SHOOTING
SHOOTING
Sporting clays forWhitetails Unlimited
The local chapter of Whitetails Unlimited will host a Firecracker Fun Shoot and Conservation Picnic today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Grand Valley Hunting Ranch, 10198 Penniman Road, Orwell on the Trumbull-Ashtabula county line.
Tickets are $25 per adult and include one round of sporting clays, one round of 5-stand and lunch. Lunch only is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
ATA Ohio state shoot
A number of area residents placed well at the Amateur Trapshooting Association's Ohio State Shoot June 19-24 in Vandalia.
Among those locals who participated in the shoot, top results were turned in by Steve Stedman of East Palestine who took resident class AA high all around honors; Dale Bertuzzi of Niles who took 3rd place resident in the Ohio Handicap Championship with a score of 97 from 23.5 yards; C.D. Jones III of Austintown was the resident B champion with a score of 97 and Tallmadge Rose of Alliance was the resident veteran champion with a score of 98 in the Ohio Doubles Championships; in the Gioffre Handicap Classic event, Bob Shultz of Negley was the top resident senior veteran with a 95 from 24 yards, Toby Workman of Conneaut was top resident 24-25 yards with a 95 and Frank Pascoe of New Castle, Pa., was top non-resident with a 99 at 27 yards; in the President Dennis Filo Handicap, Joe Pascoe of New Castle, Pa., turned in a 94 at 27 yards to take the non-resident junior championship title; Kathy Jurich of Beaver Falls, Pa., was the non-resident B champion with a 198 out of 200 score in the 2001 singles class championship.
Other area shooters who participated included James Payne and Paul Keffer, both of Poland, Paul Bush of North Lima, Kenneth Darroch of Aliquippa, Pa., Frank Hornyak Jr. of Canfield; Norman Anderson of Warren, Russ Saathoff of Niles, Martin Orlosky of Vienna, Scott Kennedy, John Miller, and Ryan Powell all of New Castle, Pa., Donald Schull of Garrettsville, Ed Robertson and Frank Leckman, both of Alliance, Donald Lambert of Greenville, Pa., Robert Fairburn of Mineral Ridge, Terry Zaplata of Lisbon, Kyle Farber of Minerva, Lowell Iden of Salem, Grant Winck and Flip Jendre, both of Youngstown.
The Grand American, the ATA's annual top shooting event, will be held Aug. 9-18 this year at the ATA headquarters in Vandalia, Ohio.
BOATING
Safety tips for busy July 4th holiday
Ohio's most active recreational boating period of the year is the upcoming July 4 holiday, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
"The busy Independence Day week attracts thousands of boaters to Ohio's lakes, rivers and streams," said Jeff Hoedt, chief of the ODNR's Division of Watercraft. "To help assure a safe and enjoyable boating experience, we urge all boaters to take a few minutes to review basic boating safety."
The Division of Watercraft offers the following boating tips:
Be smart from the start and wear your life jacket; Boating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not only illegal, it's unsafe and may lead to tragedy; Be courteous, patient and observant of other boaters and personal watercraft users, especially in areas of high traffic; File a float plan to advise someone of your plans and expected time of return; Do not overload your boat with people or gear, which may result in falling overboard, swamping or capsizing; Remember to observe all boating laws and navigation markers; Have a state watercraft officer or local marine patrol officer perform a free vessel safety check on your boat; Operate watercraft at a safe speed for existing conditions; Keep a proper lookout; Take note of weather forecasts and special marine advisories.
More than 400,000 watercraft are registered in Ohio. ODNR reminds Ohioans that any person born on or after Jan. 1, 1982 must successfully complete an approved boater education course or ODNR Division of Watercraft proficiency exam before operating any watercraft powered by more than 10 horsepower.