Merlin “Skeet” Bevitt will celebrate his 80th birthday with a reception from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 18 at the American Legion Post No. 239, 16119 S. Shawnee Heights Road in Overbrook. Friends and family are invited.

Hosts of the celebration will be his children, Karen Hesseltine, Overbrook, and Steve Bevitt, Burlingame, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. No gifts are requested. Cards may be sent to 146 N. 1250 Road, Berryton.

¢Debbie Bott and Tina Yates, co-chairwomen of the Douglas County Relay for Life, accepted the All American Award on behalf of the group at the 2007 High Plains Relay For Life Leadership Summit, conducted Oct. 19-21 in Dallas.

The award recognizes outstanding performers in growth, retention, relay branding, diversity and leadership. Only 10 awards were presented in the High Plains Division, which comprises Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Hawaii and Guam.

Other local leaders attending the summit included Megan Jones, co-chairwoman, and Heidi Waldschmidt, team recruitment chair, both of the Relay For Life of Kansas University; and Stacie Schroeder, community manager for development at the American Cancer Society.

The Douglas County Relay for Life was recognized for earning $171,077, and the KU Relay For Life was recognized for earning $40,700 at their respective 2007 events. For more information or to become involved in the 2008 Relay For Life, contact Stacie Schroeder at (785) 438-5607.

¢Nikola Ristic and Shawna Sauber-Ristic, Lawrence, announce the birth of their son, Neven Richard Ristic, born Oct. 21, 2007, in Topeka.

¢Students from Kansas University and other Lawrence schools are part of the cast of “The Music Man,” which is being staged at Kansas University as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Murphy Hall.

Lawrence students in the cast include Dave Beals, Anna Sophia Bial, Whitney Juneau, Samantha Mae Lenz, Spencer Lott, Anson Ornery, David Stogsdill, Kyle Tichenor and Jayke Workman. De Soto students with roles include Leslie Hodges and Luke Walker.

¢Emily Edwards, Lawrence, received a Dean’s Music Scholarship for $10,000 from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

¢Katrina Ashley Korb, Tonganoxie, received a doctorate in psychological and quantitative foundations at the University of Iowa’s summer commencement ceremonies.

¢John Keegan, Lawrence, graduated in August from Marquette University in Milwaukee. He received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism.

¢Amber Nichols, Basehor, and Nicholas Baker, Oskaloosa, graduated from Wichita State University this summer. Nichols received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, and Baker earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in economics.

¢Several area students at Kansas University are finalists in the English Alternative Theatre’s “How My Parents Met” writing competition. They include Michael Whitten, Eudora, and Samantha Bell, Benjamin Cartwright and Maria Polonchek, all of Lawrence. The finalists are reading their entries in events that continue at 7:30 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H. Tickets are $6-$10.

Two one-act plays written by KU students also will be performed, including “Please Take : Seriously,” by Adam Lott, Lawrence, and “Lights Fade, Curtain,” by Whitney Rowland.

Lawrence residents in the cast and crew include Nicholas Mosher, sound design, and Christopher Nelson, actor.

¢Hugh Naughtin, a 2003 graduate of Free State High School, earned second-place honors in the continuing senior men’s division at the recent Wisconsin chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition held on the Lawrence University campus in Appleton, Wis. A senior at Lawrence University, Naughtin was awarded $125 for his performance. He is the son of John and Paula Naughtin, Lawrence.

¢Kristy and Chris Ross, Eudora, announce the birth of their son, Ethan Wyatt, on Oct. 20, 2007, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. They have one other son, Braden, 5. Grandparents are Larry and Judy Sanford, Lawrence, and Tim and Judy Ross, Eudora. Great-grandparents are Lola Ross, Perry, and Bernadine O’Neal, Eudora.