June 9, 2015/ By Joe Napsha
The calm waters of the Youghiogheny River at West Newton will be the site of a flatwater race paddling clinic on Saturday and Sunday.
The clinic is expected to draw about 20 kayakers from the region, Ohio and West Virginia, said Hansel Lucas of Buddtown, sponsor of the clinic and co-owner of Performance Kayak Inc., a home-based shop selling kayaks, surf skis and gear he operates with his wife, Kim.
Lucas said he is working with The Progress Fund, a Greensburg-based community development financial institution, to purchase a building on North Second Street near the East Main Street intersection. The 1,800-square-foot building would be the new home for his business, said Hansel Lucas, who hopes to close on the purchase of the property by June 30.
“We’ve really adopted West Newton as our hometown,” Kim Lucas said.