Bay Area Huskers News 7/31/2006

Hey Bay Area Husker Fans,
Here's a long overdue sports update with some extra news from the homeland. Football season is quickly approaching and everyone is getting ready for watch parties, trips back to Lincoln for a game or two and of course a mini-migration south to watch the Huskers take on the Trojans of USC in mid-September. Sorry its been so long between missives, but I've been a little busy this summer. Lots of good stuff to pass along to get you excited about the upcoming season...looks like we're being picked to win the Big XII North Division this year...should be a lot of fun!
Go Big Red (White and Blue),
Carl

Husker Picnic....
Glad we got a chance to say hi to some of you at our recent Bay Area Roundup summer picnic. We had over 80 red clad Huskers in attendance for some delicious food and family, friends and Big Red fan fun! For those that didn't make it you really missed a treat as our own Ag Minister and Korn King, Don Pace, outdid himself and brought us the sweetest home grown corn we've ever tasted....YUMM! This corn would have turned even the most ardent Buff or Sooner fan into a Cornhusker on the spot!! Thanks to Don, our Prez Dave Pegg, and the rest of the Bay Area Huskers board (especially Mac and Donna) for a great event! We not only had a lot of fun, but we raised a bunch of money for our scholarship fund, so thanks to all who attended for making it a GO BIG RED day. See the pictures at: http://bayareahuskers.org/pastevents.html

Watch Parties...
The first game of the season against Louisiana Tech on Saturday September 2nd will be televised on FSN (see below). So get ready to gather at our favorite watering holes and cheer on the Huskers this fall. We've chatted with several of our watch sites to make sure they are ready for another invasion of Husker fans this fall. Jack's Brewing Company, Final-Final, Legends and Knuckles will be firing up their big screens and polishing their gametime menus in anticipation of another great football season. Check out our website for watch site info/directions: http://bayareahuskers.org/watchsites.html

Football Schedule...
See a home made version of our football schedule below. I'll try to have nicer copies for our watch party coordinators to hand out at the first watch party. You can also check our website to get updates on times and TV coverage as they occur.

Website...
Speaking of websites...have you seen our new updated website recently??? Wow!! Brian has really done a great job of gathering the best info, links and Bay Area Husker stuff we've ever had on our website. Great photos of past events, watch site updates, recent E-News emails, sports updates, board and alumni news and of course links to all the best and latest Husker info. Do yourself a favor and check out ALL the pages at www.bayareahuskers.org THANKS Brian!

USC Game...
If you didn't get my previous email about ticket packages and ticket availability let me know and I'll send it again. USC tickets are only available at the USC ticket website link to StubHub http://www.stubhub.com/usc-football-tickets/, and are rather expensive. Their ticket office states that all tickets to the game (and their season tickets) are sold out but you can occasionally check at http://usctrojans.cstv.com/tickets/usc-tickets.html in case they change their mind. There have been a few folks interested in coordinating a migration of Bay Area Huskers to the USC game in L.A. All I can say is if you are interested in getting together to either carpool or get together before the game, let me know and I'll do my best to keep you informed of who plans to go, when and where they are staying. Go Huskers, beat the Trojans!

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SEASON OPENER TO BE TELEVISED ON FSN...

Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
Head Coach Bill Callahan and Nebraska will kick off the 2006 season on FSN against Louisiana Tech.
Fox Sports Net and the Big 12 Conference announced on Tuesday that Nebraska’s Sept. 2 season opener against Louisiana Tech will be televised nationally on FSN, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. CDT. The Louisiana Tech contest is one of three 2006 Nebraska games that has already been tabbed for a national telecast.

Previously, game times and television arrangements for the Huskers’ matchups with USC and Colorado have been announced. The Sept. 16 game at USC will kick off at 7 p.m. CDT and be carried nationally as part of ABC’s Saturday Night College Football package. Nebraska will also appear on ABC against Colorado on Friday, Nov. 24, with a national telecast set for 2:30 p.m. CST.

Announcements of game times and television plans for the remainder of Nebraska’s schedule will be set six to 12 days in advance of the game.

The opener against Louisiana Tech will mark the second meeting between the two schools. The first meeting, the 1998 Eddie Robinson Football Classic, was also televised nationally on FSN, and the Huskers rolled to a 56-27 victory.


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HUSKERS SET TO RESUME SERIES WITH WASHINGTON...

