BRIEFS

SCHOOL REGISTRATION GETS UNDERWAY Prescott - Registration began Aug. 3, so families in the district can come into the district office anytime between now and the first day of school, which is Monday, Aug. 3.

Waitsburg - Registration will take place during the week of Aug. 23; Wednesday, Aug. 25, is a late-registration evening for families who work, which will take place from 1-7 p.m. Registration packets will be mailed on Aug. 16 and anyone who has not received a packet by the 18th should probably call the school, according to Superintendent Dr. Carol Clarke. The first day of school in Waitsburg will be Tuesday, Sept. 7.

Dayton - Registration for all new and returning students takes place Thursday, Aug. 19, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. in the elementary multipurpose room. The first day of school will be Monday, Aug. 30.

TRIBES HIRE GOATS TO CONTROL THISTLE DAYTON - In an effort to control yellow star thistle and other invasive weed species on the steep canyon grasslands at Rainwater Wildlife Area south of Dayton, the Confeder­ated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation will apply prescriptive livestock management techniques using targeted grazing by goats.

Approximately 1,000 goats will be used to graze approxi­mately 1,000 acres of grasslands to the west of the South Fork Touchet River up to Jasper Mountain Road. The goats will be on site from early August to mid-September of thisy year. The goat herd movement will be controlled by herding and guard dogs as well as two to three herders who will live with the herd.

This project will ideally have multiple benefits. First, goats prefer weedy species over grasses, so beneficial grass populations should not be reduced. Secondly, the goats will potentially push grass seed into the soil essentially tilling and planting grasses for next year's crop. Third, the potential for grassland firewill be reduced as the goats move through the area. This effort will be carried out for at least three years, and after that point ecological monitoring plot data will reveal if the project was successful.

Any questions about this project may be directed to Jerry Middel, Tribes Project Manager, and Rainwater Wildlife Area/Touchet River Habitat Specialist at Walla Walla Com­munity College, 509-524-5141 or GeraldMiddel@ctuir.org.

COUNTY READIES FOR COMMUNITY FAIR DAYTON - Columbia County residents, business owners and more are getting ready for the Columbia County Fair: "120 Years of Denim Dust" taking place this year Sept. 10-12. For more information about the fair, call the Colum­bia County Extension office at 509-382-4741. For questions about RV parking at the fairgrounds, contact the engineers' office at 509-382-2534. For questions about vendors, contact Barb Fullerton at 509-629-0320.

HOSPICE ANNOUNCES GRIEF SUPPORT

WALLA WALLA - Two new grief support groups spon­sored by Walla Walla Community Hospice will begin in September. The groups will begin Sept. 8 and continue every Wednesday through Nov. 3. A morning group will meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m., and an evening group will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the hospice office. The WWCH bereavement team will facilitate the group. The book "Understanding Your Grief," by Dr. Allan Wolfelt, is used as a guideline. There is no charge, but participants are encouraged to register by calling the WWCH office at 525-5561 or by e-mailing info@wwhospice.org before Sept, 2.

Walla Walla Community Hospice is a non-profit organi­zation committed to providing quality hospice care to adults and children facing a limited life expectancy. Hospice care also addresses the needs of patients' family members, includ­ing grief and bereavement counseling for up to 12 months following the death of a patient. Grief support groups are of­fered to anyone living in Walla Walla, Columbia or northeast Umatilla Counties - not just the family members of hospice patients.

CELL UPGRADES COULD DISRUPT SERVICE WALLA WALLA - Inland Cellular has made a multi-million dollar investment into its existing wireless voice and data network. The IC Technical Network Staff and a team of experts from Ericsson have been logging many long hours, sometimes through the night, to complete cutover to the new "switch," which is the heart of the wireless network. The cutover will give IC greater flexibility for services and ap­plications and provide the foundation to offer cutting edge technology. Complete cutover is scheduled for mid-August. At that point, IC will begin installing higher-speed antennas and more cell sites; it will also begin the process of adding more services to enhance the 3G wireless services. During the installation process, customers may experience technical difficulties. Contact IC with any questions at 208-798-0245 or 1-800-248-8822.