BRIEFS

TOYS NEEDED FOR TOTS

WAITSBURG - For the first time ever, Waitsburg resi­dents can make a contribution to the annual Toys for Tots program right here in town, at the Waitsburg Hardware and Mercantile on Main Street. New, unwrapped toys donated to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program will be distributed as Christ­mas gifts to needy children in the Touchet Valley this holiday. Cash donations may also be made at the hardware store. The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters.

PRESCOTT POOL WANTS YOU

PRESCOTT - The good news for Prescott is that its swim­ming pool will be open again next summer. The not-so-good news is that the recently passed Proposition No. 1 Mainte­nance Operations Excess Levy to help run the facility has much-reduced budget. So, the Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District hopes can count on some volunteers to get the pool ready for the 2011 season.

The district is looking for volunteers to clean and paint the pool, a job one contractor's estimate put at about $12,000, which the district's board decided it could cut from its budget. Anyone wishing to step up can contact the district's officeat 509-849-2413 or e-mail prescottparkrec@gmail.com. The district is also looking for swimming pool staff and a candidate for a vacant board position. To recruit for person­nel, the district will be sending a letter to former employees, but anyone else who may be interested can contact the district at the number or e-mail above. The same goes for board can­didates

who express "an interest in volunteering their time to serve as a commissioner" with a minimal commitment of 10 to 15 volunteer hours per month, Joan Tatum, the district's chair said.

PRISON WORKERS RALLY WAITSBURG - At least half a dozen employees of the state's Department of Corrections who live in Waitsburg, including City Councilman Scott Nettles, will be in Olympia Thursday for "A Day of Action," demanding "safety, dignity and respect for Washington State prison workers and their families," according to the website of Teamster Local 117.

More than 500 correctional employees and their support­ers will march to the steps of the State Capitol and hold a noontime rally to hear fellow employees, state legislators and Teamsters leaders who will address critical safety issues confronting prison workers.

Workers from 13 facilities in the state have registered for the event, including Walla Walla, Spokane, Tri-Cities, Mon­roe, Clark County and Clallam Bay. The rally was organized "to inform the community and elected officials of budget cuts at the Department of Correc­tions that threaten the safety of correctional employees and the public at large," according to the union website.

PLAN DAYTON'S FUTURE DAYTON - It's time to warm up your brain pans. Friday, Dec. 17, the Dayton Chamber of Commerce wants you to at­tend its annual Community Economic Development Strategy meeting. From noon to 2 p.m. at the Delany Building in Dayton's Memorial Library, lunch provided, interested community members, business owners and civic leaders will gather to determine priorities for Columbia County communities and plan ways to work together for success. Many grant applications require proof that a project is a community priority, and this meeting fulfills that require­ment, chamber director Lisa Ronnberg said. "It is also a great meeting to ask for support for your project," she said.

Please RSVP for an accurate lunch count. Dayton Cham­ber of Commerce, 166 E Main Street, Dayton, WA, 99328, 509) 382-4825, www.historicdayton.com.

'TRAVEL' WITH LEWIS CLARK DAYTON - Walla Walla resident Nathan Riley, whose Thronson grandparents were early settlers of Columbia County, will present "Traveling Along the Lewis and Clark Trail" in the Delany Room at the Dayton Memorial Library starting at 7 p.m. Photographs and insights into the 1803-1805 journey, traced last year by Riley, is a free Blue Moun­tain Heritage Society program. The society will also provide refreshments and give a brief report on the Smith Hollow School, the Palus Museum and other society activities of the year. For more information, call Jacque Sonderman at (509) 382-8919.

DONATION GIVES TOWN HALL 'VISION' WAITSBURG - The Odako Club of Waitsburg recently donated $200 to Ye Towne Hall. The Odako Club gave the money to go toward purchase of a multimedia projector, which will facilitate the giving of presentations. During the recently completed construction at the old building downtown, provisions were made to mount a projec­tor in a permanent position from the ceiling with a wireless connection between computer and projector. The Town Hall Board is going ahead with plans to raise money for the purchase of the projector, estimated at about 2,000, a lens, mounting hardware and the wireless remote hardware. The approximate total amount needed for the pro­jector is $3,500.

CANTATA RINGS IN HOLIDAY DAYTON - The Christmas Cantata, "It Was a Starry Night," will be presented by the Dayton United Brethren Church choir Sunday, Dec. 12, at 9:30 a.m. and again at 10:45 a.m. The church is located at 1106 S. 4th Street in Dayton, and all are welcome.