge
Written by Rick A. Talford
NASCAR Enthusiast
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - The Nationwide Series ran their race at the mile and a half speedway. 200 laps would be scheduled to run at the high speed track. The Pole sitter was Kyle Busch (54), a five time winner at Texas in the series. Points leader, Elliott Sadler (2) started second. Danica Patrick (7) had a great qualifying, and started in the eighth spot. After this race, there would only be two more left to the Championship. Phoenix and Homestead will complete the 2012 Season, in the next two weeks. During the In-Race Ceremonies, Jay Atwood provided the Invocation. The 77th Army Band from Oklahoma played the National Anthem, while 15 show planes flew over head. The group was called the Falcon Team. The Grand Marshal was Ian Nelson. The In-Race Reporter was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6)
Kyle Busch (54) led the first 64 laps, before Kevin Harvick (33) took over the front spot. A tire failure brought out the first caution. A second caution came on lap 45, just after Austin Dillon (3) went to the pits for a tire going down. The caution was for debris on the track. After running well, on lap 57 Johanna Long (70) went to the garage after her transmission became a problem and her shifter fell off. On lap 65, Harvick would take control of the lead. On lap 84, the third caution came out for Jason Bowles (81) tagging the wall. On lap 154, Joey Gase (52) would spin out and bring out caution four of the race. During the pit stops, four cars would stay on track. Austin Dillon (3), Denny Hamlin (18),Ryan Blaney (22) and Justin Allgaier (31) tried to stay out to gain advantage on track, and save a set of tires for a late caution. On lap 175, the fifth and final caution came out for Joe Nemechek (87) hitting the wall.
Kevin Harvick led the most laps, while dominating the majority of the race. He went on to victory for the second time this season, in the series. This was his fifth win at the track. He has led the most laps seven times this season, with only the two wins. Paul Menard has drove the same 33 car, with three of those races leading the most laps. Harvick led a total of 127 laps.
The rest of the top ten were: Ryan Blaney (22), Kyle Busch (54), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6), Denny Hamlin (18), Austin Dillon (3), Sam Hornish Jr. (12), Justin Allgaier (31), Kevin Swindell (98) and Cole Whitt (88). Danica Patrick ran a great race, and was in the top fifteen the entire race. She ran as high as fourth for a good part of it. She ended the night in fourteenth, after some late race shuffling on the final restart.
The points standing have really tightened up, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. taking the lead over Elliott Sadler. The two drivers are tied in points, with Stenhouse having the tie breaker. Austin Dillon is still in third, only 21 points behind the leaders.
The next race is at Phoenix on Saturday on ESPN at 3 EST.
“AAA TEXAS 500”
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - The Cup Series also ran their third to last race in Texas. Race 34 of 36, and “Chase” race number 8 of 10 would see the points leader Jimmie Johnson take the Pole. Greg Biffle (16) would start second. The race was scheduled for 334 laps on the 1.5 mile track. The race will start in the heat of the day, and end in the cooler evening temps. During the opening ceremonies, Dr. Roger Marsh provided the Invocation. The TCU Marching Band played the National Anthem, while a B-52 Bomber flew over the Speedway. The Grand Marshal was the cast of the TV show “Dallas”. With everyone thinking about the North-East and Superstorm Sandy damage, Martin Truex Jr. (56) has told fans that if he wins this race, he will donate all his winnings to the recovery efforts.
The first caution came out for debris on lap 100. This was never seen by the viewers. A second caution came out just nine laps later, when AJ Almandinger (51) spun through the infield. He was unable to get back to pit road, due to severe damage to the radiator and front clip. During the restart on lap 119, Bobby Labonte (47) got into the back of Trevor Bayne (21). Juan Montoya (42) tried to get around the incident, but got torn up badly on the infield grass. Labonte and Montoya both went straight to the garage. To this point, Jimmie Johnson has led 99 laps. Brad Keselowski (2) and Ryan Newman (39) have also led laps. Near lap 145, many drivers began to complain that the glare was a major issue. At the midway point of the race (lap 167), the top three in points were running the top three spots on track. On lap 186, the fourth caution for debris in turn one came out.
On lap 192. Kyle Busch (18) and Brad Keselowski both got past Johnson on the restart. The fifth caution came on lap 224, when debris in turn three was seen by Nascar. Jimmie Johnson received another bonus point for leading the most laps of the race. Up to this point of the race, he has led 164 laps. Danica Patrick ran well, as she ran in the eighteenth spot, on the lead lap with 100 laps left. On lap 254, the fastest car on track was Jeff Gordon (24). He was running in second position, and gaining quickly on the leader. Most of the field was attempting to make it to lap 280, before making their final stop for the race. If the race were to go green to the end, the cars would need to run 55 laps for both the final two runs. While running in the second position and coming fast, Gordon had a tire start to fail. He made a pit stop to get fresh tires, right before a caution flew. He fell from second to twenty-fifth. A sixth caution fell when debris was seen by an official on the backstretch, on lap 275. During the pit stops, Keselowski went from the lead to ninth place, due to sliding into his pits too far.
On lap 300, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were the top five cars. Keselowski, Biffle, Truex Jr., Kahne and Stewart topped out the top ten. Caution number seven fell for Marcus Ambrose hitting the wall on lap 311. The eighth caution fell with fourteen laps left, when Biffle and Gordon got together. Gordon then got together with Kahne, and Kahne ended up into the wall. Another caution flew with five laps left, as Mark Martin (55) spun out. Keselowski and Johnson ran each other very hard for the final laps. Under the Green-White-Checkered Rules, Johnson was able to get past Keselowski on the final restart for the victory. Keselowski did a great job staying in front, when he only put two tires on his car at the last pit stop. Everyone else put on four.
The rest of the top ten were: Kyle Busch (18), Matt Kenseth (17), Tony Stewart (14), Clint Bowyer (15), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88), Kurt Busch (78), Kevin Harvick (29) and Greg Biffle (16). Other notables in the “Chase” were: Martin Truex Jr. was thirteenth, Jeff Gordon was in fourteenth, Denny Hamlin was in twentieth, and Kasey Kahne was in twenty-fifth. Danica Patrick finished on the lead lap, in twenty-fourth.
The points for the Championship have stayed very close to the same as last week. Johnson holds the lead over Keselowski by seven points. Clint Bowyer is still third, now by 36 points. With two races left, it is really a two man race, unless something drastic were to happen to the two points leaders.
The next race will be at Phoenix on Sunday at 2 EST on ESPN.
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