Nebraska and Washington will meet for the first time since 1998 when the two teams square off in 2010 and 2011.
Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson announced on Friday that the Huskers have reached an agreement for a home-and-home football series with the University of Washington. The games will take place in the 2010 and 2011 seasons and mark the fourth high-profile opponent Nebraska has announced in the past three months.

The series will begin in Seattle at Husky Stadium on Sept. 18, 2010. The Huskies will make the trip to Lincoln and Memorial Stadium on Sept. 17, 2011. The games with Washington are the first contests scheduled for Nebraska in 2010 and 2011.

The announcement of a home-and-home series with Washington comes after recent announcements of home-and-home series with Virginia Tech, UCLA and Tennessee. The Huskers will play Virginia Tech in 2008 and 2009, take on UCLA in 2012 and 2013 and square off with the Volunteers in 2016 and 2017.

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HUSKERS ANNOUNCE FOOTBALL SERIES WITH TENNESSEE...

Nebraska and Tennessee will meet on the gridiron in 2016 and 2017, marking the first regular season games between the schools.
Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson announced on Thursday that the Huskers have signed a contract for a home-and-home football series with the University of Tennessee. The games will take place in the 2016 and 2017 seasons and mark the third high-profile non-conference series announced by Nebraska in the past six weeks.


The series will begin in Lincoln at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 10, 2016. Nebraska will make the return trip to Knoxville and Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium on Sept. 9, 2017.


The announcement of a home-and-home series with the Volunteers comes on the heels of Nebraska’s Monday announcement of a contract to play UCLA in 2012 and 2013. In May, Nebraska announced that it will take on Virginia Tech in the 2008 and 2009 seasons.


In addition to Tennessee, Pederson also announced Thursday that the Huskers have inked a contract for a single game against Florida Atlantic in 2009. The game will be played on Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium, and is the Huskers’ second scheduled non-conference game of the 2009 season, joining the Sept. 19 contest at Virginia Tech.


The Huskers’ games with Tennessee will be the first-ever regular-season meetings between the two schools. Nebraska holds a 2-0 edge in the series with the Vols, defeating Tennessee, 42-17, in the 1998 Orange Bowl and 31-21 in the 2000 Fiesta Bowl. The win in the 1998 Orange Bowl was Tom Osborne’s last game as Nebraska head coach and capped a perfect 13-0 national championship season. The Fiesta Bowl victory completed a 12-1 Husker season in 1999.


Nebraska and Tennessee are two of just 10 schools in college football with 700 all-time victories. Nebraska ranks fourth with 794 wins, while Tennessee sits in ninth place on the list with 751 victories. The Huskers and Vols are also regulars in the postseason, with Tennessee’s 45 bowl trips tied for second on the all-time list and Nebraska in fifth place with 43 bowl appearances.


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HUSKERS AGREE TO HOME-AND-HOME SERIES WITH UCLA...
Lincoln—The Nebraska football program has agreed to a home-and-home series with UCLA for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, University of Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson announced on Monday.


The series will begin with Nebraska traveling to the historic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., to take on the Bruins on Sept. 8, 2012. The two teams will face each other in a rematch the following season, with UCLA visiting Lincoln and Memorial Stadium on Sept. 14, 2013.


The announcement is the second high-profile opponent the Huskers have signed a contract with in the past six weeks. Earlier this spring, Nebraska announced a home-and-home series with Virginia Tech for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.


"We are very excited to announce this series with UCLA,” Pederson said. “This is in keeping with our goal of playing high-profile opponents in the non-conference every season in different parts of the country. These two schools have a history of great games, and I’m sure these upcoming matchups will only enhance that.”


Nebraska has faced the Bruins on 10 previous occasions, with the Huskers owning a 6-4 edge in the series between the two schools. UCLA captured the first three meetings, picking up victories in 1946, 1948 and 1972. The UCLA win in 1972 ended Nebraska’s 32-game unbeaten streak.


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HUSKERS SET TO PLAY VIRGINIA TECH IN 2008 AND 2009...
Lincoln - Two of college football’s top programs are set to square off in a home-and-home series, as Nebraska and Virginia Tech have agreed to play each other in both 2008 and 2009, University of Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson announced on Thursday.


Nebraska will open the two-game series with the Hokies at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Sept. 20, 2008. The two teams will face each other in the rematch at Lane Stadium/Worsham Field in Blacksburg, Va., on Sept. 19, 2009.

