Ramsey County is launching a series of public workshops as part of a $1.4 million face-lift for a suburban park it's describing bluntly as long ignored and begging for some love.

The 9-acre Lake Owasso County Park in Shoreview has seen "no renovation or design work" since it opened, officials say, and "many of the facilities show significant wear and tear and currently require excessive maintenance. As a result, park use has diminished substantially."

Construction is expected to begin in 2017 and finish by spring 2018.

Lake Owasso park does not meet disability access standards, has substandard plumbing and electrical systems, and lacks restrooms near picnic and playground areas, according to an assessment by parks officials.

"The picnic shelters lack running water and electricity, and the Lake Wabasso boat launch is inadequate for most boaters," officials say.

Public engagement will begin this month, with a first design workshop scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25, at Lake Owasso County Park Shelter No. 2. The park is at 370 N. Owasso Blvd.

David Peterson

STILLWATER

County jail to host family 'resource night'

A "resource night" for families of Washington County jail inmates will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday in the Law Enforcement Center lobby in Stillwater, as part of a Sheriff's Office initiative to help families of jail inmates.

Members of the staff will be available to answer questions about the jail and programs for inmates. Also represented will be the county Workforce Center, with employment and training resources; the Public Health division, with resources for the WIC program, immunizations, child passenger safety, well child care/outreach and tobacco cessation; and Family Services, with housing information packets.

The Sheriff's Office also will collect expired and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter drugs at the event. Nearly 13 tons of medications have been collected and destroyed in the five years since the Sheriff's Office began its campaign.

Sheriff Bill Hutton has warned against the dangers of unsecured prescription drugs, which he said often are stolen and abused as "gateway" drugs that open the door to more addictive substances, such as heroin.

Kevin Giles

Roseville

Group wants new Cedarholm clubhouse

Roseville should build a new clubhouse at its nine-hole Cedarholm municipal golf course, an advisory commission is recommending.

And the commission says it wants to end the fiction that golf is an enterprise that can pay for itself, though the group is leery of any open-ended taxpayer subsidy.

Usage has dropped off drastically over the decades, the group found, but remains robust for a course like Cedarholm.

The commission recommends as possible funding sources:

• Park dedication funds, or fees charged when new development occurs;

• Leftover money from the city's Parks and Recreation Renewal Program, bonds issued in 2011 and 2012 to finance park improvements;

• Reserves in the city's golf course fund.

The group also suggests thinking of the new clubhouse as more of a multiuse facility, with gathering spaces that complement existing parks and recreation facilities — including perhaps a permanent home for Roseville's historical society.

David Peterson

ST. PAUL

Ramsey County hosting free Fix-It Clinic

Ramsey County will host a free Fix-It Clinic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, at Arc's Value Village Thrift Store on St. Paul's East Side. Volunteer fixers will work with individuals to repair up to three broken items and teach valuable repair skills, all free of charge.

It's part of the county's continuing efforts to keep reusable items from winding up in the trash. Three out of every four items are successfully repaired on-site, reducing the number of objects that end up in landfills, officials say.

Individuals are welcome to bring items such as small household appliances, electronics and clothing to the clinics. Notable repairs have included vintage objects, such as fans and sewing machines, a plethora of eclectic lamps, and several electronics such as TVs, DVD players and tape decks.

Several fixers also can mend clothes in need of patchwork, hemming or tailoring.

Ramsey County is seeking people to volunteer as fixers for future clinics. Those with a knack for tinkering, troubleshooting and repair should go to RamseyRecycles.com, call 651-266-1199 or e-mail AskEH@co.ramsey.mn.us/.

Arc's Value Village Thrift Store is at 1650 White Bear Av. N.

James Walsh