Youth fishing clinic scheduled

The annual Oasis State Park Kids’ Fishing Clinic will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park.

Jim Whary, park manager, said the event will include nine learning stations in which children will learn how to cast, water safety, knot tying, biology and more. Each station will be 12 to 15 minutes long

“After the clinic portion is over, the community services center volunteer program will provide a lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs and chips then we’ll draw for door prizes,” Whary said.

Whary said door prizes will include rods and reels, sleeping bags, fold-up chairs, multi-purpose tools and more.

He said pre-registration is available and the event is for ages 6 to 17 years old. Anyone 12 years or older must have a New Mexico fishing license.

“We wave the park entry fee for the participants,” Whary said. “But we are asking that each child brings two cans of food, which get donated to the Eastern New Mexico Food Bank.”

He said the clinic usually brings in 75 to 125 children.

Portales Community Services Center executive board member Adelaide Speck said the center provides lunch for the event, because they enjoy providing for the community and participating in community events.

“It’s something that’s good for the whole community because it involves the children and it also involves the senior volunteers,” Speck said. “It’s good to be involved with things in the community.”