"Our goal is to play non-conference games against high-profile national opponents each season," Pederson said. "Virginia Tech has been one of the most successful programs in the country for more than a decade. This is a series that should be extremely enticing to fans of both schools, and college football fans in general. The trip to Blacksburg will also give our East Coast fans a great opportunity to see our team play."

The Huskers and Hokies have never faced each other in a regular-season game, but the two programs did do battle in the 1996 Orange Bowl. Nebraska ran to a 41-21 victory over Virginia Tech in the only previous meeting between the two schools, setting the stage for the Huskers’ 1997 undefeated national championship season.

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HUSKERS TOP BIG 12 NORTH PRESEASON MEDIA POLL...

Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
The Huskers and Sooners have been picked by the conference media to meet in December's Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City.

DALLAS—Nebraska was picked to win the Big 12 North division and Oklahoma the South in a preseason poll of media, the conference office announced Thursday.


The Huskers return 16 starters from last year’s 8-4 team that tied for second (4-4) in the North and beat Michigan in the MasterCard Alamo Bowl. NU led the Big 12 in red zone defense in 2005, holding the opposition scoreless 33.3 percent of the time it penetrated the 20-yard line while also recording an NCAA-leading 50 sacks.


While the recognition marks the seventh time in the 11-year history of the Big 12 that Nebraska has been tabbed by the conference’s media representatives to win the North division, this is the first year that the Huskers have been picked first since 2001. NU gained the media’s tag as favorite during each of the conference’s first six seasons.


Iowa State was picked to finish second in the North in 2006, followed by Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Kansas State.


Oklahoma welcomes back 13 starters from its 2005 squad, including Adrian Peterson who became the first running back in OU history to amass 3,000 rushing yards (3,033) in his first two seasons. The Sooners finished 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12 last year while ending the season with a win over then-No. 6 ranked Oregon in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.


Defending national champion Texas was picked to finish second in the South, followed by Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Baylor.


The winners of the North and South divisions will square off in the 2006 Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship Dec. 2, at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. The game will be telecast nationally by ABC at 7 p.m. CT.


Big 12 teams will be in Kansas City Monday, July 24, through Wednesday, July 26, for the annual Big 12 Football Media Day. Nebraska will appear in Kansas City during the Monday session.


2006 Big 12 Preseason Football Media Poll
(first place votes in parentheses)
North
1. Nebraska (21) 160
2. Iowa State (5) 128
3. Colorado (2) 93
4. Kansas 85
5. Missouri 82
6. Kansas State 40

South
1. Oklahoma (23) 163
2. Texas (5) 144
3. Texas Tech 106
4. Texas A&M 81
5. Oklahoma State 49
6. Baylor 46

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NU PLACES THREE ON PRESEASON MEDIA ALL-BIG 12 TEAM...
DALLAS—Three members of the Nebraska football team were named preseason All-Big 12 by a select panel of media, the conference office announced Friday. Senior Adam Carriker and junior Corey McKeon each were placed on the All-Big 12 defensive team, while junior Terrence Nunn garnered the most votes for top punt returner.


Carriker returns for his final season as a Husker one year after earning first-team all-conference recognition by the Associated Press and Dallas Morning News. The Kennewick, Wash., native also earned Nebraska Defensive MVP honors in 2005 after helping lead the NU defense to the nation’s top totals in both sacks (50) and tackles for loss (124).

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HUSKERS REAP ACADEMIC AWARDS IN 2005-06...
Lincoln - Husker student-athletes added another chapter to the University of Nebraska’s growing tradition as a national academic leader in 2005-06. Nebraska’s academic success reached new heights, as the Huskers brought home a Big 12-leading 11 CoSIDA Academic All-America awards, including seven first-team honors during the 2005-06 campaign to increase NU’s collegiate record total of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans to 233, a total of 57 more than the second-place school on the list.

Nebraska student-athletes also claimed 126 Academic All-Big 12 selections across all sports, including 103 first-team Academic All-Big 12 honorees. NU student-athletes also earned 479 spots on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall and Spring Academic Honor Rolls. To earn a spot on the honor roll, a student-athlete must earn a 3.0 grade-point average during the semester. During the fall and spring semesters combined, a Big 12-leading 72 Husker student-athletes produced perfect 4.0 semester GPAs.

