BRIEFS

FREE LIVESTOCK JUDGING WAITSBURG -- An educational Livestock Judging Clinic will be held at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. This is free for all interested 4-H and FFA members, leaders, parents, and friends. Participants will learn how to judge the conformation of horses, beef, dairy cattle, swine, sheep, and goats. Information will cover judging and reasons to better understand the judging process and to provide guidelines for selecting project animals. Participants may practice judging as an individual or compete as part of a team. Lunch will be pro- vided. For more information, contact Jim Burres at 337-6545 or the Walla Walla WSU Extension office at 524-2685 or meagon@wsu.edu. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information or reasonable accommodations need to contact Mary Eagon by Nov. 9 by phone at 509-524-2685 or by email at meagon@wsu.edu.

NEW COACHES WAITSBURG - The WP Athletic Combine has completed its interview process and it will be recommending the following hires to the WP Combine and to both of the Waitsburg and Prescott school boards: Ben Maney - junior varsity assistant basketball coach and Jared Stamper - C team assistant basketball coach.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DAYTON - The annual nationwide effort to collect Christmas Child gift-filled shoeboxes for children in third world and war- torn countries will be Nov. 12-19, including donations from the Waitsburg/Dayton. The area's relay center is at the Community Bible Church, 203 S. Second St., Dayton. Dates and hours: Nov. 12, noon to 4 p.m., Nov. 13 and 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nov. 14, 2 to 5 p.m., Nov. 16, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Nov. 17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Nov. 18 and 19, 9 a.m. to noon. Operation Christmas Child is a project of the international Christian relief organization, Samaritan's Purse. It kicked off in 1993 as a means to reach out to children in third-world and war-torn countries. Anyone can participate. In the region that extends from Tri-Cities to LaGrande, Ore., nearly 12,000 shoeboxes were packed with toys and personal items and donated in 2011 including 108 given by Dayton-Waits- burg area supporters. The shoeboxes are packed in large cartons, delivered to Bethel Church in Richland, then shipped to one of seven U.S. Processing Centers to ready them for shipping around the world. Into each one goes the Christmas Story of Christ's birth in the child's native language. People are encouraged to include $7 for each shoebox to help cover the cost of shipping them around the world. If done online, the donor is able to track where their shoebox is sent. For packing directions or other information about being part of the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox project, in Dayton, contact Karen Dyball Bushelbasket@yahoo.com

CHRISTIAN WOMEN'S LUNCHEON DAYTON - Christian Women's Connection (CWC) invites the community to attend its monthly luncheon and annual silent auction fundraiser to be held at the Seneca Activity Center in Dayton. The event is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and the cost is $10 per person. Hayly Lester will be visiting from Prineville, Ore., and will share her talk titled, "I'll be happy when..." Linda Her- manns will play her violin throughout the silent auction shopping time. The auction is a great way to get an early start on Christmas shopping and benefits others at the same time. Reservations are needed and free babysitting is available. Please call Judy Jackson at (509) 399-2005 for reservations and childcare arrangements. Public Transportation options with Columbia County Dial-A- Ride is available at 382-1647. Sponsored by Christian Women's Connection and Stonecroft Ministries. Visit their website at www.stonecroft.org.