South metro town briefs

DAKOTA COUNTY

The Dakota County Community Development Agency broke ground Sept. 30 on Crossroads Commons, a new senior housing development in Lakeville.

Crossroads Commons, which is scheduled to be completed by fall 2009, will feature 87 one- and two-bedroom units, heated parking, a community room, a clubroom, and a fitness room. The building is part of the agency's Senior Housing Program, which provides affordable independent-living housing for those 55 and older.

To learn more about Crossroads Commons, call 651-675-4400.

CAPERS, a volunteer group at the Dakota Woods Dog Park, is recruiting volunteers to spread wood chips at 8 a.m. Saturday. Bring gloves, wheelbarrows, pitchforks and rakes if you can. RSVPs are appreciated but not required: VIP@co.dakota.mn.us

The Dakota County Community Development Agency is offering another free workshop for homeowners concerned about making their mortgage payments, for those now facing foreclosure or for anyone who simply wants to learn more. It will be 4-7 p.m. Thursday at the Heritage Library, 20085 Heritage Drive, Lakeville.

BURNSVILLE

There will be a household hazardous waste collection from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Burnsville Maintenance Facility, 13713 Frontier Court.

Dakota County and Burnsville staff are teaming up again in hopes of topping last year's event, when nearly 1,800 cars dropped off waste. "After handling six cars per minute, and more than 100,000 pounds of electronics last year, staff anticipate setting new records this year," city officials said in a press release.

Dakota County residents can drop off electronics, paint, motor oil, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, garden chemicals and more at no cost, officials said. Hypodermic needles and recyclables will not be accepted, but you can turn in appliances and tires for a fee.

For more information, call 952-895-4524 for the city or 952-891-7548 for the county.

Tour a fire station, see displays on fire safety and watch equipment demonstrations at the Burnsville Fire Department's Open House from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The free event will be at 911 W. 140th St., behind Kohl's.

EAGAN

Caponi Art Park will hold its first digital photography contest; the deadline to submit photos is Oct. 20.

Prizes are $25 and $50 gift certificates from National Camera Exchange. Original digital images taken at the park are eligible. Photos can be submitted and viewed by the public at www.flickr.com/groups/caponiartpark. For contest rules and details, see www.caponiartpark.org. The park is on Diffley Road east of Interstate 35E between Pilot Knob Road and Lexington Avenue.

The annual Medieval Fair comes to town Sunday. Caponi Art Park and the Society for Creative Anachronism will showcase the Middle Ages with costumed characters from artisans to noblemen. There will be interactive demonstrations and activities, including armored combat, pewter casting, music and dancing, cooking, heraldry, and fiber arts, organizers say. The free fair is 1-5 p.m., with a $2 suggested donation. Caponi Art Park and Learning Center is a nonprofit organization.

For more information, see www.caponiartpark.org or call Heather Parker at 651-454-9412.

LAKEVILLE

The Lakeville Fire Department will host a fire prevention open house from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Fire Station 4, 185^th Street and Dodd Boulevard. The event will feature demonstrations including a car extrication, a car fire, and a high angle rope rescue. Attendees will also have a chance to sit in a fire truck, spray water with a firefighter, and explore a police car and ambulance.

APPLE VALLEY

The Apple Valley Fire Department is hiring firefighters for all three stations. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, live within a 4-minute drive of a fire station and be able to perform essential tasks while wearing approximately 50 pounds of protective clothing. Training will be provided.

To learn more about job responsibilities and qualifications and to obtain application materials, visit www.ci.apple-valley.mn.us. The application deadline is 4:30 p.m. Oct. 17.

For more information, call 952-953-2600.

The renovation of the Minnesota Trail at the Minnesota Zoo has been awarded the 2008 Significant Achievement Award by a national industry group, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The award recognizes excellence in live-animal display and exhibit design.

The renovated quarter-mile trail opened at the zoo in July 2007 after a year's work and features raccoons, coyotes, gray wolves, otters, pumas and lynx.

The fifteen exhibits, including Minnesota landscapes such as a beaver pond, a forest glade and a bird-watching perch, now rank among zoogoers' favorite areas, officials say.

PRIOR LAKE

City officials say they've achieved for the first time the lowest property-tax rate of any city in Scott County.

The city has just posted to its website an updated version of a document called "Financial Gold Standards," which lays out progress on key financial goals.

The document reports that Prior Lake's rate of taxation is about half that of Belle Plaine, for instance, though only marginally lower than Shakopee, which benefits from a large amount of commercial and industrial property.

Because of the housing market implosion, the document concedes, the city is not doing as well as hoped in keeping non-property-tax sources such as building permit fees at 40 percent of all revenue; it's now 36 percent.

The document can be viewed from a link on the city's website, www.cityofpriorlake.com.

SAVAGE

The city of Savage is now owed more than $10,000 in back assessments for lawn maintenance it has performed but not been compensated for, owing mostly to foreclosed properties, the city council has been informed.

In 2007 the council issued five special assessments for lawn maintenance. In 2008 the number is 25 so far

City employees have asked the council to authorize an administrative fee and interest charges to help cover the cost of staff time involved and to compensate for delays in payments.

JOY POWELL, DAVID PETERSON AND JEANNINE AQUINO