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HUSKERS EARN 20 CoSIDA PUBLICATION AWARDS...

Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
The Nebraska women's gymnastics media guide was voted "Best in the Nation" in judging by CoSIDA in 2006.
Lincoln - The University of Nebraska Media Relations Office earned 20 publication awards from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) during the 2005-06 season. The awards were officially announced during CoSIDA’s national convention in Nashville in early July.

Nebraska’s 20 CoSIDA awards ranked among the top schools in the nation, as the NU Media Relations Office has finished among the top five schools nationally in the overall publications contest for six straight years.

Among Nebraska’s impressive list of award-winning publications, eight Husker media and recruiting guides ranked among the top five in the nation in their respective sports, including three guides that captured "Best in the Nation" honors. The Nebraska women’s gymnastics guide created by student-assistant Bonnie Ryan earned top national honors, as did Kelli Kremlacek’s women’s rifle guide and Jessica Schwager’s women’s bowling media guide.

In addition to the three national champion publications, the Nebraska volleyball media guide cover created by Megan McLaughlin and Shamus McKnight was voted the nation’s "Best Cover" in its contest.

For the rest of the article see: www.huskers.com

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MEMORIAL STADIUM CONSTRUCTION UPDATE...

Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
Memorial Stadium is nearing the completion of its North Stadium improvements.
Construction in Full Swing
Sampson Construction crews continued to make solid progress throughout the spring months on the Memorial Stadium Expansion Project and the project remains on schedule.

Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex
Crews are putting the finishing touches on the interior of the Osborne Athletic Complex, working from top to bottom. Finishing work includes installation of doors, carpet, floor and ceiling tiles. The finishing work is on schedule to be completed in time for football operations to move in before fall camp begins in August.

Exterior
Each day construction crews continue to level the dirt surrounding the Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex and Hawks Championship Center and pour concrete, moving from east to west. The retaining walls north of the Osborne Athletic Complex have been installed and heating tubes adjacent to the front entrance on the north have been installed which will heat the concrete in the winter preventing ice and snow to accumulate by the main entrance. The main entry canopy has been installed.

Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Facility
New sod has been completely installed on the Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Facility. The two full-length grass football practice fields are located just east of the Hawks Championship Center and combined with the Osborne Athletic Complex, the Myers Performance Center and the Hawks Championship Center, will give Nebraska the best football practice facilities in the country.

New North Concourse
Construction workers continue to seal the concrete floors in the new north concourse. The new north concourse connects the East and West and features new restrooms and concessions for fans to enjoy. Fans with seats in the North, East or West can enter the stadium from Gate 16 and the North, and enjoy

HuskerVision Big Screens
Mitsubishi has completed installation of the LED modules for the north HuskerVision screen. Mitsubishi has begun installation of the cabinets and modules for the two south boards, which are located on the southeast and southwest towers of the stadium. After the modules have been put in place for all three screens, they will be wired, connected with the HuskerVision control room, and tested. HuskerVision staff will spend July and August configuring the screens for programming.

At the time of installation, the new instant replay screen in North Stadium will be the largest screen in any college stadium in the United States, measuring 33’ 7 3/16" high by 117’ 7 1/8’ wide (nearly 40 yards). Approximately 10 of the old boards would fit inside the north big screen area. The two new screens on the south end of the stadium will be approximately 21’ high by 24’ wide, slightly larger than the two original HuskerVision screens that measured 23’ high by 17’ wide, and had been in place since 1994.

All three of the new Mitsubishi screens utilize high brightness LED technology, and the north video screen will contain 3,670,016 LEDs. Mitsubishi uses a unique signal process that utilizes a quad dot pattern system to provide very high picture resolution. The system will accept all graphic and broadcast signals, including HDTV.

HuskerVision will be capable of running video on the entire active viewing area of the North Stadium screen, and will also have the ability to segment the screen in a variety of ways to show live action, statistics, graphics and advertising. While the new screen will contain scoring and game time information, conventional scoreboards will also be in place at field level in the southwest and northeast corners of the stadium. New game time and 25-second clocks will be installed on the facade of each end zone.

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ROZIER TO BE INDUCTED INTO COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME...

Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
Husker Heisman winner Mike Rozier will be one of 15 members of the 2006 College Football Hall of Fame class.
The College Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that former Nebraska All-American and 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier is among 13 former college greats who are part of the 2006 Division I-A Hall of Fame Class.


