BRIEFS

TOWN HALL SHOPPING EVENT

WAITSBURG -- Many exhibitors under one roof at Waitsburg Town Hall, 121 Main Street, for your shopping convenience. Fun starts at 9 a.m. on April 5, and continues until 4 p.m. Food and coffee, pastries and pies are available from Betty's Diner to enhance your shopping experience. We have room for a couple more vendors, call Joy at Hugs 509- 539-8773 or see us on Facebook: Waitsburg's Shopping Bag

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE

DAYTON - Dayton's Grace Episcopal Church, at 301 S. 3rd Street, will be conducting a Good Friday service at noon, April 6. The Rev Steve Woolley will be doing the service and any and all members of the valley are invited to attend.

PHONE SCAM REPORTED

DAYTON - The Columbia County Emergency Management director is cautioning all Touchet Valley residents to beware a phone scam recently reported regarding 9-1-1 services. Residents of Washington, Michigan, Pennsylvania and other states have reported receiving calls from someone requesting money for 9-1-1 services.

The caller claims that residents must pay a fee to register their house in a 911 database so first responders can locate the home in an emergency. The caller also requests names and medical information from the residents. This is a scam. All 9-1-1 services are funded through dedicated 9-1-1 excise taxes on telephone bills and by other local government funds. Any request for 9-1-1 funds over the phone is a fraud. Residents who receive these calls should hang up and report the suspicious call to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office at 509-382-2518.

STATE PARK IS OPEN

DAYTON - Lewis and Clark Trail State Park opened April 1. The day use side of the park is open from dawn to dusk. The Discover Pass is required to use that part of the park.The cost for the Discover Pass is $10 for a daily pass and $30 for the annual pass. These can be obtained through the park. Daily passes can be paid by self-registering your vehicle when you enter the park.

The campground side is for campers only. Visitors can come into the park to fish in the river, but they need to park their car in the day use side or our big open grass area and still pay the day fee or buy the annual pass. The park has 24 standard campsites that cost $22 per night. Each site can have up to one extra vehicle at $10 per night. We have one full hook-up site that is available to rent for $31 per night. The park has two group camps that can be reserved for a fee of $25. The nightly fee is a minimum of $50 per night. The kitchen shelter also can be reserved for $25. Finally, the park will have bundles of wood to sell for convenience camping.

SPRING CARNIVAL

PRESCOTT - Prescott High School is having a school carnival on Saturday, April 14, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gym. Food will be available along with games. Tickets are 25 cents each. The money raised will go towards scholarships and class activities.

PRESCOTT STUDENTS IN ART SHOW

PRESCOTT - Last month, four Prescott High School students entered art into the ESD 123 Area Art Show in Pasco. Eva Esquivel received an honorable mention and Tasha Gonzalez won the Superintendent's Award for their optical illusions done with colored pencils. Catherine Mendoza and Paola Zamora also entered their abstract oil pastel artwork into the show. The artwork will be displayed at Columbia Basin College for another week.

DUMAS STATION WINS AWARD

DAYTON - Dumas Station Winery learned last week its 2009 Estate Syrah tied for first place in the Syrah judging by "Wine Press Northwest Magazine," as published in their current spring issue. Unfortunately the winery only made 100 cases of this wine, and they were all sold out before publication, but the next vintage of Syrah should be out later this year. For more information, call Dumas Station Wines at (509) 382-8933.

FENTON/STAHL SPRING SHOW

WALLA WALLA -- The Fenton/Stahl Gallery is celebrating the onset of spring with a vibrant show 16 different artists strong. Participants include Norman Adams (watercolors), Bob Baker (photography), Nancy Becker (glass), Jennifer Bowman (floral prints), David Castleberry (acrylics), Joyce DeFord (watercolors), Molly Fenton (oils), Shanna Fledderjohann (pottery), Leslie LeViner (oils), Celia Martin (jewelry), Sandy Mooney (fused glass), Trish Robbins (photography), Marilee Schiff (watercolors), Dale Steindorf (prismacolor and pottery), Edward Stone (pottery) and Marie Williams Wetzel (pottery). The show is now open and will run through June 15.

PUBLIC HEARING RESCHEDULED

WALLA WALLA -- The Walla Walla County Commissioners recently set and advertised a public information workshop and public hearing to review and consider on a proposed plan to redistrict the county (as a governmental unit), based on population information from the most recent federal decennial census.

Redistricting is required pursuant to state statute RCW Chapter 29A.76.010.

The public workshop to review information and a proposed plan to redistrict the county has been rescheduled to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, April 16.

The public hearing on this matter will follow at 2 p.m.