The Blaine City Council is updating its animal ordinance, including the process for designating dangerous and potentially dangerous dogs. The new verbiage also clarifies exemptions for police and other public safety service dogs. The council approved a first reading of the new rules on Oct. 1 and is expected to adopt the ordinance on Oct. 15. The proposed ordinance can be found at www.ci.blaine.mn.us.

Shannon Prather

Fridley

Arena razed; site eyed for City Hall

As crews finish up demolition of the vacant Columbia Arena, Fridley city leaders are toying with the idea of building a new City Hall there.

The city owns more than 30 acres at the site on University Avenue, including the old hockey arena property, a public works site and Locke Park.

The future of the property has been in limbo for nearly a decade.

The ice hockey arena was built in 1969 and hosted youth games for decades.

The arena had a brush with fame. "D3: The Mighty Ducks," the third movie in the Disney hockey trilogy, was filmed there in the mid-1990s. After the arena's refrigeration equipment became too antiquated to repair, it was sold to a developer in 2006. It sat vacant for years.

The Fridley Housing and Redevelopment Authority bought the dilapidated arena last year for $2.6 million with an eye toward redevelopment. In September, the City Council directed staff to research the possibility of using the land for a future City Hall campus including police, fire, public works and possibly a community center.

Shannon Prather

NORTH METRO

Fall cleanup? Here's where to take waste

Residents of Maple Grove, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Dayton, New Hope and Rogers who present a picture ID with prove of residency can drop fall yard waste off for free at the Maple Grove Yardwaste Site, 14796 101st Av. N.

If you recently moved to a participating city and don't have a new ID, bring your old ID with a closing document or utility bill.

Logs and tree waste up to 9 inches in diameter will be accepted for free. Material 10 to 22 inches in diameter will be accepted for $8 per cubic yard.

Acceptable for free is yard and garden waste such as leaves and garden plants; wood chips, and sod, sand and gravel in small quantities.

It's open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and noon to 7 p.m. Sundays, until Nov. 30. For more information, go to www.mgyardwaste.com.

STAFF REPORT

Washington County

Display features farm machinery

An exhibit of vintage farm machinery, cars and antique tools will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Denmark Town Hall, 14008 90th St., in southeastern Washington County. The town hall is 8 miles south of Afton.

Visitors can join in tossing hay bales and shucking corn.

Carena Kelz, president of the Denmark Township Historical Society, also appealed for help in restoring one of the oldest one-room schools in Minnesota. Valley School District 34 was built in 1852 and remains on its original site at 13728 St. Croix Trail S. The society purchased the school in 2012, completed payment in 2013, and succeeded in getting it on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Restoration efforts are underway.

For more information, contact Kelz at 651-357-4244.

David Peterson

Washington County

Sheriff hands out recognition awards

A Hugo man, Kevin Gilbertson, received a citizen's award last week for assisting Washington County sheriff's deputies who were trying to handcuff a violent man who was high on methamphetamines earlier this year.

Gilbertson saw trouble unfolding and came to the arrest scene to help subdue the man, Sheriff Bill Hutton said in a recognition ceremony at Historic Courthouse.

Deputies receiving letters of excellence were Lee Bloomquist, Sara Peulen and Tim Wessels. Reserve deputies receiving letters of excellence were Thomas Cobb, Alec Cruz, Barry Davanzo, Michael Krenz, Panhia Lor, Allan Pfromm, Edward Quinn, Joshua Schauer, Tyler Scheil, David Shelton and Patrick Zollner.

Receiving lifesaving awards were jail corrections officer John Kuenkel and deputies Randy Helms and Nick Sullivan.

The meritorious service award went to Sgt. Larry Osterman, who rewrote the department's policy manual that has become the leading example of excellence among sheriff's offices in Minnesota, Hutton said.

Kevin Giles