I lost a top front tooth last week. I broke it off just in time for Halloween.  Believe me; it has done absolutely nothing to upgrade my award winning smile.

I do miss my tooth. It was a very serviceable ceramic cap over my original tooth I got following a midnight barracks brawl when I was in the service. 

My tooth helped me put down some pretty awesome meals over what’s been a little over 54 years.  Unfortunately, my dentist said it was too aged and too little left for her to put in a post and cap. It was gone and the remaining root would have to go.

As it turned out, I needed to attend my granddaughter’s outdoor wedding.  Luckily, it carried an enjoyable Halloween theme, so I fit right in. 

I’m sure my huge audience of six or so might be wondering how I came to lose my tooth.  Some might put me under the category of the outdoor type, and think I had a mishap swinging a maul splitting firewood?  Or maybe it was from the shoulder crushing recoil of a rifle suitable for African big game?

Nothing quite so outdoorsy or macho… I broke my tooth eating a frozen ice cream bar.

Once my extraction has properly healed, my dentist will take an impression and send my partial plate off to have a front tooth added to it. If the schedule runs true, it will be back just in time for Thanksgiving!

Sagamore Parkway Trail Opens in Lafayette 

On Oct. 29, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the city of Lafayette celebrated the completion of the Sagamore Parkway Trail in Lafayette. The asphalt multi-use trail was constructed by the city of Lafayette with help from a $2,706,700 Next Level Trails (NLT) grant. 

“Next Level Trails is all about making connections between and within communities,” said Dan Bortner, DNR director. “The completion of the Sagamore Parkway Trail is the latest of more than 100 miles of new trail connections that have been built with support from Next Level Trails. DNR is proud to come alongside partners in Lafayette to make this new trail possible.”

The new trail adds 0.90 miles of trail along Sagamore Parkway between 9th Street and the Wabash River Bridge. Trail connections occur on both sides of the completed project, including a connection to multi-use paths along 9th Street, the Wabash River Heritage Trail, and the city of West Lafayette’s section of the Sagamore Parkway Trail. Completion of the project links Lafayette and West Lafayette over the Wabash River.

“This is an exciting time for Lafayette-West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, and Purdue University,” said Stanton Lambert, executive director of the Wabash River Enhancement Corporation. “The Wabash River Enhancement Corporation and the city of Lafayette, along with our community partners in West Lafayette and the county, are thrilled to open this newest section of the Wabash River Greenway, which connects Lafayette and West Lafayette and Purdue University to each other and to the Wabash River Corridor.”

DNR Seeks Public Opinion 

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) plan for the strategic direction of the DNR Division of Forestry is now available for public comment.

“Science-based, sustainable management of Indiana’s public and private forests has been a driving mission for the DNR Division of Forestry for more than 120 years,” said Dan Bortner, DNR director. “This plan focuses on supporting the growth of healthy, diverse forests for today’s Hoosiers and future generations to enjoy.”

The plan can be reviewed, and public comments may be made at on.IN.gov/forest-management.

In addition to providing public comment online, Hoosiers are invited to attend public meetings in November or December to learn more about the five-year strategic plan and ask questions. The meetings will be held Nov. 6, Nov. 14, and Dec. 4. Comments will be accepted online through Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. ET.

The DNR Division of Forestry manages approximately 160,000 acres of forest in 15 state forests across Indiana; manages the Classified Forest and Wildlands program, which provides guidance on the management of over 881,000 acres of private woodlands; grows and sells 3 million tree seedlings annually; and administers a statewide urban forestry program.

State forests are managed for multiple uses and benefits, including hunting, fishing, camping, horseback riding, hiking, mushroom hunting, and picnicking. Other benefits include timber production; conservation of air, soil and water resources; and forest aesthetics.

The dates and locations for the five sessions are:

Wednesday, Nov. 6: 6:30-8 p.m. at Fort Harrison Inn, Indianapolis.

Thursday, Nov. 14, 6:30-8 p.m. at Salamonie Lake, Nature Center, Andrews.

Wednesday, Dec. 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Spring Mill State Park Inn, Mitchell.

‘till next time,  

Jack

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com 

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.