It's a week like no other for spring Pirates sports fans. On Wednesday BHS boys' and girls' track qualifiers load the busses for Division III regional competition in Tiffin.

On Thursday, the BHS girls' softball team travels to Tipp City for its first-ever regional semi-finals contest.

Then on Friday, the track qualifiers return to Tiffin for the rights to advance to Columbus.

Should the softball team win on Thursday, they would advance to the regional finals on Saturday at Tipp City.

A fourth place finish at the District III regional track meet enables several Pirates to advance to this week's regional meet at Tiffin. Bluffton finished fourth with 63.5 points behind Liberty Benton, 168; Patrick Henry, 166; and McComb, 70.

The regional meet takes place on Wednesday, May 25, and Friday, May 27.

The following girls' advance to the regionals for BHS:

3,200 relay - first at district, Julie Althaus, Alissa Garmatter, Jill Steinmetz, Hannah Chappell-Dick, 9:55.11.

The Bluffton High School boys' track team qualified several events in this week's Division III regional track meet at Tiffin Columbian High School. The boys finished the district as runners-up scoring 124 points, closely behind Liberty Benton at 130 points. Columbus Grove was third with 86 points. The regional meet is Wednesday, May 25, and Friday, May 27.

Pirate regional qualifiers follow:
3,200 relay - first at district - David Yoder, David Moser, Lucas Harnish, Matthew Herron, 8:15.16.

Bluffton High School girls' softball team (15-7) faces an 18-0 Felicity-Franklin squad in the semi-final round of the Division III state softball tournament on Thursday, May 26. Felicity-Franklin is ranked number 7 in Division III softball in Ohio.

Don't let the opponent's record scare you. The Lady Pirates' schedule prepared BHS well for regional competition.

Cartridge World of Lima, owned by Bluffton businessmen Dave Fett and Bob Fett, announces its second anniversary and is inviting the public to celebrate with them.

"We have the community to thank for our longevity," said Dave Fett. "We are grateful to have a community like Lima that supports our business and our vision. We are thrilled to have reached this milestone."

To celebrate, Cartridge World of Lima is offering 50 percent off a refilled black ink cartridge with the purchase of a refilled color ink cartridge during the first week of June.

Bluffton's traditional Memorial Day observation is Monday, May 30. A parade and ceremony is sponsored by the Bluffton American Legion Post 382.

The parade forms at 9:15 a.m. in front of the town hall and begins at 9:30 a.m. Parade units include the Bluffton High School marching band, scout and Legion members.

The parade will conclude at Maple Grove Cemetery. A service there is planned at 10 a.m. Don Klinger, a former U.S. Marine Corps Presidential Helicopter pilot, is the speaker.

The Bluffton American Legion Post 382 will hold its annual Memorial Day chicken barbecue on Monday, May 30. Serving is in the Citizens National Bank parking lot from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tickets are $7 and are available in advance from any member of the Legion post or from the John Wagner Nationwide Agency.

Dinners include one-half barbecue chicken, baked potato, green beans and roll. Dinners are for carry-out. Drive-through pick-up service is available.

Chickens are from Harlan's Barbecue.

The Hancock County Sheriff's Office will join local and national law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates all across the country for the 2011 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization, May 23-June 5.

During the mobilization, officers will be cracking down on motorists who fail to wear their seat belts - both day and night.