REGION

REGION
Bass Classic set today
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP -- Thirty-one fishing pros will be paired with 31 local amateurs in the seventh annual Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way Bass Classic today at Evans Lake. The event is presented by Whispering Pines Village and hosted by Aqua Ohio Inc.
Prizes will be awarded for total weight and big bass at a presentation starting at 1:30 p.m.
This year's tournament is expected to raise $15,000 for local programs and services supported by the United Way.
The Kids' Fish & amp; Fun event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free fishing, activities and games are planned for children of all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Anniversary event
LOWELLVILLE -- The Lowellville Rod & amp; Gun Club will celebrate its 70th anniversary with a banquet on June 24.
Carl Slagle will be master of ceremonies, and Rick Henninger, publisher of Fish & amp; Field Report magazine, will be the keynote speaker.
Public is invited. Tickets covering food and beverage are $20 each and may be obtained by calling John Rook at (330) 758-9351.
NRA Youth Sportsfestset for late July
LOWELLVILLE -- The fifth annual NRA Youth Sportsfest, sponsored by the Mahoning County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, will be July 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lowellville Rod & amp; Gun Club, Quarry Road. Registration will be at 8:30 a.m.
Youths under 18 will be admitted free. The event introduces youngsters to the fun and excitement of shooting and outdoor activities in a supervised, safe, positive and educational environment, rotated in small groups through all the following: .22 rifle shooting, air rifle shooting, archery, fishing, muzzleloader shooting, wildlife displays, trap shooting and canoeing.
Registration will be limited to the first 110 youths. A camp T-shirt will be given to each youth. A free lunch will be provided.
To register, call: Jim Denney (330) 545-4250 (days) or Dave Kuntz (330) 549-3158 (evenings).
Hooked on Fishing
STRUTHERS -- Mill Creek MetroParks will hold Hooked On Fishing: An Angler's Escape at Yellow Creek Park today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. MetroParks police need children to bring their favorite pole and bait to help catch fish. Officers will present games, competitions, prizes and giveaways during.
For more information on this rain or shine event, call (330) 740-7106.
Salem man claims prize
CHESTER, W.Va. -- Dave Fowler of Salem won the weekly Chester-Newell Sportsmen's Club catfish tournament May 27.
Fowler's catch measured 41 1/2 inches long.
John McCulley of Wellsville was the second winner for his catch measuring 19 inches. A field of 82 competed along the Ohio River.
The club's next tournament is June 10 on the Ohio River between Wheeling, W.Va. and Pittsburgh.
For more information, call (304) 387-3982.
OHIO
Wayne Derby June 10
MARIETTA -- The Wayne National Forest's Marietta Unit will host its annual Fishing and Fun Day on June 10 at 9 a.m. at the Leith Run Recreation Area.
Children ages 2-16 are eligible to participate in the event that has drawn more than 300 anglers in previous years. This year's event is again being held at the Leith Run site, which is north of Marietta along state Route 7 along the Ohio River. All anglers need to bring their own rod and reel, or poles and bait. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The Wayne National Forest covers more than 236,000 acres, and has sponsored this annual event in Marietta for more than 10 years.
For more information, call Karla Deak-Ward at (740) 373-9055.
PENNSYLVANIA
Historic mill tour
PORTERSVILLE, Pa. -- A historic grist mill tour of McConnell's Mill will be held weekends through Labor Day.
The mill is open weekends and holidays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can join a scheduled tour starting every hour on the hour. The 45-minute journey will take visitors through the history of how grain was transformed into flour and what it was like to come to the mill when it was operating. Tours will be limited to approximately 20 people on a first-come, first-serve basis. Parking is available at the main picnic and playground areas.
McConnell's Mill, one of the first rolling mills in the country, processed corn, oats, wheat and buckwheat for local customers. For more information, call (724) 368-3612.
NATION
Waterway Watch
With reports of increased threats of a terrorist attack on our shores, the United States Coast Guard is requesting the assistance of America's 70 million boaters and others, who work, play or live around our waterfronts, rivers, lakes and coastal areas to become part of our nation's first line of defense, called America's Waterway Watch (AWW).
America's Waterway Watch is an outreach program akin to neighborhood watch programs in many local communities but is focused strictly on marine-related areas.
Let's face it: With over 95,000 miles of shoreline, 300,000 square miles of waterways, 6,000 bridges, 360 ports of call and thousands of marinas, the U.S. Coast Guard simply cannot be everywhere at once. They need all the eyes and ears of those who frequent our waterways to be on the lookout for suspicious activities that might threaten homeland security.
The AWW program has a central phone number, (877) 249-2824.