The 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Division I-A Class, which also includes legendary coaches Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno, will be inducted at the 49th Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5, 2006, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. They will be officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend, Ind., during ceremonies in the summer of 2007.


Rozier will become the 13th former Husker great in the College Football Hall of Fame, and Nebraska’s first inductee since fellow Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers was part of the 2000 class. Nebraska is also well-represented by coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame with six former Husker coaches in the Hall of Fame, most recently Tom Osborne in 1998.


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HUSKER VOLLEYBALL PULLS IN TOP-10 RECRUITING CLASS...

Courtesy: Shamus McKnight/Huskers.com
Two-time AVCA Coach of the Year John Cook at the 2005 Coach of the Year Banquet.
Lincoln – Nebraska’s incoming volleyball class received honors from two national publications, as both Volleyball Magazine and PrepVolleyball.com rated the Huskers’ recruiting class as one of the 10 best classes in the country.

The class of Brooke Bartek (Lincoln, Neb./Northeast High School) and Kori Cooper (Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo High School) was ranked 10th nationally by both publications. Both players are already on campus, as Cooper enrolled at NU during the spring semester and accompanied the team on its trip to Asia, while Bartek began classes during the second summer semester beginning this week.

Barkek was one of the nation’s top high school players at Lincoln Northeast High School and rated the No. 13 player nationally by PrepVolleyball.com and a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 Recruit. A four-year starter, Bartek was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Nebraska in 2005 and finished her career with 337 blocks and 1,190 kills at Lincoln Northeast.

Cooper was one of the nation’s top seniors despite missing nearly all of her senior year with a knee injury. She was a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 pick and was rated the No. 12 player in the country by PrepVolleyball.com. As a junior, she co-captained the U.S. Youth National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2005 Under-18 World Championships in 2005 in Macau, China. A two-time all-state performer at Amarillo High School, Cooper totaled 439 kills, 103 block assists and 55 block solos during her junior campaign in 2004.

The Huskers begin fall camp on Tuesday, Aug. 8, with the Red/White Scrimmage and Alumni Match set for Saturday, Aug. 26.

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL SHINES IN CLASSROOM...

Lincoln – The Nebraska volleyball team continued its elite academic tradition during the spring semester with all 11 members of the squad were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring Honor Roll released this week.

The team, which included five members with perfect 4.0 GPA’s during the spring semester, compiled a team GPA of 3.74. Huskers who posted perfect 4.0 GPA’s in the spring included first-team Academic All-Americans Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling along with Maggie Griffin, Tracy Stalls and Amanda Gates.

In all, they were among the 38 student-athletes across all sports who carried a 4.0 during the spring. Pavan, Houghtelling, Stalls and Gates all posted perfect 4.0 GPA during both the fall and spring semesters. In addition, two former Husker volleyball players – Michelle Lynch and Meghan Smith – also had better than 3.0 GPA during the spring semester.

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Ringing in Husker year

By Jim Armstrong
Denver Post Staff Columnist

No shirt, no shoes, no notes ...

We interrupt our regularly scheduled teasing of Nebraska football fans for this important message: Husker Nationalists will have a chance to wear all five of the team's national championship rings over Labor Day weekend.

"They can put them on their hands and take pictures, whatever they want," Jesse Kosch said. "Just so they don't walk off with them. That would be a small problem."

Kosch was a punter on the Huskers' 1994, 1995 and 1997 national championship teams. Claim to fame: He and his father, Bill, an all-Big 8 defensive back on the 1970 and 1971 teams, have earned rings from all five national titles between them.

The rings will be on display Sept. 2, when Kosch hosts the "Big Red of the Rockies" kickoff party at the Lake Shore Lodge in Estes Park. He bought the Big Red of the Rockies store, an institution in Estes Park since the 1990s, in April, moving it three blocks and tripling its size to 1,000 square feet of wall-to-wall Huskerabilia.

Tickets for the bash are going for $15 and include raffle giveaways, a silent auction, eats and, of course, a viewing of the Huskers' season opener against Louisiana Tech. For info, call 888-244-7339 or go to www.bigredoftherockies.com. ...

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TICKET EXCHANGE (let me know if you are buying or selling and I'll put your info in a future email)...

