East Texas

ATHENS -- Texas students in grades four through 12 are invited to enter the eleventh annual Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest. Deadline for entries is March 31.

Contestants must create an illustration of an officially recognized state fish and write a one-page composition about its behavior, habitat and conservation.

One Texas winner will be selected from each of three grade levels: 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12.

Those winners will then compete at the national level for best of show and art of conservation stamp honors.

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic Foundation will provide funding for prizes for Texas winners and for travel expenses for Texas winners and their chaperones to the national expo at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minn., in July 2009.

Texas entries are judged at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.

For details on the contest and how to enter, visit the State-Fish Art Contest page on the TFFC Web site.

Past winners in the Texas contest have come from small towns and big cities and have included home-schooled students as well as private and public school students.

No prior knowledge of fish is needed. The Wildlife Forever Web site has a free downloadable lesson plan.

For more information call (903) 676-2277 or visit the Web site at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishart.

The Progressive Agriculture Safety day will be held Saturday at Tractor Supply Company -- 2200 S. Loop 256 in Palestine.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. Activities will be from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

It is free to all kids ages 4 to 14. Parents are encouraged to attend. The first 800 kids registered will receive a T-shirt and goody bag. Kids from all over Anderson County are invited.

Parents who pre-registered their children are still good. There is still time to register.

Call 903-731-8081 or 903-948-9070 if you have questions or want to be a part of this event.