Submitted Photo Pictured above and below are various winners of the annual Chautauqua County Sports Fishery Advisory Board essay contest. All winners pictured are from Brocton Central School.

Graduations are done and schools out, but I still have a back log of winners of the annual Chautauqua County Sports Fishery Advisory Board essay contest.

Whenever possible the OBSERVER tries to print photos of the classes , focusing on the local schools. Our Chairman was out of action and our inside help was overwhelmed, but here is the list of the essay fishing pole winners for 2017:

In third Grade Jacob Swanson (home school). From Brocton were Landon Jasinski, Liam McCausland, Aryana Nickerson, Adabella O’Hara and Jenna McCloskey. From Sinclairville, Brianna Myers, Trent Lewis, Jazymn, Tonkin, Danny Callentine, Kevin Herington, Isabella Jaquith, Georgianna Knott, Bradley Brandow, Ryler Cutter and Denza Fanara.

Fourth Grade had entries from Bush Elementary with Corbin Leach, Panama -Alex Barmore, Bryson Peck, Logan Ellsworth, Damien Stirerson, Gavin Anderson, Collin Ryan, Deidre Cavness, Reese McGaffick, Kadyn Abers, Emma Cooper, Ava Ecker,Cassie Lyon, Andrew Spiesman and Tate Catanese who was a grand prize winner. Brocton Schools also produced the other grand prize winner with Keara Brady. Anthony Cruz, Joleena Doner and Madison Sears were also rod winners from Brocton.

There was a lot of diversity from the Fifth Grade contestants: From Panama there was Haley Odell, Ariana Oaks, Carline Apthorpe and Stephanie Hovey. From Dunkirk NCCS there was Rylee Strefeler and Makayla Tabone. From Fredonia, Ava Keher and Mia Gorka. From Sherman, Daniel Meeder, From Fenner Alexa LaBarr, Damen Vincent, Tyler Welch and Kaitlyn Swan. From Brocton, Kristi Crandall, Andrea Spiller, Aiden Gatto and Jarek Montalban.

Sixth Grade had a home school winner in Joshua Swanson and one winner from Panama Aysia Reed. Washington had 13 winners: Jaylan Cordova, Ben Cornell, Ayeisha Cruz, Shyanne Gendron, Kassidy Halpainy-Livermore, Say’Dee Johnson, Olivia Kubera, Rhonda-Sue Leonard, Makiraha Marshall, Ethan Peelman-Gray, Sebastian Phelps Thomas Rasmussen and Jayden Vaughn. The CSFAB chairman Zen Olow with donations from various county clubs, was able to increase the amount of winners for this year. The entire panel of judges look forward to judging essays in 2018 !

Have a nice, safe Fourth of July!

Calendar:

Rob Ray’s third annual Big Dawg Walleye tournament is scheduled for July 8 and runs from the Chadwick Bay Marina. This is a one-day team event with a $500 entry fee. Anglers are allowed to weigh-in five walleye within a time frame. All boats will depart with a shotgun start at Chadwick Bay marina, and will have a deadline to report back in. There is also an optional Big Fish Friday on July 7. For details call Mark Mohr at 998-9871 or visit www.razorsbigdawg.com.

The seventh annual Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout is July 22 with an optional Big Fish Friday on July 21. For details call Don Ruppert at 498-7770 or Bob Rustowitz at 830-6394.

The Northern Chautauqua three-day walleye tournament will be held Aug. 4-6. For details contact Zen Olow at 640-2776.

The Bear Lake Rod & Gun Club on July 2, will host a 3-D “money shoot” starting at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start. Contact Rudy Abersold at 397-9717 for details.

The Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge from Chadwick Bay Marina is Aug. 26, with optional Big Fish Friday. For details contact Jim Steel at 983-7867 or visit https://lakeeriewalleyetournament.com.

If your club or organization is holding a hunter safety training/trapping course or a turkey shoot or any other outdoors event, and would like to see it posted in the calendar, send information to the OBSERVER, 10 East Second Street, Dunkirk, N.Y. 14048, or call the Sports Dept. at 366-3000 ext. 5 after 6 p.m.

Note: If you have a big-game fishing or trapping success story you would like to share, call 366-1772, or 467-2079 and leave a name, phone number and a time you can be reached. You can also call 366-3000, ext. 5, after 6 p.m.

Gene Pauszek is an OBSERVER outdoors columnist. Send comments to sports@observertoday.com.