ANDOVER

Get your broken stuff fixed at this clinic

Anoka County residents looking to repair broken household items are invited to attend the Andover Fix-It Clinic from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at the Andover Community Center, 15200 Hanson Blvd. NW.

Fix-it coaches give free, guided assistance to help folks disassemble, troubleshoot and repair broken items, including toasters, lamps, sewing machines, toys and other small household items.

The goal of the event is to reduce trash, teach valuable troubleshooting and basic repair skills.

Volunteer fixer coaches with skills in soldering, electronics and electrical repair, computer repair, sewing and general tinkering are also needed.

Contact Cindy DeRuyter at c.deruyter@andovermn.gov or call 763-767-5114 with questions or to volunteer.

ANOKA

Doctor will discuss Alzheimer's research

Dr. Leah Hanson, research director at HealthPartners for memory and aging, will give a presentation on Alzheimer's disease at 7:15 a.m. Thursday, April 30, at Greenhaven Golf Course in Anoka. The event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Anoka.

A volunteer worked on fixing a patron’s broken mixer at a Fix It Clinic at the Bakken Museum in Minneapolis last year. A similar clinic will be held in Andover on Saturday, May 2. See item at left.

Hanson will cover a number of areas: a basic understanding of Alzheimer's, what research is being done locally to identify new treatments, and factors that increase or decrease the risk for memory loss with aging.

She'll also help identify "one practical thing to do or change in one's life to promote healthy brain aging."

The event is open to the public. The cost is $12 and includes a buffet breakfast. Preregistration is not required. For more information, go to www.anokarotary.com or call 763-427-3695.

Brooklyn Park

Groundbreaking set for new library

The public is invited to join a groundbreaking celebration for the long-awaited new Hennepin County Library in Brooklyn Park at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, at 8500 West Broadway.

At just over 39,000 square feet, the new library will be more than double the size of the current building at 8600 Zane Av. N.

Future plans for the current building are unknown.

Hennepin County officials have been laying the groundwork for the project for about eight years.

The new $23.5 million library will include reading lounges and an interaction area for kids.

Site work has already started for the building, which will open next year.

CRYSTAL

New Hope Lions flip pancakes for charity

The New Hope Lions Club will hold its annual pancake breakfast and silent auction from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, May 3, at the Crystal Community Center, 4800 Douglas Dr. N., Crystal.

Tickets are $7 for adults, $3 for children 6 to 13, free for ages 5 and under. Tickets can be bought from any New Hope Lions Club member, or at the door.

Profits will benefit numerous community programs, including eyeglasses collection for Robbinsdale school district elementary students, PRISM and The Treehouse.

HENNEPIN COUNTY

Tickets for SpotLight Showcase on sale

Tickets for the Tenth Annual SpotLight Showcase, two evenings in June that celebrate Minnesota's best high school theater talent, are now on sale.

Showcase events are scheduled for Sunday, June 14 and Monday, June 15, both at 7 p.m., as the year-end culmination of Hennepin Theatre Trust's SpotLight Musical Theatre Program.

Professionally produced, the shows highlight the state's finest musical theater students and programs, and over two nights feature performances from a record number of 77 participating schools.

This year, the SpotLight Showcase will take place at the State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Av., Minneapolis, because the Orpheum Theatre, the previous location, will be temporarily closed for replacement of its balcony seats.

Tickets for each performance cost $15. A limited number of "Friend of SpotLight" tickets, including priority seating and a donation to the SpotLight program, are available for between $25 and $100.

For more information and to buy tickets, go to HennepinTheatreTrust.org or call 1-800-982-2727.

ROBBINSDALE

Friendly Robins invites city seniors

Senior citizens (55 and older) who live in Robbinsdale are invited to join the Friendly Robins Senior Club, which meets regularly at the Robbinsdale Police and Fire Building. Membership dues are $6 per year. A $1 fee is charged at the door to defray the cost of refreshments.

Those who are interested may attend two meetings as guests before deciding whether to join.

Meeting activities include playing 500 and Bunco. For more information, call 763-53l-1274.

If you are interested in receiving a copy of the bi-monthly senior newsletter and are not a current member of the club, there is a $5-per-year subscription fee. To sign up, call 763-531-1278.

STAFF REPORTS