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The Fremont Pathfinders will be reenacting the Indian Wars Period soldiers of Company A, 23rd Infantry at Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park this Memorial Day weekend. The soldiers will be arriving Friday, May 22 and will be stationed at the Fort through Sunday, May 24, 2009. The soldiers will be bunking in the Enlisted Men’s Barracks during their stay here at the Fort.

According to Bill Winburn, the group’s spokesman, the re-enactors will be bringing along a Gatling gun, cannons and a Howitzer and will be using these cannons during the Saturday Night Shoot which will take place around 9:30 p.m.

Join us at Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park near Burwell, NE this Memorial Day Weekend to see the Fremont Pathfinders and watch the spectacular Night Shoot of the Cannons!

The Ord Tigers will be playing Company A, 23rd Infantry at Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park this Memorial Day weekend. Make it an extended Sunday afternoon and watch the Game of the last Century!

GAME AND PARKS IS PLANNING TO SHUT DOWN FT. HARTSUFF DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FUNDS TO KEEP IT OPEN. IT WOULD BE OPEN FOR THREE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR WITH NO MAINTENANCE OR UPKEEP PROVIDED. WE NEED TO SUPPORT THIS VALUABLE ASSET TO OUR COUNTY AND SHOW SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO RESTORED AND MAINTAIN THIS HISTORICAL LANDMARK. CALL OR WRITE YOUR STATE LEGISLATOR, THE GOV. OR THE HEAD OF GAME AND PARKS TO RETHINK THIS HASTY DECISION AND SHOW UP, IT MAY BE YOUR LAST CHANCE TO SEE IT AS IT WAS.

Here is a list of people to call and see if we can reverse this poor decision:

Lincoln Office/Governor Heineman State Capitol: Office of the Governor P.O. Box 94848 Lincoln, NE 68509-4848 Phone: 402-471-2244 Fax: 402-471-6031

Western Office: Office of the Governor 4500 Avenue I P.O. Box 1500 Scottsbluff, NE 69363-1500 Phone: 308-632-1370 Fax: 308-632-1313

Nebraska Game & Parks Rex Amack, Director Jim Fuller, Regional Parks Director 2200 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, NE 68503 • (402) 471-0641

Sen. Kate Sullivan District 41 Room 1019 P.O. Box 94604 State Capitol Lincoln, NE 68509 Phone: (402) 471-2631

A letter from Kate Sullivan concerning Ft. Hartsuff.

Dear Constituents:

Many of you have written me to share your concerns about the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's plans for the future of Fort Hartsuff.

In response, I spoke directly with Game and Parks Director Rex Amack. Mr. Amack clarified that the Game and Parks Commission will formally accept the agency budget appropriation as passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor as part of the regular business at the May 29 meeting in Curtis. However, internal budget decisions affecting all state parks and recreation areas under their management will be discussed over the next seven weeks and the Commission will vote on the budget recommendations at their July 17, 2009 Commission meeting in Lincoln.

As background, the Game and Parks Commission is primarily funded by fees generated by park permits, hunting and fishing licenses, campgrounds, habitat stamps etc. The agency receives $47,500 per year in state general fund dollars. The Commission's overall budget actually increases 3.2% per year for the next two years. The Commission also receives federal reimbursements based on the number of hunting, fishing and park permits they sell two years prior to the current year. The federal reimbursements can vary year to year since the total is based on permit sales, but the reimbursements are a substantial source of operating revenue for the Commission.

Earlier this session, in response to strong public sentiment, the Legislature placed a limit on annual permit fee increases by the Commission. LB 105 passed on April 3 and was signed by the Governor on April 8. The old statute allowed the Commission to increase fees by 6% annually. LB 105 allows the Commission to increase fees once every two years. The decision to raise fees within the limits prescribed in statute is still left to the Commission. LB 105 was already in effect when the state budget was passed by the Legislature on May 13.

In all fairness, Game and Parks is experiencing the same budget issues you and I are experiencing in this down economy - the ever increasing costs of just about every item we need and use on a daily basis. That being said however, decisions affecting state parks and recreation areas under Game and Parks management are not being driven by budget reductions from the current Legislature.

I strongly encourage you to contact the Game and Parks Commissioners directly and express your opinions about possible closure or reduction of hours at Fort Hartsuff. I've attached a list of all nine Commissioners so you can share your opinion with them also. Fort Hartsuff is located in Commission District 6. Mr. Lynn Berggren is the District 6 Commissioner but the decisions will be made by the entire Commission, not just Mr. Berggren.

I will join you in contacting the Commissioners and staff to encourage them to maintain Fort Hartsuff at its current level. It is extremely important that we voice our opinions about the potential reductions at Fort Hartsuff. The Commissioners need to know of our concerns before their budget decisions become final in July.

Sincerely,

Kate Sullivan

KATE SULLIVAN

State Senator

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Game and Parks Commissioners

District Name Address City Phone

1 Dr. Mark Pinkerton 114 W. 3rd St., P.O. Box 1127 Wilber, NE 68465 (402) 228-1755

2 Ron Stave 25827 Blondo St. Waterloo, NE 68069 (402) 359-2718

3 Mick Jensen P.O. Box 500 Blair, NE 68008 (402) 426-9511

4 James Ziebarth Rural Route 1, Box 14A Wilcox, NE 68982 (308) 478-5255

5 Jerrod Burke 220 Crook Ave. Curtis, NE 69025 (308) 367-4399

6 Lynn Berggren 514 Westridge Drive Broken Bow, NE 68822 (308) 872-6684

7 Mark Spurgin 790 Road East R South Paxton, NE 69155 (308) 239-4539

8 Dr. Kent Forney 5001 Trotter Road Lincoln, NE 68512 (402) 421-6456

At Large

Rex Fisher 1314 Douglas, 13th Floor Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 422-3742