Hey, Husker Fans,
Are there any tickets out there to the NU-USC game? We are still looking!
Diane Dodd
925-210-1721

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HUSKER ALUMNI NEWS - LinkN...
WINNERS OF GREAT PLAINS STUDIES AWARDS ANNOUNCED
The Center for Great Plains Studies, an interdisciplinary studies center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has announced the winners of its annual literary, science and history awards.
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/unlnews/

TEMPERO, GOTTSCHALCK EARN CATHER HONORS
Sue Carkoski Tempero, '61, of Indianapolis, and Cindy Gottschalck, '06, of Omaha are the recipients of the Cather Circle Alumna of the Year and Collegian of the Year awards from the Nebraska Alumni Association.
http://www.cathercircle.com/newsandnotes/index.asp

EVENT MARKS CONSTRUCTION OF INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER AT UNL
Construction of the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln began officially May 12 with a groundbreaking ceremony.The 37,000-square-foot building will be built at North 33rd and Holdrege streets in Lincoln. Scheduled to open to the public in early 2008, the quilt center will house three exhibition galleries and state-of-the-art textiles storage, and be an international focal point for the study,conservation and exhibition of quilts.
http://ucommxsrv1.unl.edu/unlnews/
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BRUSH FIRES THREATEN VALENTINE AREA (more articles in News from the Homeland below)...

And we're not the only ones who worry about summer brush fires....here's one from the Sand Hills (Thanks John!)...

VALENTINE - Firefighters worked through the night to battle a large fire that destroyed about 10 homes. About 200 people and a hospital were evacuated.

Valentine Fire Chief Terry Engles said the fire was still burning early Monday morning. "We've got it knocked down, but it's not out," he said.

Engles said firefighters would asses the situation when the sun rises. They spent the night protecting the town and trying to keep the blaze confined to canyons nearby.

The cause of the fire, which started about 4 p.m., was not yet known, he said.

Eilene Brannon, Cherry County emergency manager, said about 200 residents and a hospital in the northeast section of the town were evacuated as a precaution.

Neil Hilton, administrator of the Brown County Hospital in Ainsworth, said eight patients were brought in by ambulance or private car from Valentine, doubling the number of patients in his 25-bed hospital. Extra staff was brought in to help care for the patients.

Ainsworth is about 50 miles southeast of Valentine, a town of about 2,600 people near the Nebraska-South Dakota border just south of the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

The fire broke out in a canyon about a half-mile north of Valentine, fire officials said. It raged through the canyon and ignited some houses on the north edge of town about 7:30 p.m., when it also burned through a city park.

Firefighters struggled to battle the blaze in the rough terrain of the canyons, which are covered by tall grass, cedar trees and Ponderosa pines, said Valentine firefighter Duane Bellin.

He said the fire eventually erupted out of the canyon onto the flatlands.

"A firestorm came up out of there," Bellin said.

Airplanes made slurry drops over the fire to try to help contain the blaze.

"We've had trees crowning, exploding, fire tornadoes, real thick smoke, can't see or breathe and extreme heat," Bellin said.

Firefighters had to contend with a record-high temperature of 113 degrees on Sunday and a relative humidity of only 9 percent.

More than two dozen fire departments from South Dakota and Nebraska helped fight the fire. Four firefighters suffered minor injuries, including two who suffered heat exhaustion.

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NEWS FROM THE HOMELAND...

* NU Snags Top QB From Texas
The young fellow was impressed with the style of the coaching staff. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/06/29/44a40f51959f2

* Panhandle Fires Still Raging; Relief Fund Created
Our best thoughts are with those in the path of the wildfires, especially the men and women fighting to contain them. If you can spare a few bucks, the relief fund would be grateful. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/31/44ce2a4612d19

* Water Was Precious To Early Settler
There was none to spare. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/21/44c0ead488d6f

* Hundreds Of New Manufacturing Jobs Coming To Beatrice, Columbus
Good economic development news. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/31/44ce24c4ca091

* High Court Rejects Latest Challenge To Electric Chair
From Friday's edition. What about Nebraska being the only state to rely solely on the electric chair to kill condemned murderers? The Feedback feature is waiting for you. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/28/44ca43d1d4c4e

* Husker Guilty of Misdemeanors In Oregon Will Get Another Chance At NU Football
This one has drawn lots of commentary; more is welcome. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/27/44c901e6bb63f

* Regent Wants Audit of All Three NU Athletic Departments
This fuss began with questions about how the UNO chancellor moved money around for the athletic department. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/27/44c906396f321

