Burnsville

Changes in store for city youth center

School and city officials have agreed to changes for The Garage, the city-run youth center, located at 75 Civic Center Parkway.

The city will turn the venue's weekend music program over to a nonprofit, while after-school activities will shift to Nicollet Jr. High.

There's a new partnership called the Burnsville Youth Collaborative. The program will target seventh and eighth-graders, offering after school academic and enrichment activities Tuesdays through Thursdays during the school year. Programming will also be offered throughout the week during the summer months.

A newly formed nonprofit will handle the weekend music programming, plus music related classes and coursework, at The Garage. Burnsville High School students can take classes in music production and design.

The nonprofit group is being asked to operate at no outside cost, using ticket revenues and grants to offset expenses.

The collaborative includes the city, the schools, and the Burnsville YMCA. School officials will hire a coordinator. The city will consider paying for improvements including a state-of-the art facility for music programming in the coming years.

For more information on the facility, visit www.THEGARAGE.net.

Shakopee

Bus routes changing, stops omitted

Shakopee Transit is making route changes as of Aug. 4.

Among them:

• Eliminating 496 East stop at Kohl's or Target.

• Eliminating 496 West stop at Dublin and 17th Avenue, while keeping the stop at St. Francis Regional Medical Center.

• Eliminating 496 West stop at the former Scott County Transit Building, 828 First Avenue.

• Eliminating 496 West loop on Vierling Drive and Adams Street. Buses will travel from Shakopee Town Square to the Community Center via 10th Avenue.

Maps of the changes are available on the City website.

Scott County

1860s 'base ball' part of day in the sun

Cedar Lake Regional Park will be the setting next month for an outing featuring vintage baseball and lots of other activities.

Attractions include popcorn, an 1860s-style "base ball" game, geocaching, archery, "not-your-grandma's" cake walk, yoga, park fitness workouts and croquet.

The event is Aug. 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the park near New Prague. Admission is free although some snacks will be sold.

The event is a partnership of the county's historical society with Three Rivers Park District, River Valley YMCA, and St. Francis Regional Medical Center.

For information call 952-445-0378 or e-mail sherrick@scottcountyhistory.org

south metro

Shakopee tribe offers dance performances

American Indian singers and dancers will perform a free exhibition in the rotunda at Mall of America on August 14.

The exhibition of dancers from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and other Indian tribes from throughout the United States is a preview of the annual Pow Wow, August 15-17 in Shakopee. Both are open to the public.

The August 14 dance performances will be at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Each dance exhibition will begin with a grand entry, when the dancers enter the arena by dance category. Men and women will perform dances in colorful regalia, including feather bustles, bells, beadwork, buckskin, moccasins, and shawls.

A traditional Dakota tepee will be on display in the Sears Court a the MOA.

For more information about the Mall of America dance exhibition or the Pow Wow, visit www.smscwacipi.org or www.facebook.com/shakopeepowwow.

savage

City staffer takes on regional role

Savage's communications manager, Amy Barnett, has been appointed to the board of the International Association of Business Communicators' Pacific Plains Region.

The 11-member board works with chapters in 18 states.

Barnett has managed communication for Savage since 1999 and is a school board member with Tri-City United Schools, a newly consolidated public school district covering the small towns of Montgomery, Lonsdale and Le Center.

Staff reports