West metro town briefs

WAYZATA

The Wayzata Rotary Charity Auto Show is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 7 on Mill Street in downtown Wayzata.

The event will feature the best of vintage, classic, custom, foreign and specialty cars, as well as high-mileage vehicles. Proceeds will benefit international and local projects.

There is no admission fee for spectators, but car owners will be charged $15 per vehicle they enter in the show.

For more details, go to www.wayzatarotary.org.

CHANHASSEN

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is opening an exhibit today featuring Michele Pope Melina's oil paintings of picturesque barns.

Melina has assembled "The Painted Barn: An Artist's Tribute" as part of the Arboretum's 50th anniversary celebration.

The award-winning artist, who grew up in rural Virginia, says she has had a lifelong affection for barns. "I remember them built to be big and strong and weather any storm. ... As our new neighborhoods encroach upon the old farms, we start to notice how precious they seem -- until they are inevitably removed," she said in a news release. "My goal for this exhibition is to encourage viewers to hold onto tradition by sharing stories and memories of our past. This was a special time, this age of barns."

The exhibit will continue through Oct. 26 at the Arboretum's Reedy Gallery, 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chanhassen.

ST. LOUIS PARK

The play "Wellstone!" will open Tuesday at the Sabes Jewish Community Center, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, St. Louis Park, kicking off the center's 2008-09 Performing Arts Professional Season. The show, by Mark Rosenwinkel, will run through Sept. 21.

Tickets are $16 to $20. For information or tickets, go to www.sabesjcc.org or call 952-381-3499.

HENNEPIN COUNTY

Hennepin County is seeking applicants for two seats on the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Board. The people who hold the seats now, Robert Kojetin of Edina and Corrine Lynch of Eden Prairie, are seeking reappointment, but others can apply.

The board plans conservation of natural resources and coordinates management of water and related land areas that cover about 50 square miles that drain into Nine Mile Creek in Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Richfield.

Meetings are held about once a month. Applicants must live in the district. The deadline for applying is Sept. 4, with interviews to be held by the County Board on Sept. 9.

For more information, contact Yolanda McCrary at 612-348-3257 or yolanda.mccrary@co.hennepin.mn.us.

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is sponsoring a Citizen Law Enforcement Academy to give residents a closer look at the workings of the office.

Participants will be able to observe a range of policing activities from DWI and narcotics enforcement to K-9 operations, crime labs and the county jail.

Participants must be at least 18 years old and will be screened for criminal backgrounds. The academy, which is free, will hold nine weekly classes, scheduled from 6:30 to 9:45 p.m. Sept. 25 through Nov. 20.

Applications are available at www.hennepinsheriff.org, or call Sgt. Kathy Hughes at 612-596-1720 with questions.

The Hennepin County Library, in collaboration with the Loft Literary Center, is offering free writing labs for adults this fall.

The "First Pages" curriculum consists of 14 creative writing labs. Six will be presented at libraries this fall, with more labs to be presented in the winter and spring. The labs each last one hour.

Topics this fall include "The Fine Print: How Do I Get Published?," "How to Start Your Memoir: For Writers 55 and Older," "No Fear, No Rhyme Poetry: Write Your First Poem," "The Parent Trap: Finding Time to Write," "Taking Your Idea From Brainstorm to Page" and "What Would You Like to Write?"

For details on where you can take the classes and how to sign up, go to www.hclib.org.

WEST METRO AREA

Four Rotary clubs in the Twin Cities area ranked among the top in the world for giving to the Rotary Foundation in 2007-08, Rotary International has announced.

The Rotary Club of Edina ranked eighth out of more than 30,000 clubs worldwide in giving and second in the world in giving per member. Only a club in Pakistan donated more per member.

Other top-performing Twin Cities Rotary Clubs were City of Lakes in Minneapolis, 23rd; Minneapolis No. 9, 28th; and Apple Valley, 44th.

Rotary emphasizes service, high ethical standards in business and advancement of international understanding. The foundation gives money for a wide range of projects ranging from polio eradication and efforts to dig wells in Africa to scholarships that allow college students to study overseas.

NEW HOPE, CRYSTAL, ROBBINSDALE

Residents of all ages are invited to participate in a Citizens' Police Academy offered by the Robbinsdale, New Hope and Crystal police departments.

Officers from the three cities will lead the six-week program, to be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday evenings beginning Sept. 11. Topics to be covered include patrol tactics, crime-scene processing, juvenile crime and crime-prevention strategies. The program is open to residents of the three cities, but space is limited.

To register or get more information, call New Hope police Sgt. Scott Slawson at 763-531-5170; Crystal police Sgt. Stephanie Fealy at 763-531-1011, or Robbinsdale Sgt. Patrick Foley at 763-531-1220.

EXCELSIOR

Excelsior Apple Day is set for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 6 in downtown Excelsior.

The event, featuring antiques, crafts and produce, is sponsored by the South Lake-Excelsior Area Chamber of Commerce.

STAFF REPORTS

CONTACT THE STAFF

Minneapolis

Team leader • Maureen McCarthy

612-673-7112

mmcarthy@startribune.com

Schools • Terry Collins

612-673-1790

tcollins@startribune.com

Reporter • Randy Furst

612-673-7382

rfurst@startribune.com

Public safety • David Chanen 612-673-4465

dchanen@startribune.com

Courts • Rochelle Olson

612-673-1747

raolsen@startribune.com

Federal courts • Dan Browning

612-673-4493

dbrowning@startribune.com

City hall • Steve Brandt

612-673-4438

sbrandt@startribune.com

West Suburbs

Team leader • Sam Barnes 612-673-7840

sbarnes@startribune.com

Hennepin Co.

Mary Jane Smetanka 612-673-7380

smetan@startribune.com

Reporter • Jenna Ross

612-673-7168, jross@ startribune.com

Reporter • Laurie Blake

612-673-1711 lblake@ startribune.com

Schools • Patrice Relerford

612-673-4395 prelerford@ startribune.com

Reporter • Heron Marquez Estrada

612-673-4280, hme@ startribune.com

West prep sports

Team leader • Mike Rand 612-673-7564

mrand@startribune.com

Reporter • Brian Stensaas 612-673-4127

bstensaas@startribune.com