* Lincoln Will Allow Concealed Handguns
The city council ambushed the mayor and the police chief. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/25/44c65ce982340

* Concealed Weapons Get Green Light From Omaha City Council
Updated. The news is that Kearney might soon be the only town in Nebraska with an ordinance banning concealed weapons. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/19/44be6541091fa

* Husker Fans Can Raise Their Hopes A Little Higher
Is the third season a charm for Coach Bill Callahan and the Huskers? They're picked to win the Big 12 North. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/25/44c679ef1ac91

* Kidnapper Killed By State Trooper During Standoff
Not far from Big Springs, in western Nebraska. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/24/44c5174db3f06

* McCook Mayor Withdraws As Candidate For NU Board of Regents
Now there are 12, looking to replace former Regent David Hergert. The State Supreme Court recently removed him from office. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/24/44c51c2c2b281

* NU Regent Convicted By Supreme Court Is Immediately Removed From Office
Hergert is outta' there! Your thoughts on the Supreme Court decision are encouraged. This piece links you to the full opinion, too. Read for yourself what the high court said. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/07/44ae75ca07e0d

* Regent: Cut UNO Football To Save Money
Here is one guaranteed to facilitate discussion among regents - and several thousand other people. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/07/44ae8a83367c7

* UNK Women's Basketball Teams Leads All Of Division II In GPA
Hey! This is a terrific achieve by the UNK women. We asked yesterday for some gratulatory words from y'all, for these deserving student athletes. Your response was underwhelming. We hope you will try again. Not every accomplished student-athlete wears a football helmet! http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/19/44be67ce2061f

* Hahn Cites Statewide Concern Over Departure Of Young People
The Democratic candidate for governor says incentives are needed to help keep the best and the brightest of Nebraska's young people at home. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/14/44b7db284ead0

* Grand Opening For Kosher Plant In ... Chadron!
Pass the franks.
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/12/44b542108ac01

* Irrigation Makes News All Around Nebraska
Amid the drought, a flood watch for those along the North Platte River. This piece links to other irrigation-related stories from around Nebraska. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/11/44b3dcdedd937

* It's A Bird, It's A Plane ... It's A Buffalo Bisquit! (article about world championship of buffalo chip flinging event ;o)
There's still good use for those bison pies! http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/11/44b3e5b0d73ad

* Archway Faces More Financial Trouble
Again. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/05/44abf41255545

* Texas Company Drops Plans For Ethanol Plant In North Platte
Stuff happens. This stuff involved Union Pacific. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/07/03/44a954f830bf7

* Ethanol Costs Hurt Sales Of E85 Fuel
On a related topic. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/06/30/44a5748f7205a

* Life After Serving As The Nation's Poet Laureate
It goes on. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/06/30/44a5709748134

* Regents Bump Up NU Tuition Rates By 6 Percent
Whaddya' gonna' do? http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/06/16/4492f3101d571

* NU Women Claim NCAA Team Honor
Congrats to the Cornhusker women. http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ ART/2006/06/13/448edfa6e0a3b

============

2006 HUSKER FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

(Home Games in Bold)

All Times - Pacific Time Zone

Date Opponent Time Television

September 2 Louisiana Tech 12:30 p.m. FSN
September 9 Nicholls State TBD TBA

September 16 at USC 5:00 p.m. ABC

September 30 Kansas TBD TBA
October 7 at Iowa State TBD TBA
October 14 at Kansas State TBD TBA
October 21 Texas TBD TBA

October 28 at Oklahoma State TBD TBA
November 4 Missouri TBD TBA
November 11 at Texas A&M TBD TBA
November 24 Colorado** 12:30 p.m. ABC
December 2 Big XII Championship 5:00 p.m ABC

(at Kansas City, MO - Arrowhead)

Dec/Jan ? Bowl Game TBD TBA

**Friday after Thanksgiving

TBD – To Be Determined. Most Big XII Home games start at 12:30 or 1 p.m. Central (10:30 Pacific), but TV rights may change the start time of these games.



TBA – To Be Announced. It looks like we will be on TV at least 3 times this fall. With increasing satellite coverage its tough to determine how many games will be televised. So be prepared to watch a number of this season’s games on regional TV coverage or via Pay Per View Satellite (usually for a fee). Hope to see you at one of our 4 Bay Area watch sites for a number of games this year.